Sibal is enemy Number 1

Much of the Congress leadership and UPA ministers are critical of the civil society movement against corruption; but for the anti-graft supporters at Rajghat on Wednesday it was the name of Kapil Sibal that aroused extreme reactions.

Much of the Congress leadership and UPA ministers are critical of the civil society movement against corruption; but for the anti-graft supporters at Rajghat on Wednesday it was the name of Kapil Sibal that aroused extreme reactions.

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The gathering started booing and several members even stood up in rage the moment activist Arvind Kejriwal began saying something about Sibal. Anna Hazare had to intervene and ask them to maintain calm.

"This is a peaceful protest. And we are not against any individual but a corrupt system, so please maintain calm," he said to the gathering, after which Kejriwal resumed his speech.

Unlike in April, when Hazare's movement started, the crusaders were fighting against a system. In Sibal — the most visible among the ministers dealing with the activists — protesters said they had found a person they could target.

"He personifies everything we are fighting against. He is the main culprit who wants to derail Annaji's and Ramdevji's movement against corruption," claimed Shiv Kumar from Bulandshahar in UP.

Kumar also brought a printed poster depicting Sibal as an associate of General Dyer.

Throughout the day, lesser known speakers kept mentioning reported quotes by Sibal taken from newspaper articles.

A housewife from Bhopal, Ekta Sarathe, came with a large board with names of top Congress leadership, each with a "nickname". The list called Sibal "the biggest betrayer of the nation”. “Sibal has no regard for democracy. He has harmed people's fight against corruption,” she said.