We have not asked for Hazare's support to Advani yatra: BJP

In a tit-for-tat response to Anna Hazare's comments that he would not support L K Advani's proposed yatra, the BJP on Tuesday said it had not sought his support and it was "not necessary" for the party and the Gandhian to agree on every issue.

In a tit-for-tat response to Anna Hazare's comments that he would not support L K Advani's proposed yatra, the BJP on Tuesday said it had not sought his support and it was "not necessary" for the party and the Gandhian to agree on every issue.

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"Anna Hazare is a well-known and respected social activist. He has the right to have his opinion on the yatra. People have the liberty to support or not to support the yatra. But we have also not sought his support," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

In reply to a question, Hazare had stated that he would not support Advani's yatra and maintained that a non-Congress, non-BJP front should be supported in politics.

Hazare's indefinite fast at Ramlila grounds last month against corruption was supported by the BJP and had even led the Congress and other parties to allege that most supporters of the Gandhian were RSS and BJP men.

"It is not necessary for us (BJP and Hazare) to agree on every issue. Though I have not heard of Hazare saying he will not support, we know that a lot of people are going to come out in support of Advani's yatra," Javadekar said.

Javadekar insisted that Hazare had a right to have his "own agitation, his point of view and his opinion".

The Rajya Sabha MP maintained that BJP was supporting all those "non-political organisations", including Hazare's, which are fighting against corruption.

He insisted that the Lokpal was only one of the several aspects in the fight against corruption and issues like bringing Indian Black money stashed abroad and electoral reforms would require different laws.

"The aim of Advani's yatra is a corruption-free India. All forces which have credibility and are fighting for it are welcome. We will continue our fight against corruption," Javadekar said.