Manish Tewari apologises to anna in writing

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari followed up his verbal apology to Lokpal Bill activist Anna Hazare with a written one.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari followed up his verbal apology to Lokpal Bill activist Anna Hazare with a written one.

HT Image

The controversy erupted after Tewari remarked on August 14 that Hazare was "steeped in corruption from head to toe". "In all sincerity, I reiterate my regrets," Tewari wrote to Hazare. "I do not wish to give legal responses or want this matter to be prolonged. I hope you will treat the matter as closed."

The written apology was sent after Hazare's Pune-based lawyer Milind Pawar issued a legal notice to Tewari under Section 500 of Indian Penal Code, as the verbal apologies had failed to suffice.

Hazare however, had said he had forgiven Tiwari after the verbal apologies made on August 25. On September 8, a day after advocate Pawar sent Tewari the notice, Hazare had said, "I had dared Tiwari to prove the allegations he had made. Later, he expressed regrets and I think I should forgive him".

Referring to his verbal apology, Tiwari's note said: "I do not stand on any prestige or ego, especially when it comes to giving due respect to people elder to me."