Rift in Anna’s organisation over graft allegations

Even as anti-graft activist Anna Hazare is up to conducting a massive public meeting on Tuesday in the city to demand a strong Lokayukta, he has failed to resolve a rift over corruption allegations in his own organisation — the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan’s (BVJA) Mumbai wing.

Even as anti-graft activist Anna Hazare is up to conducting a massive public meeting on Tuesday in the city to demand a strong Lokayukta, he has failed to resolve a rift over corruption allegations in his own organisation — the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan’s (BVJA) Mumbai wing.

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Vijay Kurle, ex-executive committee member of BVJA, Mumbai, has accused Bhavesh Patel, president of BVJA, of misappropriating donations to the tune of Rs3 to 3.5 lakh. The amount was collected as donation for the anti-graft agitation held in the city in June 2011.

“The Mumbai BVJA collected around Rs8 lakh in cash and cheques,” said Kurle. “Patel prepared bogus bills and vouchers — one of the vouchers of Rs7,200 said that the sum was given to me as lunch allowance though I have not taken any such money.”

The other BVJA members have also complained of financial irregularities and lack of transparency. “If this organisation demands transparency from others then it should first maintain transparency within the organisation,” said Sushil Desai, another BVJA executive member.

Patel dismissed the charges. “I don’t understand why people waited for do many months to make allegations against me. I submitted the accounts in September 2011.”