New Delhi: After courting controversy for his comments on Sharad Pawar being slapped by a youth, Anna Hazare on Tuesday fired a fresh salvo, saying the Agriculture minister has an "old habit of protecting corrupt people".
In his blog, Hazare alleged that Pawar turned a blind eye to a number of corruption cases. "If an inquiry is ordered, it will become clear who has been responsible. This shows that Sharad Pawar has an old habit of protecting corrupt people," he said.
Hazare said many politicians felt very bad and got angry about the slapping incident on November 24. A youth, who has since been arrested, had slapped Pawar as he was coming out of a function in New Delhi.
"But it is important to discuss as to why did that youth slap. Today, corruption is rising day-by-day. This corruption has made it difficult for the ordinary people to live. So much inflation is due to corruption only.
"It is increasingly becoming difficult for people to run their families. When the limit to patience ends, then some people take law in their own hands and commit such acts," he said.
"He got slapped! Only one slap?" This was Hazare's first reaction to group of journalists on the slapping incident.
In his blog, the Gandhian admitted that he "committed violence" when he reacted that way to the incident but went on to add that for the betterment of society, "I do not consider this violence as wrong."
Accusing Pawar of "keeping the company of corrupt people", he said the NCP chief had supported his party leader and relative Padamsingh Patil who was facing corruption charges.
"Many farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra. But this did not make any politician angry? This is unfortunate," Hazare said.
Hazare also alleged that Pawar turned a blind eye to his complaints about corruption in many departments and said in the past 50 years, thousands of acres of forests have vanished for which the NCP chief was responsible.
"I have been demanding an enquiry over this for the last 3 years but no enquiry has been ordered. If an enquiry is ordered, it will become clear who has been responsible," he said.
"Sharad Pawar s supporters hurled dirtiest abuses against me, I have kept a CD of the same for my record. At an appropriate time, I will play it before the public," Hazare said.
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