Even as the arrest of Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was denounced by a large number of people, his own mentor, Anna Hazare, slammed him for introducing the liquor policy in the nation's capital. The 86 year old Gandhian activist, whose crusade against corruption highly impressed Kejriwal, said on Friday, "I told him several times to avoid liquor, but he made the policy for more money. He should not have done that."
"I am very saddened, that a man like Kejriwal, who used to work with me and had raised his voice against liquor, today is preparing liquor policy," he said.
"But what can be done? He got arrested due to his deeds. Had he not done anything, there was no question of his being arrested. Whatever happens now should happen according to the law," the activist added.
Hazare's sharp reaction to Kejriwal's arrest is seen by observers as a major setback for the Delhi CM. Even though Hazare himself is virtually living the life of a recluse in his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district, he continues to keep him updated about developments in Maharashtra and the rest of India. Incidentally, he has got the government to ban liquor in his own village.
Hazare was the person who revived Gandhian traditions by launching a peaceful national movement against corruption. Under the omnibus banner of India Against Corruption (IAC) an impressive movement was launched and this in turn threw up several leaders including Kejriwal. However, Hazare started distancing himself from Kejriwal when he realised that the latter harboured big political ambitions.
Hazare was specifically against the movement taking part in elections. But, Kejriwal defied him and fielded AAP candidates for the Delhi assembly elections and formed a government with the help of the Congress which was the main target of the IAC.
A highly disappointed Hazare withdrew from the battlefield of Jantar Mantar in Delhi and withdrew to his village. Incidentally, several of Kejriwal's close associates like adv Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Kiran Bedi and Mayank Gandhi also followed Hazare and moved away from Kejriwal. Lot of water has flown down the Yamuna over the years and today Hazare perceives Kejriwal as "just another politician."
