After Digvijay, Assam CM Gogoi slams Team Anna

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday announced a slew of stricter laws to fight corruption and amendments in the existing Lokayukta Act.

Gogoi said, "The new anti-corruption legislations and the amendments to State Lokayukta Act will be tabled in the state assembly in the next budget session."

"We were committed to tackling corruption even before Anna Hazare started his campaign. With that in mind, we will make amendments in the present Lokayukta Act in the state to make it more effective," he said.

The chief minister added, "Bills on Citizen's Charter and the Right to Service Guarantee will also be brought about by the state government."

Hitting out at Hazare, Gogoi said it was not the activist who had initiated an anti-corruption campaign in India. Former deputy prime minister G L Nanda started such a campaign years ago, he said.

The CM also raised questions about the real motive of the campaign by Hazare.

"Rather than being an anti-corruption movement, it looks like an oust Congress movement," Gogoi said.

He criticized Hazare for targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in his speeches even though the prime minister had offered to be under the purview of the proposed Lokpal Bill.

The chief minister pointed out that big business houses as well as NGOs must be brought under the purview of the Lokpal Bill.

"Everybody is under the impression that only politicians are corrupt. Nobody talks of business houses which fund everybody including political parties," Gogoi said.

Gogoi alleged that Hazare's team members had political ambitions and are using the movement to launch their political careers.

"I don't know if Anna Hazare has any political ambition or not, but the members of Team Anna surely have political ambitions," Gogoi said.