Show Team Anna members no leniency if guilty: Swami Agnivesh

Noted social activist Swami Agnivesh has said that there is no need to show any leniency to Team Anna members – Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi if they are found guilty of violating the law of the land.  

"I left Ramlila maidan where Anna Hazare was sitting on an indefinite fast in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill and when I found that his aides - Kejrilwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan were using bulling tactics and would not allow anyone else come forward to give advise to Anna," said Swami Agnivesh.

"Those who were campaigning against corruption are now in the midst of controversies for misusing funds. While Kerjiwal needs to return Rs 9.5 lakh to the income tax, Mrs Bedi, I am told, is under scanner for overstating her travel expenses. Her travel agent has resigned from the NGO now under scanner," he said.

Swami Agnivesh, who is currently at the Vatican, where he has been invited to take part in a peace programme said he wondered why the government of India had not directed the authorities of Allahabad administration to take action against Prashant Bhushan's seditious statement on Kashmir. Bhushan was bashed up by some hoodlums in his chamber a couple of weeks back.

Anna Hazare was forced to distance himself from the statement and cautioned Bhushan against issuing such baseless and seditious statements that went against the spirit of the Constitution.

While Swami Agnivesh condemned the beating of Prashant Bhushan, he wants Bhushan to be prosecuted. Bhushan, however, continues to stick to his statement on allowing plebiscite in Kashmair and claims that this is his personal point of view.