Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday alleged that Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had an “old habit of protecting corrupt people”.
PUNE – Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday alleged that Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had an “old habit of protecting corrupt people” even as he virtually justified his “just one slap” remark which he had made after Pawar was attacked by a youth in New Delhi last month.
Hazare admitted on his blog that he had “committed violence” with his “slap” remark but said he did not consider such violence wrong as it was for the “betterment of society”.
The crusader said that while many politicians felt “very bad” and “angry” about the slapping incident, it was important to discuss why the youth did what he did. “What this young man did was wrong; there are no two opinions about it. And I have also condemned it. But why did he slap-we need to think about it,” he said.
“For no fault of theirs, farmers are lathi-charged, shot at and killed when they demand their rights. But this does not cause any anger in our agriculture-based country. This is unfortunate. Many farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra. But this did not make any politician angry? This is unfortunate,” he said in the blog titled ‘Violence cannot replace peaceful protest’.
