Anna Hazare to launch fresh stir on Lokpal issue, flays Modi Govt on black money

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare said he will launch a fresh stir on the Lokpal issue even as he criticised the Narendra Modi government for its "failure" to bring back black money stashed away abroad and said that people will teach it a lesson for the "fraud" done on them.

"The Modi government has not implemented the Lokpal Act even after 365 days of the President's having signed it. It has not fulfilled assurances made to the people," he said.

"The government is not serious on the issue of corruption. That is why an agitation will be launched once again on Lokpal, Land Acquisition Act and black money," he said in a statement this evening in his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district.

"People were promised during Lok Sabha elections that black money will be brought back within 100 days (of BJP forming its government), that Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in the accounts of every citizen, but not even Rs 15 has come.

"People have become aware now of the fraud perpetrated on them. They will teach a lesson (to the BJP-led government) the way they taught one to Congress. The masses have awakened after the 2011 movement against corruption," he said in an interview to a news channel.

The 77-year-old Gandhian, meanwhile, refused to be drawn into the ongoing political slugfest between his two former proteges -- Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and BJP's Kiran Bedi -- who are both their respective parties' chief ministerial candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections.

Asked about his views on Kejriwal and Bedi -- both were part of the Hazare-led India Against Corruption campaign -- crossing swords for the top post in Delhi, the anti-graft crusader said he would not talk about politics.

"I don't want to go into these things. Ask me about other things, ask me about the country. An Arvind or a Kiran is not important," he said.