BJP has failed to check corruption: Anna Hazare

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, January 19

Padma Bhushan awardee and Gandhian civil rights activist Anna Hazare said the BJP government that had come to power on the agenda of eradicating corruption had failed to bring the promised Lokpal Bill as a result corruption was continuing.

People were watching the government’s functioning closely and it will be reflected in the forthcoming elections, he said.

Addressing the Telangana Jagruthi International Youth Leadership Conference (TJIYLC), which began here on Saturday, Hazare said asked the youth to be dedicated in service to the nation. “Only those who serve the society and nation, and not millionaires, are remembered by generations,” he told over 550 Indian and foreign delegates participating in the international conference.

He made his point by saying “people were celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year. But there was not a single instance of people celebrating a millionaire’s birthday”. Youngsters are free to serve at their desired religious places but they should also consider their village and nation as a religious place. Service to mankind is service to God, he said, speaking after inaugurating the event.

Earlier talking to The Tribune, Anna Hazare refused to be drawn into the “rationale” and “need” for the mega rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee saying, “It is the duty of every politician to work for the interest of the country and I hope that politicians keep national interest above everything else before taking any political decision.”

Telangana Jagruthi founder president and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha said youngsters across the globe were facing different problems. Unemployment, drug abuse, mental disorder and others were a few issues plaguing the youth in all the countries. TJIYLC was the first step towards networking the organisations in different countries and to nurture the youth in addressing these issues, she said.

Pak should stop meddling with Kashmir issue: Owaisi

During a panel discussion as part of the TJIYLC, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said Kashmir was and would remain an integral part of India and wanted Pakistan to stop meddling with the Kashmir issue. “Not only Kashmir, but every Kashmiri youth too is an integral part of India. But I do not hesitate to say that the BJP and the Congress have not acted in interest of Kashmir, they have no clear policy on the state, why else will Jammu and Kashmir be without a government for over eight months.”

More than 550 delegates from 110 countries are participating in TJIYLC, which will conclude on Sunday. The event is based on the theme ‘The Gandhian Path to Sustainability and Innovation’.

Former SAARC secretary-general Arjun Bahadur Thapa, veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta, MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Asaduddin Owaisi addressed to youth today and badminton chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, Malavath Purna and Governor ESL Narasimhan will address the concluding session tomorrow.