Rejig expected in Team Anna

New faces might be inducted during the meeting at Ralegan, sources say

Rejig expected in Team Anna

New faces might be inducted during the meeting at Ralegan, sources say

After the Swami Agnivesh controversy, there are likely to be some more changes in the composition of Anna Hazare's civil society group.

All together?u00a0 Anna Hazare, with Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and other
supporters during a press conference in Delhi.u00a0 file pic

Hazare, who was discharged yesterday from Gurgaon's Medanta hospital, is likely to participate in a meeting of civil society members that is scheduled for September 10 and 11 at the Gandhian's native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. "During our protest at Ramlila Maidan, there were moments when we were nervous because of the behaviour of some of our own members more than outsiders. We will review the role of such members during our Ralegan meeting," said an insider of Team Anna.

After the exclusion of Swami Agnivesh, twenty-three members of core group of Team Anna will meet at Ralegan. "Either some new members will be included in the core committee or some more committees or co-ordination committees will be formed after the important meeting, besides announcement of future course of action," added the member.

Remembering the critical moment, a member of Team Anna hinted that they had doubts about the integrity of one or two members of the medical team taking care of Anna. "The day all round pressure mounted to break the fast of Anna, even police sources were hinting that Hazare might be taken away for hospitalisation. Doctors were silent. Many among us were nervous," said a source in Team Anna.

Hopeful of changes in the composition, sources said that the Ralegan meeting will be crucial. "Anna always believes in changing the team after each protest. None of his former associates were part of the present anti-corruption agitation. He is honest, dedicated and does not tolerate any indiscipline," they said.u00a0

Tewari recuses himself from Lokpal panel
Congress spokesperson and MP Manish Tewari, who had started a row by accusing Anna Hazare of corruption but later apologised, has recused himself from Parliament's Standing Committee that is going into Lokpal issue.
At the outset, he said, he had seen speculation in the press on his continuance as a member of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to take place on September 7. Two days before Hazare was due to begin his fast in Delhi on August 16, the activist was targeted by the Congress spokesperson for the first time when Tewari cited Sawant Commission report and accused him of being "steeped in corruption from head to toe". A few days back, Tewari, however, apologised for levelling allegations against Hazare and appealed to the Gandhian to call off his fast. But the apology by the Congress MP from Punjab did not cut much ice with Hazare since the anti-corruption crusader's lawyer Milind Pawar said a case of defamation would be filed against Tewari in a Pune court next week.

Getting personal
Anna Hazare is unmarried. He has lived in a small room attached to the Sant Yadavbaba temple in Ralegan Siddhi since 1975. On 16 April 2011, he declared his bank balance of Rs 67,183 and Rs 1,500 as money in hand.u00a0 He owns 0.07 hectares of family land in Ralegan Siddhi, which is being used by his brothers. Two other pieces of land donated to him by the Indian Army and by a villager have been donated by him for village use. His only income is a pension he receives from the Indian Army.