Divisions within Anna Hazare's own camp have come to the fore with his threat to the Congress that he would ask people not to vote for the party if his version of the Lokpal Bill was not passed in Parliament's winter session.
Many members of Team Anna believe that his warning to the Congress would strengthen the voices claiming that the Gandhian is helping the BJP come back to power.
Social activist Medha Patkar, who is part of the "core team" of India Against Corruption (IAC), claimed in an interview to a regional TV channel that the team was not taken into confidence when Hazare made the statement.
When Hazare heard Medha's comments, he immediately backtracked and said his words to the Congress were his "personal opinion".
In a further attempt at damage control, he clarified that there was no "rift" in his group and gave a lengthy justification for his warning to the Congress.
Hazare justified his anger against the party by saying that it did not understand the language of the common people and that the Lokpal Bill was not being passed in Parliament despite being introduced eight times in 42 years.
Patkar clearly said she did not agree with Hazare's threat to the Congress. "I felt (he) should not have named any party but should have been against all the parties who do not support the Lokpal Bill," she said.
She explained that naming the Congress should have been avoided "because we are still in a dialogue with the government". "I hope the Congress would understand we are not against it," Patkar said.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, however, seems to agree with Hazare and not Patkar. According to her, she spoke to Kejriwal over telephone later and he justified Hazare's statement against the Congress.
Patkar said Kejriwal told her the Congress was named "for effect". This belies Hazare's, as well as Patkar's, claim that there was "no major division or difference of opinion in the core committee". Sources said many members of Hazare's camp believe that most decisions are taken by him and Kejriwal, while the rest of them come in the know only later.
There is also resentment over Kejriwal hogging all the limelight, often deliberately. His statement at the height of Hazare's fast that he was "Anna's Hanuman" particularly did not go down well with the prominent members of the core group.
Many members of Team Anna believe that his warning to the Congress would strengthen the voices claiming that the Gandhian is helping the BJP come back to power.
Social activist Medha Patkar, who is part of the "core team" of India Against Corruption (IAC), claimed in an interview to a regional TV channel that the team was not taken into confidence when Hazare made the statement.
When Hazare heard Medha's comments, he immediately backtracked and said his words to the Congress were his "personal opinion".
In a further attempt at damage control, he clarified that there was no "rift" in his group and gave a lengthy justification for his warning to the Congress.
Hazare justified his anger against the party by saying that it did not understand the language of the common people and that the Lokpal Bill was not being passed in Parliament despite being introduced eight times in 42 years.
Patkar clearly said she did not agree with Hazare's threat to the Congress. "I felt (he) should not have named any party but should have been against all the parties who do not support the Lokpal Bill," she said.
She explained that naming the Congress should have been avoided "because we are still in a dialogue with the government". "I hope the Congress would understand we are not against it," Patkar said.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, however, seems to agree with Hazare and not Patkar. According to her, she spoke to Kejriwal over telephone later and he justified Hazare's statement against the Congress.
Patkar said Kejriwal told her the Congress was named "for effect". This belies Hazare's, as well as Patkar's, claim that there was "no major division or difference of opinion in the core committee". Sources said many members of Hazare's camp believe that most decisions are taken by him and Kejriwal, while the rest of them come in the know only later.
There is also resentment over Kejriwal hogging all the limelight, often deliberately. His statement at the height of Hazare's fast that he was "Anna's Hanuman" particularly did not go down well with the prominent members of the core group.