Ego problems among key interlocutors on both sides resulted in miscommunication, and neither he nor Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “got the right feedback” during the Ramlila Maidan fast, activist Anna Hazare told The New York Times.
“There were some ego problems. From the government side it was P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. From our side also there were some issues. I was not getting the right feedback, nor was the prime minister. That complicated issues,” Hazare said.
His teammates Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal had allowed their egos to get in the way, Hazare said. But “they are good people. I need to change them, I will change them.”
“Later, Vilasrao Deshmukh and another minister got involved and direct contact with the prime minister was established. I have an old relationship with Vilasrao... The issues were resolved,” Hazare said.
The “other minister” is believed to have been Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who along with East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit and the political secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Pawan Khera, retrieved the negotiations with Team Anna on the night of August 26, after being instructed to do so by the Prime Minister.
In a statement issued tonight, Hazare claimed he was misquoted by NYT, and that there was an attempt to divide civil society.
“There were some ego problems. From the government side it was P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. From our side also there were some issues. I was not getting the right feedback, nor was the prime minister. That complicated issues,” Hazare said.
His teammates Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal had allowed their egos to get in the way, Hazare said. But “they are good people. I need to change them, I will change them.”
“Later, Vilasrao Deshmukh and another minister got involved and direct contact with the prime minister was established. I have an old relationship with Vilasrao... The issues were resolved,” Hazare said.
The “other minister” is believed to have been Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who along with East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit and the political secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Pawan Khera, retrieved the negotiations with Team Anna on the night of August 26, after being instructed to do so by the Prime Minister.
In a statement issued tonight, Hazare claimed he was misquoted by NYT, and that there was an attempt to divide civil society.