The anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare a follower of non-violence advocated that the slap on the union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar is not a wrong act of violence. He said the act was for the benefit of the society and it was permissible. He said `Just one slap’ in this case not an act of violence.
"For the betterment of the society and the country, I have used strong words many times in the past.”Just One Slap?" “I admit that I committed violence when I said that. But for the betterment of society, I do not consider this violence as wrong," Hazare. He also said many politicians condemned the act and termed it as violence. He added "Sharad Pawar is the agriculture minister at the centre and the power minister of the state is from his own party. Today after 22 years, the electric pumps of the farmers still get burnt due to low voltage, the crops get burnt, the transformers get burnt, but the politicians still don't get angry. This is unfortunate."
He also reminded that why the politicians did not raise the hue when three farmers were shot at Mawal in Pune while on protest.
He also quoted earlier, “Padmasinh Patil, a relative of Sharad Pawarji, who was a minister in Sharad Pawar's cabinet, indulged in corruption while he was minister. I demanded an enquiry. When enquiry did not take place, I started a movement because of which the enquiry had to be ordered. The minister was found guilty and he had to be removed from the cabinet. To take revenge, this minister gave 'supari'(contract) of Rs 30 lakh to someone to kill me."
Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar lashed out at anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday for the latter's statement that he needed to introspect on why he was slapped by a youth two weeks ago in Delhi. Pawar said Anna needed to be mature and restrained whenever he opened his mouth. The NCP chief said he had no objection to the Gandhian expressing his views, but if there were any more attacks in the future, it would be clear who was instigating and encouraging such acts.
Harvinder Singh, who slapped Pawar Nov 24, was sent to 14 days in judicial custody by a Delhi court a day later.
