New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Anna Hazare's initial reaction to the attack on union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar angered Congress party leaders enough to question the activist's Gandhian tag.
Asked by reporters about his view on the attack on Pawar, who was slapped by a Sikh man. Hazare said: 'Was it only one slap?'
As the gathering burst out laughing, Hazare left.
But he must have realised the gaffe he had committed, and returned to clarify.
'He (the accused) could have been angry, but it is not right to hit someone. Our democracy does not allow such attacks,' Anna said.
The Congress, however, was not amused.
An angry Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said: 'If they condone violence, then people will take a call on their claim of being Gandhians.'
'The Congress condemns the attack in strongest terms,' Tewari added.
The youth had only four days ago kicked Sukh Ram after the former minister was sentenced in a corruption case.
Tewari in August had said that Hazare is 'involved in corruption from top to bottom'. Hazare served him with a legal notice, following which Tewari wrote him a letter of apology.
After the controversy, Tewari opted out of the parliamentary standing committee which is examining the Lokpal bill.
Hazare has led two successful campaigns campaigns in New Delhi in Aopril and August to press his demand for a strong Lokpal that checks corruption in high places. He is pushing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for early passage of the Lokpal bill in parliament.
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