Clash at Anna’s fast, NSUI denies role
26 July 2012 2:50 AM GMT
A scuffle broke out between Anna Hazare supporters and members of a student outfit on the first day of a fast being staged by Team Anna at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday afternoon.
As soon as Anna and his team members arrived at Jantar Mantar from Rajghat around noon, a group of around 30 people, suspected to be members of the National Student Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress party, and sporting ‘I am Anna caps’, started shouting slogans against the movement and key team Anna member, Arvind Kejriwal.
They were, however, removed from the venue by India Against Corruption
(IAC) volunteers. A minor scuffle broke out between the two groups but peace was restored after the intervention of police personnel, who had been deployed at the fast venue, an officer said.
No one was injured. The protesters were removed from the venue, but they continued to shout slogans against Kejriwal and other Team Anna members from a distance.
After the arrival of Anna and other team members, Kumar Vishwas, who was manning the stage, announced that they had received an audio clip, recorded by a volunteer, in which members of the student outfit of a certain political part were saying, ‘Just give Anna a push and eat up Arvind and Manish’.
Within seconds of the announcement, the suspected members who had gathered a few metres away from the stage started shouting slogans with renewed vigour. Hearing the ruckus, Vishwas declared that they were members of the student wing of the Congress, the NSUI. ‘We will release the audio to the media,’ Vishwas added.
One of the protestors, Saurya Bansal, asked, ‘Why are they (Team Anna) targeting only the ministers of the Congress-led UPA government on corruption charges, when several allegations have been made against members of their own team?’
Meanwhile, the NSUI in the evening issued a clarification of the whole controversy and said the party had absolutely nothing to do with the incident. ‘We highly condemn the action and would like the police administration to pursue the case and look into the matter since we suspect the role of anti-NSUI members, who might have been trying to tarnish our image,’ the NSUI statement read.
NSUI National President Rohit Chaudhary said being a democratic student wing, the NSUI believes in democratic culture where every individual and outfit has a right to protest and to press forth their demands and Team Anna is doing just that. ‘Those who protested against Team Anna members at Jantar Mantar are not members or office bearers of the NSUI. None of our office bearers and official representatives of NSUI took part in the protest, which is the norm for such a protest as big as this one,’ Chaudhary said.
CONGRESS SLAMS THE TEAM
Congress leader and Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni on Wednesday slammed Team Anna, saying, ‘Corruption charges against central ministers are not acceptable.’ Soni added, ‘On a day when the whole nation is celebrating the new President, there is no need for a fast. We are looking into the Lokpal issue.’
She also questioned the four-day deadline set by Anna’s camp on the government to announce a strong and effective Lokpal. Soni mentioned, ‘You may fix any deadline. The parliamentarians are empowered by the Constitution, by the mandate of the people, by their vote to take a call. They are responsible. Parliamentarians have decided that a select committee is looking into it. How can you put a deadline?’
Slamming them, she added, ‘We are second to none. They have no other issue to agitate on, so they are agitating on a day when we are commemorating the start of a new President’s tenure in Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is an occasion when India is celebrating.’ Reacting to the alleged ruckus created by NSUI members at the Team Anna fast venue, Congress leader V Narayanasamy rubbished these allegations. He said, ‘As far as Congress or NSUI are concerned, we are not a party of violence and follow democratic principles. The allegation is unfounded. It’s unfortunate that they are making allegations against NSUI, which is not acceptable. They are trying to divert the attention of people. Team Anna is maligning us.’
FESTIVITIES MARK DAY ONE, THOUSANDS THRONG JANTAR MANTAR
Jantar Mantar, the protest venue of Team Anna, came to life once again after last year’s protest of Anna Hazare at the same venue.
The mood was festive with hundreds of people coming at regular intervals to attend the fast.
Hundreds thronged to offer their support to Anna in his struggle against corruption. The mood was also patriotic with the crowd chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ at regular intervals. People were streaming in voluntarily, giving the movement a spontaneous character. His supporters were seen congratulating each other, dancing to the tunes of drums, waving the Tricolour and showing victory signs. They came in at the protest venue in different attires and headgears.
Anna cap, on which was written ‘Main Anna Hun’ was in great demand at Jantar Mantar. Tricolour sellers could also be seen doing brisk business in and around the venue. With a stream of visitors at the venue, lots of street vendors had come to try their luck.
They all are gearing for coming days as well, hoping that there would be more crowd coming to the venue after Anna Hazare starts his fast from 29 July. Anna Hazare has decided not to fast for the first four days of the protest due to medical reasons. However, other members of Team Anna such as Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and others have sat on an indefinite fast from Wednesday.
As soon as Anna and his team members arrived at Jantar Mantar from Rajghat around noon, a group of around 30 people, suspected to be members of the National Student Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress party, and sporting ‘I am Anna caps’, started shouting slogans against the movement and key team Anna member, Arvind Kejriwal.
They were, however, removed from the venue by India Against Corruption
(IAC) volunteers. A minor scuffle broke out between the two groups but peace was restored after the intervention of police personnel, who had been deployed at the fast venue, an officer said.
No one was injured. The protesters were removed from the venue, but they continued to shout slogans against Kejriwal and other Team Anna members from a distance.
After the arrival of Anna and other team members, Kumar Vishwas, who was manning the stage, announced that they had received an audio clip, recorded by a volunteer, in which members of the student outfit of a certain political part were saying, ‘Just give Anna a push and eat up Arvind and Manish’.
Within seconds of the announcement, the suspected members who had gathered a few metres away from the stage started shouting slogans with renewed vigour. Hearing the ruckus, Vishwas declared that they were members of the student wing of the Congress, the NSUI. ‘We will release the audio to the media,’ Vishwas added.
One of the protestors, Saurya Bansal, asked, ‘Why are they (Team Anna) targeting only the ministers of the Congress-led UPA government on corruption charges, when several allegations have been made against members of their own team?’
Meanwhile, the NSUI in the evening issued a clarification of the whole controversy and said the party had absolutely nothing to do with the incident. ‘We highly condemn the action and would like the police administration to pursue the case and look into the matter since we suspect the role of anti-NSUI members, who might have been trying to tarnish our image,’ the NSUI statement read.
NSUI National President Rohit Chaudhary said being a democratic student wing, the NSUI believes in democratic culture where every individual and outfit has a right to protest and to press forth their demands and Team Anna is doing just that. ‘Those who protested against Team Anna members at Jantar Mantar are not members or office bearers of the NSUI. None of our office bearers and official representatives of NSUI took part in the protest, which is the norm for such a protest as big as this one,’ Chaudhary said.
CONGRESS SLAMS THE TEAM
Congress leader and Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni on Wednesday slammed Team Anna, saying, ‘Corruption charges against central ministers are not acceptable.’ Soni added, ‘On a day when the whole nation is celebrating the new President, there is no need for a fast. We are looking into the Lokpal issue.’
She also questioned the four-day deadline set by Anna’s camp on the government to announce a strong and effective Lokpal. Soni mentioned, ‘You may fix any deadline. The parliamentarians are empowered by the Constitution, by the mandate of the people, by their vote to take a call. They are responsible. Parliamentarians have decided that a select committee is looking into it. How can you put a deadline?’
Slamming them, she added, ‘We are second to none. They have no other issue to agitate on, so they are agitating on a day when we are commemorating the start of a new President’s tenure in Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is an occasion when India is celebrating.’ Reacting to the alleged ruckus created by NSUI members at the Team Anna fast venue, Congress leader V Narayanasamy rubbished these allegations. He said, ‘As far as Congress or NSUI are concerned, we are not a party of violence and follow democratic principles. The allegation is unfounded. It’s unfortunate that they are making allegations against NSUI, which is not acceptable. They are trying to divert the attention of people. Team Anna is maligning us.’
FESTIVITIES MARK DAY ONE, THOUSANDS THRONG JANTAR MANTAR
Jantar Mantar, the protest venue of Team Anna, came to life once again after last year’s protest of Anna Hazare at the same venue.
The mood was festive with hundreds of people coming at regular intervals to attend the fast.
Hundreds thronged to offer their support to Anna in his struggle against corruption. The mood was also patriotic with the crowd chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ at regular intervals. People were streaming in voluntarily, giving the movement a spontaneous character. His supporters were seen congratulating each other, dancing to the tunes of drums, waving the Tricolour and showing victory signs. They came in at the protest venue in different attires and headgears.
Anna cap, on which was written ‘Main Anna Hun’ was in great demand at Jantar Mantar. Tricolour sellers could also be seen doing brisk business in and around the venue. With a stream of visitors at the venue, lots of street vendors had come to try their luck.
They all are gearing for coming days as well, hoping that there would be more crowd coming to the venue after Anna Hazare starts his fast from 29 July. Anna Hazare has decided not to fast for the first four days of the protest due to medical reasons. However, other members of Team Anna such as Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and others have sat on an indefinite fast from Wednesday.
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