Differences in Cong over Anna surface

Differences in Cong over Anna surface
New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Differences within Congress
over the way Anna Hazare issue was handled came to the fore
on Friday with East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit stating that the
Gandhian should not have been arrested and adverse comments
made against him could have been avoided.
Asked whether Hazare's arrest was wrong, Dikhit
replied in the affirmative. "It was wrong on the part of Delhi
police. I would not say it was the decision of UPA government.
But I think it was wrong on the part of Delhi police to arrest
him," he told reporters.
The Congress MP said if the police thought it would
lead to some public disturbance they could have detained him
and as they negotiated in the evening for re-evaluation of the
site and timing, they could have done that then and there.
"I think Delhi police should have been more proactive
and arresting him was wrong. I am happy that the government
came to know that it has done a mistake and rectified it. It
is the largeness of the government that they made a mistake
and rectified it," Dikshit said.
On how to end the standoff between the government and
Team Anna, he maintained that Hazare should follow the process
and come to the Standing Committee.
"The Bill is with the Standing Committee. The draft
Bill goes through substantial changes. I can tell from my
experiences as I was with the Standing Committee on Rural
Development for NREGA and the Committee on Land
Rehabilitation," he said.
The young MP insisted that Standing Committee makes
substantial changes to any proposed legislation.

Asked if the government had handled the Hazare crisis
badly, Dikshit said, "I don't know if we could have handled it
politically differently. This is a new generation of
circumstances. I think somewhere perhaps the government could
not sieze the depth of seriousness of the matter but
ultimately it is not how you handle the situation but how it
ends."
He maintained that if Hazare decides to "provide
everybody a leadership" and breaks the current impasse, a
solution beneficial to everybody would ultimately come out.
Dikshit argued that Hazare could put across his points
to the Standing Committee dealing with the Lokpal Bill and
insisted that such Committees are very effective and empowered
to make drastic changes to Bills.
"I know the working of the Standing Committees. They
are open, intelligent, have people representing their
communities. I think they are in a good position to understand
all points of view and assimilate the realities and people's
choices," Dikshit said.
The Congress leader stated that he would urge Hazare
to give up his fast now that he has made his point.
"He has made a point and very effectively. In recent
history, there has hardly been a people's leader who has made
his point so effectively. I would think continuing will
actually not lead to a solution. I think the solution is that
his leadership is something that everybody accepts," Dikshit
said.
The East Delhi MP was full of praise for the Gandhian,
saying he had been his inspiration in younger days when he had
not yet entered politics.

"Why does he exclude the government from the purview
of those whom he can influence? He should show largeness of
heart. This is our government, his government. Can we do
without it? We can't," Dikshit said.
He insisted that if Hazare had differences with the
government he should negotiate with it.
"If there are people in the government that don't
construe completely to his own, he should negotiate on that.
No one person is entirely correct or entirely wrong," he said.
In reply to a question on personal comments made by
Congress leaders against Hazare, Diskhit said this was
unfortunate but comments had also been made against the
Congress from some quarters.
"I think personal attack is a bad side of what we do. I
think they should be best forgotten. I think people who do
that must learn from their mistakes," he said.