Kejriwal will be role model for other states: Anna Hazare

PALWAL (HARYANA): Arvind Kejriwal’s victory seems to have softened Anna Hazare’s stance against activists joining politics. Speaking to TOI, the Gandhian said on Friday that the Delhi CM, who worked as his close associate during the Jan Lokpal movement, will do well in his new role.
“I am confident that Kejriwal will run his government successfully and set an example for other state governments in eradicating corruption,” he said, adding the AAP convener had spoken to him twice over the past fortnight.“He expressed a wish to join and support the agitation for withdrawal of amendments to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.” Hazare, who will sit on dharna at Jantar Mantar, said, as with other parties and their representatives, Kejriwal may not be allowed to share the dais.
In the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections, which Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won by a huge margin, Kejriwal had raised the issue of amendments to the Land Acquisition Act. AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai confirmed that the party was keen to join Hazare. “Anna has always maintained that he does not share any platform with any political party. If he permits us, we will certainly join. Our heart is with Anna,” he said.
Sources said AAP will undertake state-wide protests in Haryana on Saturday over the amendments made to the Land Acquisition Act.
Hazare said the Centre’s decision to relax the requirements of consent and a social impact assessment survey for projects involving industrial corridors is tyranny. “Such actions may bring job opportunities for a few but lakhs of farmers will end up losing their lands—their only source of livelihood. No amount of compensation can make up for the lost land,” he said.