Ministers convicted of corruption should be hanged: Arvind Kejriwal's one-time mentor Anna Hazare

Anna Hazare, the iconic anti-corruption crusader who once mentored beleaguered Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, today said ministers found guilty of corruption should be hanged to death.

"Main hamesha hi bolta hoon, koi mantri bhrashtachaar ka doshi paaya jaaye use phaansi do (I always say, any ministers found guilty of corruption should be hanged)," Anna Hazare said.

Hazare's remark comes a day after sacked Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra said he saw Kejriwal accept a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Mishra has also said Kejriwal and two his aides tried to scuttle an investigation into an water tanker scam that allegedly took place when former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit was the chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board.

'DEEPLY SADDENED BY ALLEGATIONS'

Hazare said yesterday that he was "deeply saddened" by the allegations against Arvind Kejriwal.

However, he added that Mishra made the accusations only after he was ousted from the government, not before - and that if the Delhi CM hadn't done anything wrong, he should ask for a detailed probe.

Kapil Mishra's allegations exacerbated the crisis within the AAP, which is still smarting from its humiliating loss to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the municipal elections held last month in the national capital, team Kejriwal's only stronghold.

Eventually, Mishra was today suspended from AAP, which has defended Kejriwal.

Earlier today, Mishra shared details about those involved in the alleged tanker scam with the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He said he would seek an appointment with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complain about the bribe Arvind Kejriwal allegedly took from Satyendar Jain.

And after Mishra met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal yesterday and complained about corruption in the AAP government, the L-G forwarded the complaint to the anti-corruption branch (ACB) and asked for a report in seven days.

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