NEW DELHI — Veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday dismissed claims presented in former Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, asserting that his landmark 2011–2012 anti-corruption movement functioned entirely without political backing from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Addressing questions from reporters regarding the newly released book, Hazare maintained that his decades of public activism have remained strictly non-partisan and focused solely on societal welfare and institutional accountability.
Rebuttal of Political Collusion Allegations
Responding directly to the characterization of the India Against Corruption campaign, Hazare rejected any suggestion of coordination with opposition outfits:
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Assertion of Independence: Hazare stated categorically that he holds no ties to the BJP or the RSS and has never participated in their organizational events, insisting that his agitations were driven by civic duty rather than political agendas.
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Challenge to Electoral Attribution: Questioning assertions that the demonstrations directly caused the 2014 electoral defeat of the Manmohan Singh-led government, Hazare noted that he had never personally met Gandhi and urged senior leaders to verify facts before publishing political attributions.
Memoir Perspective on the Lokpal Movement
The exchange stems from chapters in Belonging: A Journey of Love reviewing the political challenges faced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during its second term:
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Pressure on Governance: The text recounts that the mass hunger strikes in New Delhi demanding an independent Lokpal ombudsman placed the ruling coalition under severe pressure, citing subsequent statements by select movement participants alleging covert organizational support from opposition networks.
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Implementation of Anti-Corruption Law: Gandhi further notes in the memoir that although the UPA administration enacted the Lokpal legislation to address public demands, the institutional authority of the ombudsman was diminished following the 2014 transition of power at the Centre.
