Anna Hazare reminds Kejriwal of his own lines from ‘Swaraj’ over excise policy

New Delhi: Veteran social reformer and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Tuesday wrote a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reminding him of his own lines from his book ‘Swaraj’ while criticising Delhi’s liquor policy and accusing him of getting intoxicated with the power.

Kejriwal had written ‘Swaraj’ in 2012 before joining politics.

“Before stepping into politics, you had written a book ‘Swaraj’. You had got the foreword of the book written by me. You had boasted about the Gramsabha and the liquor policy in the book. Whatever you had written is to remind you,” said Hazare in his letter and also quoted Kejriwal’s lines from the book that deals with the problem of liquor addiction in the villages and it’s solutions.

Hazare said further in the letter, “You had written ideally in the book and I had great expectations from you.

“But, it seems that you have forgotten those words after stepping into politics and becoming the Chief Minister. The new excise policy, which you have formulated seems to promote the habit of liquor addiction. The policy can lead to liquor shops at every corner of the state. In result, it can promote corruption which is not in the favour of the public, but you decided to bring such a policy.”

“It seems that as liquor has the intoxication, the same has with the power. And you also have been intoxicated with the power,” Anna Hazare said in the letter.

Reminding Kejriwal of Team Anna meeting held on September 18, 2012 where Kejriwal put forth his intention of joining politics, Hazare said, “You forgot that forming the political party was not the intention of our movement.

“Seeing Delhi Excise Policy, it seems that the party which was formed by scrapping the historical movement has gone on the same path as other parties are treading which is a very sorry matter,” he said.

“I am writing this letter because we first banned alcohol in Ralegan Siddhi village. We protested many times to bring good liquor policy in Maharashtra. The movement led to the law for prohibition of alcohol. If 51 per cent of the women in a village and city vote in favour of prohibition, then there will be a ban on alcohol”, the letter reads.

“Such a policy was expected by the Delhi government as well. But you didn’t do that. People are also seen trapped in this vicious cycle like money to power and power to money like other parties. This does not suit a political party born out of a major movement,” the veteran social reformer concluded in his letter.