Anna's new anti-corruption team to meet on November 24

New Delhi: Anna Hazare will meet his new Core Committee in Ralegan Siddhi for two days from November 24 and has invited several eminent persons like former Army chief Gen VK Singh, activist Kiran Bedi said on Saturday. The new Core Committee will meet for the first time just as Arvind Kejriwal, who split with Anna Hazare on the question of going political, is set to announce the name of his party in Delhi.

Hazare is looking for a new inclusive core group with individuals who are known for their non-partisanship and are reformist by nature in his new team, Bedi said. Besides General Singh, those who will be approached by Hazare to join the movement include activists PV Rajagopal and Rajender Singh, former IPS officer Prakash Singh, media personality Minhas Merchant and former bureaucrat Bhure Lal.

Former Team Anna members like Justice Santosh Hegde and agriculture expert Devender Sharma, who have not taken a political plunge, will also be approached. "Anna is going to talk to these individuals and on the basis of their availability to be part of the movement against corruption. If they can join Anna's movement, they will meet November 24 and 25," Bedi said.

She had earlier said that "the movement will now be a registered one. Not like earlier. It will be a Trust. There will be a Code of Conduct. It is not free for all type. We have learnt from past experiences. It will have its headquarters in Ralegan Siddhi and other centres will act as support centres," Bedi, who attended a meeting with Hazare at Ralegan Siddhi, had said.

"The movement will act as a think tank on policy making. This is an inclusive movement. He wants the movement to act as an apolitical watchdog," Bedi said. Bedi said it was also decided to set up anti-corruption centres at district levels where young activists will try to help people. "This will be fully dedicated to anti-corruption issues. But the onus of allegations will be on the complainant. There will be local issues and aggrieved people can approach these centres. The young volunteers there will either forward the complaints to authorities or they themselves will coordinate with local officials," she said.

She said a building is being constructed in Ralegan Siddhi to house the headquarters of the movement and Hazare has donated Rs 35 lakh, which he got as an award recently, for its construction. "Hazare will be constantly available for interaction at this centre through video conferencing when it is built," Bedi said. It was also decided that the movement will have a separate youth and girls' wing.

My friends have often asked me whom do I support, Anna or Arvind Kejriwal.

It is like asking which hand do you like left or right of which eye, nose or ear do you like.

There is no question of liking one against the other.

Both together make the whole.

In the same way, Anna's and Kejriwal's movement together make the whole.

Anna and his group, even me and the whole nation thought that our MPs would listen to the voice of the people and respond.

Agreeing to pass Anna's Lok Pal bill, they rescinded and jettisoned the bill.

After seeing this turn around, we realized that we will have to fight these corrupt politicians by their own method, by winning elections.

So we now have two wings - one fighting elections and the other acting as watchdog. Kejriwal's movement too may become riddled with corruption so Anna would be there to keep an eye on him.

I want both of them to succeed as both have the nation's good at heart.