Hegde to skip Team Anna meet
Medha Patkar too won’t attend today’s meeting
The core Committee meeting of India Against Corruption (IAC), which spearheaded the anti-corruption movement, will take place on Saturday in Ghaziabad near Delhi.
However, besides veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare, who is observing “maun vrat” (vow to keep silent) several prominent members of Team Anna including N Santosh Hegde and Medha Patkar are likely to keep off the meeting.
The meeting of the key members of IAC or Team Anna as it is popularly known comes in the wake of allegations of financial irregularities against two of its prominent members—Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi.
Environmentalist Medha Patkar, who suggested “overhauling” of the group in the wake of recent developments, said she would not be attending the meeting, but hoped the committee would hold "free and frank" discussions on all issues. "I don't think there is a difference of opinion. The only thing is a bit of overhauling is certainly becoming necessary because there are a number of allegations and core committee members are being targeted," she said.
Hedge, a former Supreme Court judge cited personal engagements in Mumbai as reason for not attending the meeting.
Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Hegde said: “I am not out of Team Anna, with a rider that my commitment to Team Anna is in regard to a strong Lokpal bill and fight against corruption. Beyond that, I am not with anybody.”
In recent days, Team Anna has been steadily slipping into various controversies, prompting a few key members to leave the movement.
