Get rid of street-smart Team Anna members, Digvijay to Anna

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today asked social activist Anna Hazare to get rid of "street-smart people" around him and alleged their whole campaign was anti-Congress and pro-BJP.

"I cannot advise Annaji... for God's sake Anna get rid of street-smart people around you," he told reporters on the sidelines of a private function here. Singh said Hazare has unwittingly been driven into the 'quagmire' of the Lokpal controversy kicked up by "street-smart" Team Anna members.

"Team Anna's whole campaign is anti-Congress and pro-BJP, in spite of the fact that BJP opposed giving constitutional status to Lokpal by voting against it in Lok Sabha," he said. "Not a word from Team Anna and Annaji (against BJP for not voting in favour of giving constitutional status to Lokpal in Lok Sabha). Their whole purpose is to defame Congress,"he said.

Moreover, Congress does not enjoy two-thirds majority to pass the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha as some of its allies are not with the party on certain issues, Singh said. He alleged that Team Anna has taken up Lokpal issue to divert attention from the Sangh Parivars' terrorist activities. "This is not a mass movement. It is driven by BJP and RSS," Singh said.

Launching a tirade against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Digvijay Singh said the sacking of ministers by her was not a clean-up act, but an attempt to salvage her image ahead of the assembly elections. "Mayawati has sacked some ministers, but why were not FIRs filed against them?. This is not a clean-up drive... this is use-and-throw tactics," he said.

"Rahulji has been saying that elephants used to eat grass, but for now they are eating money," he said, referring to the BSP's symbol. He said this was more or less the same story in BJP ruled Karnataka, where the party 'squeezed' former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Bellary strongman Janardhan Reddy like lemons and sidelined them.

"BJP sqeezed them (Yeddyurappa and Reddy) like lemons and now they want them thrown out," he added.