Like liquor, power intoxicated Arvind Kejriwal: Anna Hazare
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New Delhi: Anna Hazare, in a letter to Arvind Kejriwal over Delhi's withdrawn liquor policy, told the Delhi Chief Minister that he is too intoxicated with power, like liquor intoxication. "Like liquor, power too intoxicates. You are intoxicated by power, it seems," NDTV quotes Hazare, Kejriwal's former mentor.
The Delhi government's liquor policy was withdrawn in July over a corruption case, NDTV reported.
In the letter in Hindi, Hazare told Kejriwal it was the former's first letter to the latter since he became Delhi CM and Hazare was very pained at the recent news reports about the liquor policy.
Hazare said that Kejriwal had written idealistic things on liquor policies in his book 'Swaraj', for which Hazarewas made to write an introduction. 'Swaraj' had made many suggestions, such as no liquor shops would be opened without the residents' approval, but Kejriwal forgot those when he became chief minister, Hazare claimed in the letter.
Now, he sees the Aam Aadmi Party, formed by Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, along with others, as no different from other political parties.
The corruption case has named Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia also, along with 15 others. The excise policy had pulled private players into the liquor trade and made better availability for it as well as competitive prices, NDTV reported.
According to Hazare, nowhere in India will form such a wrong liquor policy if "we stuck to being a pressure group, and carried out an awareness drive, like I suggested," NDTV quotes.
He continued that instead of bringing a strong Lokpal and anti-corruption laws, Kejriwal introduced an anti-people/women liquor policy. Liquor shops were being opened in every corner of Delhi, and people were being trapped in a circle of money for power and vice versa, both of which do not suit a party that was born out of a major movement, Hazare said.
