Hazare refuses to accept funds despite Kejriwal's offer

Although anti-corruption activists Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal are not on the same page on the issue of forming a political party, there is no dispute over the funds collected by India Against Corruption (IAC).

In a meeting soon after the group split, Hazare’s volunteers urged him to ask Kejriwal to return the money, but the activist told them that he had already refused to take it. Both sides confirmed that while Kejriwal was willing to part with the money, now deposited with Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO Public Cause Research Foundation, Hazare did not accept it.

According to a PTI report, Kejriwal had offered a cheque more than once to Hazare after differences erupted between them over the issue of forming a political party. Kejriwal went to Ralegan Siddhi and offered the cheque, which Hazare refused. Hazare wanted a copy of the volunteers’ list. “They can give us a copy and keep one with them. What is the harm in it?” Hazare was quoted as saying.

However, the Facebook page of IAC, which its maker had refused to part with, has been taken back by Kejriwal through a unique technique of merging similar Facebook pages. But content was lost in the process. However, all followers of the IAC page have been transferred automatically to the Facebook page of Kejriwal called Final War Against Corruption.

Some Hazare followers have threatened to go to court against Kejriwal over this. During the same meeting, Kiran Bedi had also suggested that a new office should be found for India Against Corruption.

A Kejriwal supporter said that Kejriwal did not want to be distracted by petty issues and hence these questions would be ironed out soon. “In fact, we had suggested that Kiran Bedi’s office could double up as IAC office, which she declined,” said the supporter.