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Agnivesh questions use of funds, Team Anna says it is clean

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Press Trust of India New Delhi

Questions were today raised about the use of funds donated by the public to Team Anna with Swami Agnivesh alleging that money was deposited in the trust run by Arvind Kejriwal from which the names of major team members were missing, a claim dismissed as made "out of anger".

Besides Team Anna detractor Agnivesh, another former member 'Waterman' Rajinder Singh also raised the issue urging Kejriwal to come clean on the controversy regarding donations to Anna Hazare movement, saying he could not see transparency in the matter as Team Anna preaches.

Team Anna dismissed the allegations, saying Agnivesh might be levelling such accusations "out of anger". Agnivesh was removed from the Team following the surfacing of a video clip which purportedly showed him asking a person to deal strongly with Hazare.

 

They said all details regarding their accounts will be put on the website of Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), by this month-end after a special audit. Activist Kiran Bedi, who is facing allegations of overcharging institutions on travel bills, alleged that there was a "pattern to defame" Team Anna members and said "hang some of us if that helps".

Agnivesh, who had yesterday alleged that Kejriwal has siphoned off over Rs 80 lakh donated by people for Anna Hazare's agitation by diverting it to a trust run by him, said Hazare does not have his name in the Public Cause Research Foundation run by Kejriwal.

"Even Justice Santosh Hegde, who has a clean image does not have his name in the trust. So, the main members of the team were not part of the Trust and the old trust where Kejriwal and his members were part...The money was deposited in their name," he alleged.

"I am not blaming Kejriwal that he is deliberately doing so and does not want transparency. I am also not saying there is some fraud and corruption in accounts," Angivesh said, insisting that his protest is only for transparency.

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First Published: Oct 23 2011 | 4:03 PM IST

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