Differences between Team Anna and Aam Aadmi Party burst out in the open today with Anna Hazare asking an AAP leader to keep away from his fasting site after he indulged in a spat former Army Chief Gen V K Singh.
The public snub by Hazare, who has been on an indefinite fast pressing for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill, came when Gopal Rai, interrupted Singh's speech.
Reacting to the snub, the AAP called back Rai from the fast site and he left the Ralegan Siddhi promptly. He said he was complying with the orders of Hazare, who was like a father figure to him, and he would continue his fast in his home in Delhi.
It all began with the former Army Chief making an apparent attack on Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. "We should not split and form different groups in our fight against corruption for personal gains," he said.
Anna Hazare and the leaders of AAP including Kejriwal were together in the anti-corruption movement and campaign for a Jan Lokpal Bill for more than a year till AAP was formed a year ago.
Rai, deputed by AAP to be at the fast site till end of the protest, interjected to question Singh and told him discuss Jan Lokpal. He asked Singh why he was raising other matters.
Then Hazare, on the fourth day of his fast, bluntly told Rai not to interrupt Gen Singh.
