Aiyar blasts UPA handling of Anna, lauds Pranab

MELBOURNE: Diplomat-turned-politician Mani Shankar Aiyar today tore into UPA's handling of Anna Movement, which he said was a "Frankenstein monster" created by the central government itself.

He however, lauded the role of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in sorting out the matter, stating that the issue was "tactically" and "strategically" handled very badly till the senior most minister took charge.

Aiyar, who is here for a conference, said the government has not been as sure footed as it ought to in tackling Anna Hazare or Baba Ramdev.

"Every democratic government goes through its bad patches...I hope we can get through this," he said.

Aiyar said that Anna Movement was very badly handled by the government and was "like a Frankenstein monster created by themselves".

"If Anna had not been privileged the way which he was, it would not have mattered the way it mattered, and in privileging him I don't think we were working towards any consistent objective," Aiyar told PTI on the sidelines of the Australia India Institute (AII) conference on 'The reluctant Superpower: India and its aspirations'.

"Every now and then we resile and go back on him and bunk him, put him in Tihar jail does not make sense," he added.

Aiyar, however, lauded the role of Mukherjee in sorting out the issue, stating that the matter was "tactically" and "strategically" handled very badly till the Finance Minister took charge.

"And the minute he took charge less than a week the issue was sorted out," he said.