We are behind anyone who is against corruption: RSS

NEW DELHI: Undeterred by the controversy over its support to Anna Hazare, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday reaffirmed that it will stand behind anyone campaigning against corruption. Senior RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya said “full support” would be given to all organisations and individuals who fight against corruption.

The Sangh’s strategy on anti-corruption campaigns was among the issues discussed at a three-day meeting of the RSS national executive at Gorakhpur. The RSS also condemned the attack on Hazare’s team member Prashant Bhushan in the lawyer's chamber in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. “The Sangh does not support the violent act against a member of Team Anna,” Vaidya said but added that it was clear about its policy on Jammu Kashmir and maintained it was an integral part of India.

However, the Sangh’s support has apparently not impressed Hazare, who has said that there was no support from the RSS to his campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill. “Not a single member of the RSS was present at my agitation and this could be a joint attempt by Congress and the RSS to defame me,” Hazare had said.

He also criticised Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh for suggesting that RSS had backed his anti-corruption campaign. Hazare said Singh's letter that the RSS had been trying to defame him by claiming to have backed him during his fast in August. of the same coin as both were not serious about fighting corruption.

The RSS had said Singh’s statement was in public domain and the letter backing the campaign was no secret. When asked about Hazare’s distancing himself from the RSS, BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy said “the RSS is committed to the cause of nationalism, governance and country’s interest... There is no contradiction.”