I don’t support smear campaign: Sonia Gandhi
April 20th, 2011 - 8:18 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday reiterated her support to Gandhian Anna Hazare’s demand for a strong Lokpal Bill and said she doesn’t “support nor encourage the politics of smear campaign” against civil rights activists.
“Let me reiterate what I wrote to you earlier that I believe there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption. You should have no doubt of my commitment in the fight for probity in public life,” Gandhi wrote to Anna Hazare in her capacity as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), the advisory body to the government.
“I strongly support the institution of a Lokpal that is consistent with the practices and conventions of parliamentary democracy,” said the United Progressive Alliance chairperson.
“As for statements appearing in the media, let me assure you that I don’t support nor encourage the politics of smear campaign,” she said in her letter written April 19, which was distributed to the media Wednesday.
“Lokpal bill was very much a part of the agenda of the NAC,” she added.
Anna Hazare had written to Sonia Gandhi Monday that corrupt forces were trying to derail the process of drafting a new anti-graft law.
The letter came in the wake of controversies surrounding a CD containing a purported telephonic conversation between co-chair of the joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill Shanti Bhushan, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and former Samajwadi party leader Amar Singh, allegedly about attempting to influence a judge.
The social reformer also referred to the comments made by Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, asking if Gandhi personally approved of his statements.
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- I don't support smear campaign, Sonia tells Hazare (Lead) - Apr 20, 2011
- Shanti Bhushan serves notice on defiant Digvijay (Lead) - Apr 20, 2011
- Anna Hazare pleased with Sonia Gandhi's response - Apr 21, 2011
- 'I do not support politics of smear campaign': Sonia Gandhi - Apr 20, 2011
- I told you my stand earlier, Sonia writes to Hazare (Lead) - Jun 19, 2011
- Stand remains the same, Sonia replies to Hazare - Jun 19, 2011
- Non-political person must head panel, Hazare tells PM - Apr 08, 2011
- Hazare writes to Sonia Gandhi on CD row - Apr 18, 2011
- Team Anna, other activists differ over Lokpal (Lead) - Aug 20, 2011
- Hazare writes to PM, Sonia Gandhi - Apr 08, 2011
- Wrong to hijack democratic institutions: Aruna Roy - Aug 20, 2011
- Sonia writes to Hazare, Lokpal panel to meet Monday (Roundup) - Jun 19, 2011
- PM ready for 'give and take' as Hazare continues fast (Roundup) - Aug 20, 2011
- As CD war rages, Anna seeks solidarity from Sonia (Roundup) - Apr 18, 2011
Tags: advisory body, anna hazare, anti graft law, civil rights activists, congress president sonia gandhi, digvijay singh, graft and corruption, joint committee, national advisory council, no doubt, parliamentary democracy, party chief, party leader, probity, progressive alliance, Samajwadi Party, smear campaign, social reformer, telephonic conversation, urgent necessity