Anna’s advice for ex-protege: 'Don’t attack too many together'

Arvind Kejriwal should exercise restraint while targeting personalities one after the other, without taking any case to its logical conclusion, Anna Hazare has advised.

Speaking to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta for NDTV 24X7's Walk The Talk programme, at his village Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare also warned his former associate that the naming spree that he was on could lead to the people he was targeting uniting and hitting back at him.

"I have sent six corrupt ministers (in Maharashtra) home but I attacked one minister at a time. One should not attack all of them together. It's important that (Kejriwal) exercises some restraint while targeting personalities," Hazare said.

The social activist, who has been busy assembling a new core team for his anti-graft movement, also said he doesn't see split in Team Anna as a setback. On the contrary, he said, with a new team he would be able to do more work than he did with his former colleagues.

Hazare cited his agitations against Cabinet ministers in the Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra in 1999 and 2005 that resulted in resignation of six of them.

During the interaction held at the Padmavati Temple Complex, Hazare also admitted he was opposed to the idea of holding the fast in Mumbai in December 2011 for Janlokpal. He said he was of the opinion that it was too early for him to go on a fast as he had not completely recovered from his previous fasts, but went along with it as IAC (India Against Corruption) members were keen on it. The planned three-day protest attracted lacklustre response and had to be ended on the second day itself after Hazare's health deteriorated.

"I was telling them that we should not hold another fast so quickly. But they (IAC Mumbai associates) had prepared for the fast and I had to sit. Due to this my health worsened... Mumbai workers were responsible for the preparations. I wasn't aware if they were well prepared to hold that protest. I went and sat on the fast on a short notice," said Hazare.

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