Rahul steps in,Anna aides step forward: ‘Talks only way’

A three-member delegation including sarpanch Jaisingh Rao Mapari,Hazare’s personal secretary Suresh Pathare and Ramdas Ugale,the director of Yadavbaba Vidyalaya,a school that only admits students who fail in exams,will meet Rahul in New Delhi on October 18.

The villagers said Hazare had given them the go-ahead,saying “issues can only be resolved through discussions”. “He also told us to take his message of bringing an effective Lokpal Bill and making India a corruption-free country to Rahulji,” said Ugale.

The meeting will take place one day after results are announced in the Hisar bypoll,which marked the lowest point in relations between Team Anna and the Congress. Team Anna tested political waters with this election,with Hazare exhorting voters to give the Congress a “historic defeat” and accusing it of not being serious about the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The Congress,in turn,had accused Hazare and his aides of RSS links. Digvijaya Singh shot off several letters to Anna,including one today,asking on what grounds he could deny the same. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also wrote to Hazare last week saying his government was committed to bringing a strong Lokpal Bill.

“We will catch a plane tomorrow from Pune,” added an elated Mapari on the meeting with Rahul.

The meeting was arranged by P T Thomas,a Congress MP from Kerala considered close to Rahul,who visited the village a month ago. When contacted,Thomas confirmed the development but declined to comment further.

“Thomas saheb was very impressed with the various welfare projects we have undertaken in our village like watershed development,promotion of girl child,dispute solving etc. He promised that he would try to bring Rahul Gandhiji too as he would be very happy to see the development,” said Mapari.

Though Rahul didn’t visit,he sent an invite to the villagers through Thomas to meet him in Delhi.

While happy,the villagers are also baffled: “What would we speak about? If he wants to talk,he should talk to Anna… But we were told that Rahulji would later meet Anna as well,” said Ugale.