PUNE, May 11: Crusader Anna Hazare has resorted to an indefinite maun vrata - the vow of silence - for ``purification of mind and soul'' at his Yadav baba Temple residence in his native Ralegan Siddhi village from Saturday morning.

Despite his studied silence, the observers believe that the maun-vrata has been a fresh salvo from rural development expert-turned-crusader against corruption in higher echelons of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party Government.

Hazare had promised to re-launch his agitation against corruption, after the one-man committee probing into the graft-charges against two State Ministers had exonerated Irrigation Minister Mahadev Shivankar.

The Committee headed by retired High Court justice S W Puranik had indicted the then Agriculture Minister Shashikant Sutar for amassing wealth contrary to his known sources of income. The State also has announced a detailed probe into the charges against Sutar by an inquiry commission.

Hazare declared his resolve at a gram sabha - village meeting - on Friday evening, the reports from Ralegan Siddhi, 85 kilometers from Pune in neighbouring Ahmednagar village said.

The meeting was convened to felicitate meritorious teachers and students on the Gram parivartan din - commemorating the foundation day of Ralegan Siddhi village.

Hazare had declared that ``cancerous corruption'' has pained him, hence he would be resorting to maun vrata for purification of mind and soul.

During his last maun vrata he used to `speak' through a slate and chalk to the visitors, but he would deviate from the practice this time, he declared. This deviation is stated to be aimed at keeping away controversies.

Earlier, addressing the main function during the Gram parivartan din on last Wednesday, Hazare had assailed the politicians and the government for their failure in bringing about social reforms.

``Government cannot motivate social changes and is not competent to change itself. They praised each other in the past and now are bent upon exposing each other. Politics has touched an all time low with the people who are supposed to be committed and virtuous are joining hands with the devious,'' Hazare had stated.

He had resorted to a similar penance in last October before his 14-day no-solid-food penance demanding action against two ministers and multi-level anti-graft committees.

In a personal letter to the Chief Minister during his maun vrata, Hazare also spoke of conceiving the thoughts of ending his life.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.