National News

Pro-Congress Propagandists Unleash Venom On Anti-Corruption Activist Anna Hazare, All-In-All Sumanth Abuses Him As ‘Scum’

March 23, 2024
The Commune

Social activist Anna Hazare expressed his dismay over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy, attributing it to Kejriwal’s own actions.

Speaking to ANI news agency in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Hazare remarked that it is difficult to reconcile the fact that someone who once advocated against the consumption of alcohol is now involved in crafting policies related to liquor with the intention of money laundering.

Hazare emphasized, “I had told him that our job is not to make excise policy. Even a small child knows that liquor is bad. I had asked him to stay away from this (excise policy) issue. But he went ahead and made the policy. He thought that he will earn more money and that is why he made this policy. I felt sad and wrote to him (Arvind Kejriwal) twice. I felt sad that a person like Kejriwal, who once worked with me and raised our voice against alcohol, is now making the excise policy. He got arrested due to his deeds. Had he not done anything, there was no question of his being arrested. Now law will take its course and the government will do the needful”

Kejriwal had initially gained prominence by participating in the Anna movement in 2011, which aimed to combat alleged corruption within the Congress government. Subsequently, he established his own political party in 2012 and contested for the position of chief minister.

Kejriwal’s arrest occurred on 21 March 2024 on the evening following an interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate, after which he was taken to the agency’s headquarters where he remained overnight. This unprecedented arrest of a sitting chief minister came shortly after the Delhi High Court declined to shield the AAP national convenor from potential coercive measures by the agency. It should be noted that in relation to the Delhi Liquor Scam case, two leaders from AAP, namely Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are presently under judicial custody.

Despite Kejriwal’s arrest coinciding with the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) affirmed his continuation as the chief minister of Delhi, even suggesting the possibility of governing from jail if necessary. The AAP organized a protest against Kejriwal’s arrest, the BJP demanded his resignation from the chief ministerial position on moral grounds.

Against this backdrop, the AAP, feeling the weight of political pressures, began responding to social activist Anna Hazare’s comments regarding the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). They expressed their dismay and disappointment at the remarks made by the social activist, stating that they found them distressing. This response was echoed by individuals such as self-proclaimed fact checker Mohammed Zubair and political commentator Sumanth Raman, who are known for his obsession for commenting on everything under the sun.

Mohammed Zubair arrived to reinforce the notion that the video, shared by the news agency ANI, was propaganda – something he has been repeatedly doing. He justified the attack on ANI media persons by “farmer” protestors in February 2024 during the protests.

In this instance, he pointed out that at the 14-15 second mark, a voice is heard whispering from behind the camera. Hence Zubair concluded that this was a propaganda involving Anna Hazare.

The video appeared to have been recorded in a confined space, possibly Hazare’s residence in Maharashtra, although this is yet to be confirmed. In the background of the video, there was audible noise from a television. Due to his advanced age of 86, he spoke with a slightly subdued voice, yet his words were clear. While the cameraman or his assistant recording is saying ‘Sir, voice is audible‘, whispered this assertion without interrupting activist Hazare’s speech. Despite briefly glancing at the whispering voice, Hazare continued speaking uninterrupted. However, Zubair, in an attempt to propagate misinformation, insinuated through his official X handle that the news media outlet ANI was scripting Hazare’s speech.

Without delay, debunking the false narrative spread by Mohammed Zubair, netizens educated him with accurate information and mocked him for his past instances of spreading fake news – especially sticking to his “Naseer Saab Zindabad” narrative.

However, what came as a surprise was Sumanth Raman’s sudden intrusion without prior knowledge of the situation. In an unexpected turn of events, he referred to Anna Hazare as “Scum” on his official X handle. Sumanth Raman’s remark, “Why is this scum being resurrected now?” insinuated agreement with Mohammed Zubair’s stance.

Right away, netizens began to ridicule his hypocrisy and raised doubts about the sudden surge in his anger. They questioned whether his outrage stemmed from his association with the Congress party or because his leader had been imprisoned.

(with inputs from Hindustan Times)

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