Congress dares Team Anna to campaign in assembly polls

New Delhi, Jan 6 (ANI): Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Friday dared Team Anna to campaign against the Congress Party in the upcoming assembly polls scheduled in five states of the country.

To a poser on whether Anna Hazare will now not campaign against the ruling party in the upcoming assembly polls owing to his poor health, Jaiswal said: "Team Anna can do it (campaign against Congress). Why don't they do it?

Former senior police officer and civil society activist Kiran Bedi had earlier on Thursday said veteran social activist Anna Hazare will not campaign in the upcoming assembly polls due to his poor health.

"I have messages from Anna to the Core Committee, I will be placing those matters before the core group which is meeting on Saturday and then we will decide our further course of action. But Anna is not going to campaign in the coming states, Anna is not going to travel, which we have urged him, he cannot, nor are the doctors allowing him," Bedi told the media in Pune.

"Doctors are not allowing him any more fast and doctors are not allowing him anymore exposure through travel at the moment," she added.

Anna Hazare, who called off his three-day token fast for a strong Lokpal Bill in Mumbai last month, had threatened the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government that he would campaign against the latter in five poll-bound states for not brining a strong and an effective anti-graft bill.

Anna Hazare was forced to cut short his hunger strike after a team of specialists advised him to start eating again on the second day of his fast, citing low blood pressure, weakness and threat to his kidneys.

Sriprakash Jaiswal also took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inducting tainted Uttar Pradesh Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha in its fold.One who talks about character, just see their sins. Now you might have realized, who is where," he told the media here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier on Wednesday raided Kushwaha's residence for his alleged involvement in swindling funds allocated to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), a Central Government's health scheme for the rural population.

The investigating agency also conducted raids at over 50 other locations in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.

Kushwaha, who was earlier sacked from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has been named as an accused with 50 others including government officials in FIRs registered against the NRHM officials and private companies. They have been charged with criminal misconduct and abuse of office. (ANI)