New Delhi:
Wary of the fact that Team Anna's decision to enter politics may cut into its vote bank, BJP mouthpiece Kamal Sandesh on Monday ridiculed the move, saying by this act the civil society activists have "cheated" the people and engaged in "emotional blackmail".
Raising eyebrows about the likely fate of a political party formed by Team Anna members, the BJP mouthpiece in the editorial of its latest edition said, "Has someone the right to disgrace the faith of the people in the name of Jan Lokpal? Why the people were cheated? If the aim was politics then why all these things were done? Was it necessary to come into politics?"
The editorial asks if Team Anna had the right to engage in "emotional blackmail" with the feelings of Indians and whether people will support anyone like Anna Hazare if he now wants to draw attention of the nation towards genuine issues.
BJP had initially supported Team Anna's campaign for a strong and effective Lokpal with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha even sharing the dais with Anna Hazare last year. However, the relations soured this year when Team Anna members attacked the BJP during its agitation last month. The announcement that it will form a political party was the final breaking point.
"The manner in which Team-Anna hurled abuses against politics, political parties and political leaders from its forum, now that it has decided to enter politics what would they say about themselves? What kind of convention is this?" the editorial said.
It further states that no political analyst, sociologist or observer would say that Team Anna has followed what it preached.
The BJP mouthpiece maintains that the country is "furiously angry" with this decision of Team Anna and the "neither dumb nor deaf nor blind" people understand everything about this move.
"Neither these people are the ones who will lay their lives nor will they live for the country. They are synonymous with opportunism who always look for opportunity," the editorial states.
It indicates that Team Anna is not likely to have a good innings in politics.
"Result never comes without a struggle. Struggle is life, not a drama. It is only due to tolerance of the political parties and their leaders that they are still saying that everyone has the right to be in politics. Otherwise the manner in which Team Anna mistreated leaders one wonders as to what would have happened if these parties had reacted in the same way," the piece said.
It does not spare Anna either, saying the former "army driver" got distracted by the politics of his own people. It states that his "satyagraha has taken a wrong turn" by his team deciding to enter politics.
"Anna satyagraha was sacrificed at the altar of a new political party," it said.
"Opportunist Team-Anna hurled abuses at Congress, BJP and even attacked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It has not enslaved itself to any political party but no one believed that it will meet a political death. Politics is not so easy.
Making a party is even more difficult," the editorial said.
It maintains that when many big political parties have failed it is unlikely that Team Anna will succeed.
"Once, Baba Jaigurudev had tried his hands by starting Doordarshi Party. Maharshi Yogi also had formed a political party. After some days neither the party nor Yogi was to be seen. Let's see what happens to the politics of Anna Baba in the days to come," the editorial said.