Anna Hazare meets his new anti-corruption group to discuss strategies

New Delhi: Anna Hazare held the first meeting of his apolitical anti-corruption movement's Core Committee in New Delhi. Anna, who was in Guwahati to attend some events there and returned to the capital on Saturday afternoon, along with his close aides deliberated on future strategies at the meeting. "We are discussing and making preparations before we start our work," Anna said.

Sources close to Anna said former Army chief General VK Singh was a special invitee to the meeting. The activist's new team will have Kiran Bedi, Santosh Hegde, Medha Patkar, Akhil Gogoi and former DG (Prisons of Punjab) Shashi Kant as among the 16-17 members.

Sources had said Anna will expand the team after the first meeting where he will be having people with whom he had worked earlier. Activists like PV Rajagopal, Rajinder Singh and others will also join the group, they said.

Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar were a part of the meet while former Army Chief General VK Singh was a special invitee.

Bedi said the new team comprises of "old and new" members. The new members include former IAS officer Avinash Dharmadhikari, agriculture expert Viswajeet, Kant and Brigadier (Retd) Brijender Kokhar. "There will be a Core group, an advisory group," she said.

She said Hegde will not attend the meeting due to his preoccupation but has sent a letter to Hazare informing him about accepting the invitation to the Core Committee.

"I had prior commitment in Bangalore today. I have informed Anna about this and asked him that I accept his invitation to be part of core committee. I am joining this movement against corruption," Hegde said.

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