Anna Hazare, who fasted in protest at corruption, says ordinary Indians 'don't understand the value of their vote'
At the weekend he was India's hero, the man who had followed the example of Mahatma Gandhi and fasted to force a new morality on a government accused of failing to deal with corruption. Now Anna Hazare is under fire from all sides.
Feted in his home village of Ralegaon Siddhi, in the central state of Maharashtra, 73-year-old Hazare has been accused elsewhere of despising the poor and condoning communal violence.
The storm began with a press conference given by the social activist, whose week-long fast forced the government to make radical changes to proposed anti-graft legislation.
Hazare, who has won vast popular support with thousands thronging his protest site in central Delhi and joining impromptu fasts or demonstrations across the country, said democracy in India was flawed because the "ordinary voter does not have awareness".
"They cast their vote under the influence of 100 rupees or a bottle of liquor or a sari offered by candidates. They don't understand the value of their vote," the former soldier said, referring to the widespread practice in India of politicians effectively buying votes with giveaways to local communities.
An editorial in the Indian Express attacked the statement as anti-democratic and anti-poor. "This institutionalises the contempt for established parliamentary democracy that Hazare has revealed …" the newspaper said, "… [a contempt] he shares with those in the Indian urban elite who do not trust a state that rests on the votes of the poor and 'illiterate', votes they imagine are cast thoughtlessly and for a bribe."
Other commentators objected to Hazare's successful attempt to influence the composition of a committee that will draft legislation which, among other things, would appoint an anti-corruption ombudsman. Changes conceded by the Congress party make the post much more powerful.
Hazare also caused upset by describing two political leaders as "models". Although one – Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar state – is a technocrat whose work in one of the poorest parts of India has been universally lauded, the other – Narendra Modi, chief minister of western Gujrat – has been accused of condoning communal violence in which more than 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, died in 2002.
After television began reporting his comments, Hazare issued a clarification saying he praised only the development work done by Modi and Kumar in rural areas. "I am equally opposed to any form of communal disharmony. I am completely opposed to any kind of communalism or discrimination on religious or caste lines," Hazare said.
Even his comments about rural development caused a row, with veteran activists writing a public letter claiming the "development-crazy Narendra Modi has done great harm to the rural area[s]".
Despite the row, support for Hazare's cause remains strong. There is deep anger at a slew of recent corruption scandals. One minister was forced to resign, charged with being responsible for a loss of up to £25bn to the Indian exchequer through manipulating the sale of telecoms licenses in return for bribes. Allegations of graft have also led to the arrest of senior party figures involved with the organisation of last year's Commonwealth Games.
"I don't care what people say about him. He has done more in a week than all those politician types do in years and years because they all have their fingers in pies," said Satish Kumar, a taxi driver in Delhi.
Opposition figures have capitalised on the Congress-led coalition's vulnerability. LK Advani, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata party, said the country's rulers had "earned the singular reputation of being the most corrupt government independent India has seen".
The draft bill is due to be voted into law in the late summer. Similar legislation has been introduced eight times into parliament but has not been passed.