Veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, sharply rebutted senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's assertion that his landmark 'India Against Corruption' movement of 2011 had received 'covert support from the BJP and RSS', telling reporters that Gandhi would do better to focus on the country's welfare rather than revisit old political battles.

What Sonia Gandhi Claimed

In her memoir titled 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', Sonia Gandhi — who serves as Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) — described Baburao 'Anna' Hazare as the central figure of the India Against Corruption campaign. She wrote that prominent individuals associated with the movement later acknowledged that it had 'covert support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'. Gandhi also noted that Hazare was brought to Delhi with considerable 'fanfare and publicity', where he launched a hunger strike that put the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on the backfoot.

In a pointed observation, Gandhi wrote: 'Once our opponents achieved their real objective, which was to dislodge our government, nothing more was heard or written about Anna Hazare.'

Anna Hazare's Rebuttal

Speaking to reporters, Hazare pushed back firmly. 'Several people from the RSS and BJP also went home because of my movement,' he said. 'I do not think about any political party. For me, only society and the country matter. It is not right to have such a narrow outlook. Think about the country, the direction it is heading in and the condition of our nation and not about such petty things.'

Hazare asserted that he has no association with either the Congress or the BJP. 'I think only about the interests of society and the country. Like during drought, I use my pension money for those being affected from it. You should think about such issues and work for society,' he said.

The Tree Analogy and His Broader Defence

Hazare reached for a folk metaphor to dismiss the criticism, likening Gandhi's remarks to stones being hurled at a fruit-bearing tree. 'Why would someone throw stones at a tree which doesn't bear fruits?' he asked, implying that the very act of criticism validated his decades of public service.

'I have dedicated my entire life for the society and the country, so it does not matter what people say. I will keep shouldering my responsibility,' he added.

Hazare's Upcoming Book

The activist also used the occasion to speak about his forthcoming autobiography, 'Anna Hazare: Gram Yogi', which he said chronicles his life story. 'People should read it, they will learn from it... I do not concern myself with what others write about me,' he said. The book is expected to offer Hazare's own account of the anti-corruption movement and his broader social work, providing a counter-narrative to the version presented in Gandhi's memoir.

Context and Significance

The 2011 India Against Corruption movement was one of independent India's most visible civil society uprisings, drawing massive public participation and placing unprecedented pressure on the UPA government to legislate the Jan Lokpal Bill. Critics of the Congress, including BJP leaders, have long argued that the movement was an organic expression of public anger over corruption scandals including the 2G spectrum scam and the Commonwealth Games controversy. The publication of Gandhi's memoir has reignited that debate, with Hazare's rebuttal arriving on the same day the book's contents began circulating widely. This is not the first time the political ownership of the 2011 movement has been contested — the question of whether civil society activism can remain insulated from partisan support structures continues to be a live one in Indian public discourse.