We will not be deterred by attacks: Team Anna

Rudrapur: A day after a man was arrested for trying to throw a shoe at Team Anna here, the group on Sunday said they were not contemplating any legal action and asserted that they would not be deterred by such attacks.

"We will continue our fight against corruption and a strong Lokpal Bill despite such attacks," Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said, as they held a series of public meetings at Rudrapur, Haldwani and Almora.

The man, identified as Kishan Lal, 35, tried to hurl a shoe when Arvind Kejriwal, Manis Sisodia and Kiran Bedi were addressing a public meeting on Saturday at Lord Venkatshwara Hall, SSP Dehra Dun G N Goswami said.

Referring to the incident, Kejriwal said he did not know who were the people and their intention behind the attack. "If some people have grievances, then they should come forward and talk to us. Such attacks have no place in the democracy," he said, adding that Team Anna was not favouring any political party but fighting for a cause which is to uproot corruption from the country.

Team Anna on Saturday began its campaign in five election-bound states from Uttarakhand with a call to people to vote for candidates having a "clean image" and reject those involved in corruption.

"We are asking the people to elect candidates with clean image and those who are sensitive to the issues pertaining to the common people," said Kejriwal, who was accompanied by other members of the core group including Manish Sisodia,

Kumar Biswas and others.

Team Anna also appealed to people to reject all those candidates involved in the alleged financial bungling of Kumbh funds.

"Don't give your votes to accused persons in the Kumbh scam. Instead, send them to jail," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal reiterated Team Anna's demand for a strong Lokpal Bill and said the agitation for an effective anti-graft bill would continue till the demand is met. He alleged that the Centre was bringing a "toothless Lokpal Bill which was like a dead body strewn with flowers".

"Be it BJP or BSP, all these parties tried to pass a weak Lokpal Bill in Lok Sabha," he alleged. Kejriwal lauded Lokayukta Bill brought by the BJP government in Uttarakhand and said all the BJP-ruled states must follow suit.