Suspecting a foreign hand behind Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement,Congress today raised questions on the US' statement that India would exercise appropriate democratic restraint in dealing with peaceful protests and asked the government to inquire how a lone civil rights activist is drawing support. US never supported any movement in India since its Independence. For the first time,the US said Anna Hazare's movement should be allowed and there should be no obstruction to it. What was the need for the US to give this statement? It needs to be considered whether there is any power which is supporting this movement which wants to destabilise not only the government but the country. We need to take the statement of the US seriously, party spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters at the AICC briefing. Asked whether it is the official position of the party as the UPA government has in the past been attacked by the Left over an alleged pro-US tilt,Alvi said all that I have said,I have said on behalf of my party." Asked whether Congress has made preliminary inquiries before making this allegation suggesting that the US was behind Anna's agitation,he said government should inquire about it and find out the truth. Alvi at the same time said there are some forces also within the country (that are supporting Hazare's agitation from behind),which needs to be found out. I am not criticising the US or any other country. But we will have to find out the truth,why is the US supporting this movemement? Anna is alone. Anna has no organisation but only a few friends standing by him. The big question is how this movement came into existence? How people in such a large number come out to support him? the Congress leader said. Ahead of the proposed August 16 fast against corruption by Hazare,the US State Department spokesperson Victorial Nuland had hoped that India would exercise appropriate democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest. The remarks drew a sharp response from India which termed as needless and after that Nuland had yesterday exuded confidence in India's ability to manage its internal situation in consistent with democratic values. To a specific question on whether he sees foreign behind Hazare's agitation,Alvi said I am also saying the same thing. The forces working behind this movement need to be exposed. Noting that various forces with different ideologies have joined Anna's agitation on only one issue of Lokpal,he appealed to the government on behalf of Congress to find out the forces behind Hazare's agitation adding "Anna cannot do it alone through his own resources. Alvi also referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reply in Parliament today and said that at a time when the country was emerging as a powerful country,it will have to be contemplated whether there is any power which wants to destablise not only the government but the country. He said more than 100 countries attained independence when India got freedom but none of them could reach a place where India reached. There are some forces in the world which do not want to see us strengthening. Which are those forces behind this movement need to be found out.
