Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare said on Thursday that he had forgiven Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari for making allegations of corruption against him. While addressing the media on Thursday evening in Ralegan Siddhi, Mr. Hazare said: “I had challenged Tiwari's allegations against me. He apologised later in front of the media, which I now accept.”
However, his lawyer Milind Pawar has sent a notice to Mr. Tewari on Thursday, asking for a written apology. “If my lawyer has sent a notice, then Mr. Tewari should reply to it,” Mr. Hazare said.
Mr. Tewari had called Mr. Hazare corrupt, an allegation that was strongly challenged by the Gandhian. Mr. Pawar had earlier stated that a criminal case would be filed against Mr. Tewari. Mr. Tiwari had stated that the Sawant Commission had indicted Mr. Hazare for “being steeped in corruption from head to toe.”
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“Even though Mr. Tewari has apologised in front of the media, he owes a written apology to Anna. I had a discussion with Anna after he returned from New Delhi. We have decided to send the notice,” Mr. Pawar said.
The notice states that Mr. Tewari had committed an offence under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code by defamatory references to Mr. Hazare, and must apologise in a “written application.” The notice also asks Mr. Tewari to state in writing that he and his party “would not commit such false imputations and [issue] defamatory statements in future.”