Attack on Anna to make him realize how it hurts: Cong sources

New Delhi, Aug 16: Ahead of his indefinite fast from Tuesday, Congress on Monday, Aug 15 gave signal that its sharp attack on Anna Hazare was a one-off affair to make the Gandhian realise how one is hurt by such assaults.

"Congress has never been in favour of personal attacks, not in favour of such attacks and we don't intend to make such attacks," party sources said tonight.

The sources said Sunday's no-holds-barred attack by AICC when the party had alleged that a Commission found him "steeped in corruption from head to toe" was in response to Hazare often targeting Congress. The letter written by him to the Prime Minister was also in "bad taste", they added.

The party had launched a scathing attack on Hazare saying he should first clarify the "serious" findings against him by Justice P B Sawant Commission that had probed graft charges and accused him of attempting to bring instability in the country.

It had also charged Hazare with systematically attempting to bring instability in the country and insulting Parliament before which the Lokpal bill has been brought.

The sources, however, said that at press conference, the party on its own did not make any allegation against Hazare but only referred to the findings of a Commission headed by a Supreme Court judge.

It was only intended to let him feel how it hurts when such attacks are made as he had not showed that sensitivity towards others. The attacks were made because he had crossed all "limits", the sources said.

The party's statement comes on a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held confabulations with senior party leaders and Rahul Gandhi at the AICC headquarters in the backdrop of the wake of the situation arising out of Anna Hazare's proposed fast.

PTI