Drama at Team Anna meet, Muslim member storms out

Noida (UP), Apr 22: High drama was witnessed at the Team Anna Core Committee meeting here today with the group expelling one of its members Mufti Shameem Kazmi for allegedly recording its proceedings even as he claimed that he quit the movement as it was turning anti-Muslim.

Kazmi stormed out of the meeting attended by Anna Hazare this afternoon and announced his resignation to the media outside the venue, alleging that the movement was turning "anti-Muslim" and there was no place for him in it.

He alleged that some of the prominent activists like Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were running the show on their own like "authoritarians".

"I was the lone Muslim member in Team Anna Core Committee and I am out of it now. They don't want Muslims in it," he said.

However, soon after his outburst, Team Anna members Kumar Vishwas and Shazia Ilmi alleged that Kazmi was ousted from the group as he was "found audio-recording" the proceedings on his mobile phone.

Team Anna sources said he was "secretly" recording the proceedings and when he was asked why he was doing it, he suddenly got up and left. The sources said they believed that he was sending the audio to some journalists.

"It was a breach of trust. Team Anna has asked him to stay away," Ilmi and Vishwas said.

On his part, Kazmi alleged that Kejriwal was acting as an authoritarian.

PTI