New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS): Team Anna found itself in another controversy Thursday with its key member Kiran Bedi defending herself against allegations that she had inflated travel bills when invited by NGOs and other institutions for seminars or meetings.
As some Congress leaders said she needed to come clean, the former police officer said the organisations that invited her "voluntarily" paid her for business class tickets but she travelled economy and the money saved went to her NGO India Vision Foundation.
Her response came after a news report that she charges inflated travel expenses from NGOs and other institutions that invite her for seminars or meetings. The Indian Express also claimed to be in possession of bills, invoices and copies of cheques which show that Bedi, who is entitled to a rebate on Air India tickets as a gallantry award winner, pays discounted fares but charges her host institutions the full fare.
Bedi said it was all for a cause.
"The organisations voluntarily pay me for business class tickets but I duly inform them and save money for travels which are for good causes but cannot provide remuneration... there is no personal gain," she told reporters.
Stating that it was "saving for a cause", Bedi added: "I make a choice to save money so that it can be used for a good cause by not travelling in business class."
She also tweeted: "Its very interesting to see how saving for CAUSES by choosing to travel economy makes a headline in a news paper!"
"Travelling economy in reasonable discomfort despite (higher) entitlement is to ensure that savings remain with the NGOs. No personal gain here," said another tweet.
The Congress was unimpressed and said Bedi, one of the most vocal members of Team Anna, should "come clean" before she speaks about corruption.
"This is a very serious allegation and Kiran Bedi should come clean," Digvijay Singh told journalists.
Said Law Minister Salman Khurshid: "I have read the news but I think she (Kiran Bedi) herself will have something to say. I don't want to condemn or hurt anybody."
But Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi agreed with Digvijay Singh and said: "Bedi must first prove herself clean to the people before she fights against corruption.... It is very unfortunate that while, on one hand she fights against corruption, on the other she should be doing all this."
"One colleague of Anna Hazare demands a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, the other says Anna is above parliament and now the third one is found charging more money from her hosts than she actually paid on her airfare. All of them are now showing their true colours," he added.
He was referring to lawyer Prashant Bhushan's comment on plebiscite in Kashmir, leading to him being attacked in his chamber. Hazare distanced himself and stressed that Kashmir was India's integral part.
Another key member, Arvind Kejriwal, had got flak for saying that Anna Hazare was above parliament. Kejriwal was also attacked with a shoe at a rally in Lucknow earlier this week.
Controversy is not new to Bedi either.
In August, during Hazare's fast for a strong Lokpal bill, she had lampooned politicians. This led to the Rajya Sabha issuing a privilege notice against her for using derogatory words and denigrating politicians.
Two members of core committee of India Against Corruption, headed by Hazare, have resigned. Rajendra Singh and P.V. Rajagopal quit saying that the movement had taken a political turn.