Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 19: In the continuing rift between the government and team Hazare, it was Sonia Gandhi's turn to reply with a terse note to Hazare's letter, which had accused the Congress of indulging in a smear campaign.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in the letter, “I received your letter dated June 9, 2011. Since I was not in Delhi I could not reply to your letter. In the meantime, you have also made it public. I will get information in this regard. As far as the questions about the issues raised in the letter are concerned, I have already made my views clear in my letter dated April 19, 2011.”

In her April 19 letter she had made it clear that she does not support smear campaigns against anybody.

Hazare had written the letter to Sonia regarding the Congress media department head Janaradhan Dwivedi who had called him a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party “mask”. Hazare had rubbished these allegations and challenged the Congress to prove the charge.

He called it a “conspiracy” of the Congress and the UPA ministers to defame him, so that he loses his support for the anti-corruption drive.

“As for statements appearing in the media, let me assure you that I do not support nor encourage the politics of smear campaigns,” Sonia had said in her earlier letter.

She had also said that the Lokpal Bill is very much a part of the agenda of National Advisory Council, headed by her.

“I believe there is an urgent necessity to combat graft and corruption. You should have no doubt of my commitment in the fight for probity in public life. I strongly support the institution of a Lokpal that is consistent with the practices and conventions of our parliamentary democracy,” she said.