New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): The Congress Wednesday hit out Anna Hazare for justifying slapping as a means of expressing anguish against corruption and said the whole country would like to be educated on "this new definition of the Gandhian path".

Reacting to Hazare's remark that an individual is left with no option but to slap when his power of tolerance of corruption runs out, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it was not appropriate for the social activst to say so.

"We would all like to understand this new approach to the Gandhian way which in the same breath talks of fast and sacrifice and the same breath repeats not once, not twice but many times about slapping other people," Singhvi said.

Hazare had told reporters Tuesday after seeing a movie on the theme of corruption that slapping appeared to be an option for a person who had run out of tolerance in fighting graft.

Hazare had also sparked a row in November last year by his remarks seemingly approving the action of a youth who had slapped Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. The social activist had later condemned the incident.