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'Bedi, Kejriwal exploiting Anna for financial gain and fame'

Anna Hazare is not allowed to take any decisions or lead the anti-corruption movement as some members of his core team "control" and "exploit" him, his former blogger Raju Parulekar has alleged.

Parulekar, who fell out with Hazare recently, also alleged that key team members Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan had no respect for the Gandhian.

Parulekar claimed that the social activist had told him that Team Anna members were "nothing without him".

'This group is exploiting public sentiment'

Financial and health reasons made Hazare stick to Kejriwal, Bedi and Bhushan, he told Open magazine, when asked about Hazare's compulsions to retain them.

"Annaji would like to lead, but is not. He has started realising that this gang (Kejriwal, Bedi and Bhushan) is exploiting him. He knows that as long as they are there, the movement will not attract others who will work selflessly. This group is exploiting the public sentiment against corruption for their own financial gain, fame and recognition," he claimed.

Asked whether Hazare was a free decision-maker, he said, "I don't think so. Annaji is controlled by these people. They have no respect for him, only for the brand he has become".

'These people should be kicked out'

"He is weak and has a host of ailments, but all these people want him for is to fast. These people should be kicked out of the movement, otherwise there will be no future for it," he said.

As long as Hazare heads the movement, Parulekar said, the trio "has its identities...but Kejriwal, Bedi and Bhushan have their own plans. They are opportunists."

He also claimed that the decision to write a Constitution for the movement was a "compromise" the 'gang' had reached with Hazare, to remain in the core committee.

Parulekar said Hazare should have stood by him through the controversy as he was only putting the activist's statements in the public domain. He claimed that he never misused Hazare's name and alleged that Kejriwal and Bedi wanted to go through the blog dictated by the activist.