Haryana Congress on Saturday said it was not perturbed by Anna Hazare's campaign against the party and asserted it would not have any impact on the poll prospects of its candidates here.
Dismissing Hazare's campaign, Haryana Congress President Phool Chand Mullana said the RSS chief's admission that Sangh volunteers participated in the recent movement against corruption has exposed Hazare's "lie and claims that he was non-partisan".
"People of Haryana are well aware who their well wisher is. Congress governments in the state and at the Centre have taken the state to new heights of development. They also know now whose product (Hazare) is and who is behind him. It is the organisations like RSS which are behind him," he claimed.
"We are not perturbed by the campaign launched by Anna Hazare. RSS chief's admission that Sangh volunteers participated in the recent movement against corruption has exposed his lie and claims that he was non-partisan," he said.
Mullana said that Hazare should share stage with INLD candidate Ajay Singh Chautala and Haryana Janhit Congress' Kuldeep Bishnoi and vouch for their being completely honest. "Congress is not worried about his campaign launched in Haryana," he said.
Three-time MP from Hisar, Jai Prakash is pitted against 39 other candidates in the Hisar bypolls, but the main contest is seen between his INLD and HJC rivals.
Team Anna is launching a "Jansampark Abhiyan" in Hisar on Saturday, in which activists Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Navin Jaihind will address meetings at Narnaund, Byana Khera and Uchana Kalan.Kiran Bedi would arrive here on October 10.
On Friday, Hazare launched his campaign against Congress in the Hisar Lok Saba by-election, scheduled for October 13, by asking people not to vote for the party as it has failed to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill.
However, Anna's appeal has been welcomed by the HJC candidate, who is backed by the BJP, and the INLD.
"People are aware about the limitless corruption indulged in by the Congress government. They are eager to teach the party a lesson. We fully support Hazare in his campaign," Bishnoi said.
Bishnoi, son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal whose death in June necessitated the Hisar byelection, claimed the reverse countdown of the Congress regime had begun and "bypolls will be a starting point".
INLD's Ajay Chautala said his party had given full support to Hazare long back. "We were the first party ready to move the resolution in the Haryana Assembly asking the Centre to pass in toto Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill, but the Congress regime thwarted it," Ajay, son of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, claimed.
He said his party welcomes Hazare's appeal to voters. "Corrupt and non-performing Congress government will be rejected by the electorate," he said.