Indicating widening differences within his team, Anna Hazare on Tuesday sharply criticised ‘incoherent’ remarks on Kashmir but did not name lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan.
"Some people talk incoherent things about Kashmir related issues... Today once again, if I have to, I am ready to take part in war against Pakistan. But some people can only speak and don't do anything on ground (for Kashmir) and this is unfortunate," Hazare, who is on an indefinite vow of silence (maun vrat), said in his blog.
Hazare had denied any rift in his team in his blog posting on Monday and said ‘we will stand united’.
In the latest posting titled 'My Conviction about Kashmir', Hazare said he had taken active part in the 1965 India-Pakistan war ‘as a soldier’ and all his colleagues attained martyrdom on the border during the war but he ‘miraculously’ survived.
"It was then I pledged the rest of my life in the service of my country. Even today you can see the marks on my forehead left behind by Pakistan's bullet. This is my active conviction that Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so," he said.
The activist's remarks follow Bhushan's comment that ‘a plebiscite can be held in Kashmir’.
"Nothing will affect our integrity, neither the negative publicity doing rounds about Team Anna nor the factors trying to create a rift in our team. Team Anna will stand united and strive hard for implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill," Hazare said in his blog posting on October 17.