New Delhi [India] February 8 : Anna Hazare must have got some relief from pain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, following the defeat of Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly election, adding that he has been "bearing the pain of the misdeeds of these people for a long time."
Anna Hazare has criticised AAP, earlier in the day, for their alleged involvement in controversies surrounding liquor and money.
PM Modi said he listened to Anna Hazare statement and added that AAP was born out of the movement against corruption but got involved in it.
"The party born out of the movement against corruption got involved in corruption. It became such a party of the country whose Chief Minister and Ministers went to jail on corruption charges. Those who used to give themselves certificates of honesty, turned out to be corrupt. This was a big betrayal with Delhi," PM Modi said.
He said that liquor scam defamed Delhi and "the scams in schools and hospitals troubled the poorest of the poor and on top of that, their arrogance was so much that when the world was dealing with Corona, these people were building 'Sheesh Mahal'."
The Bharatiya Janata Party won a historic mandate in Delhi polls on Saturday, returning to power in the national capital after 27 years by ousting Aam Aadmi Party with several AAP leaders including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal losing from their strongholds.
Earlier in the day, Anna Hazare said he was talking for long time about the importance of "character" of political candidates, but AAP didn't understand and that's why their support was reduced.
Speaking with the reporters, Hazare said, "I have been saying for a long time that while contesting the election - the candidate must have a character, good ideas and have no dent on image. But, they (AAP) didn't get that. They got tangled in liquor and money - his (Arvind Kejriwal) image was dented because of it and that's why they are getting fewer votes in the election."
Hazare also emphasised the importance of proving one's innocence in politics.
He added, "People saw that he (Arvind Kejriwal) talks about character but gets involved in liquor. In politics, allegations are made. One has to prove that he is not guilty. The truth will remain the truth...When a meeting was held, I decided that I would not be part of the party - and I have remained away from that day."
BJP has won 48 of 70 seats in Delhi. AAP has won 22. The AAP has registered a steep fall from their 2020 assembly election performance, when they won 62 out of 70 seats.