Pune: After committing a faux-pas in his
reaction to the attack on Union Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar, Anna Hazare said Thursday night that he was ready to apologise
if his remark was perceived to be "wrong".
"He got slapped! Only one slap?" Hazare had said to a
group of journalists at Ralegan Siddhi when he learnt about
the attack today. But later he condemned the attack.
Explaining what he meant by his remark, Hazare, talking
to a Marathi news-channel, was at pains to explain the faux
pas saying "I was addressing a daily gathering of people when
someone sent me a note informing about the attack. I wanted to
know whether it was just a slap or there was some other kind
of violence."
The social activist said he did not say or mean anything
inappropriate when he said "ek hi mara?". He always believed
in non-violent method of agitation, Hazare said.
"However, if it is perceived that I have said something
wrong, I am ready to apologise," he said.
Pawar was slapped by Harvinder Singh, a transporter in
his thirties, at a public auditorium in Delhi today.
PTI
