Congress spokesperson Mr Manish Tewari, who had kicked up a controversy by accusing Anna Hazare of corruption but later apologised, has recused himself from Parliament’s Standing Committee that is going into Lokpal issue.

“I am all for a strong and effective Lokpal. I do not want any controversy to cast a shadow on the deliberations of this important bill. I, therefore, recuse myself from the Standing Committee,” Mr Tewari told PTI today.

At the outset, he said that he had seen speculation in the press with regard to his continuance as a member of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled to take place on September 7.

Two days before Mr Hazare was due to commence his fast in Delhi on August 16, the activist was targeted by the Congress spokesperson for the first time when Mr Tewari cited Sawant Commission report and accused him of being “steeped in corruption from head to toe’’.

A few days back, Mr Tewari, however, apologised for levelling allegations against Mr Hazare and appealed to the Gandhian to call off his fast.

But the apology by the Congress MP from Punjab did not cut much ice with Mr Hazare since the anti-corruption crusader’s lawyer Mr Milind Pawar said a case of defamation would be filed against Mr Tewari in a Pune court next week.

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