Civil activist Anna Hazare, who is crusading against corruption, has shot up a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Anna got upset over Congress leaders calling him 'mukhauta' (Mask) of BJP and RSS. He wrote that her party leaders and ministers were "telling lies" to defame him and dared them to make public any evidence to prove it. In a three-page letter, Hazare said such remarks were part of a "conspiracy" to defame him and ensure that those people who supported him during the April protest did not do so in future.

Anna Hazare request Sonia Gandhi to ensure that responsible leaders from Congress party should not resort to character assassination and mislead people on the Jan Lokpal Bill. "If the Congress party has any concrete evidence (to prove the allegations), please make it public," he said. He also said it did not augur well for the country if responsible leaders start "telling lies only to cling to power" by misleading people on issues. His letter came in the backdrop of Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi dubbing him as a "mask" of BJP while other leaders attacked the civil society on Lokpal Bill.

Hazare had earlier kicked up a controversy by praising Modi for development works in rural Gujarat. To buttress his point, he said he had criticised the Gujarat government for corruption and asked, "Had I been associated with BJP, I would not have talked about such things." Hazare said he had made it clear earlier that he would attend Ramdev's protest only if there was no participation of communal elements in his agitation. He said he will go on fast again on August 16 if the Lokpal Bill was not passed by then and that he was ready to sacrifice his life for the cause.