Split in Team Anna over continuance of fast

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NEW DELHI: Team Anna has split as two key members of the civil society -- Justice Santosh Hegde and Swami Agnivesh -- slammed it for continuing with its hard line even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to an open debate in Parliament over the issue of Jan Lokpal.

Justice Hedge said Anna Hazare should end his fast and even hinted that he was being used by some members of Team Anna.

Hegde said that while Anna could be used as a tool of change for very good causes, he could also be misused. There were many people with their own agenda in this group, he felt.

Swami Agnivesh too was hard-hitting alleging that Anna was being misguided by his key associates Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal. Agnivesh, who has been part of the back channel talks, said he pulled himself out of the campaign to retain self-respect.

Meanwhile, Indian Law Minister Salman Khurshid said that the government wanted to do something that would allow Anna Hazare to feel a sense of comfort so that he could finish with his fast.