Patna, Sept. 15: Former minister and JD(U) MLC Devesh Thakur today met Anna Hazare at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, triggering speculation that he went to the crusader as chief minister Nitish Kumar’s emissary. But Thakur claimed that he had unilaterally sought an appointment of Hazare.

“I was not sent by the chief minister although I had informed him about my appointment with Hazare,” Thakur told The Telegraph. He said: “I was in Sheohar on Tuesday when my friends told me that the appointment had been fixed at 12noon today,” Thakur said.

The MLC might have taken the initiative of meeting Hazare on his own but he did appear to be a self-styled emissary of the Bihar chief minister because the subjects he discussed with the crusader against corruption was related to the work done by the Nitish government against corruption.

“I told him how ministers, legislators and government employees have to declare their assets in Bihar and how it is made public. I also told him about the Special Court Act and the implementation of the Right to Service Act. Hazare has asked for a copy of the Right to Service Act and the Special Court Act. I have assured him of sending one. Annaji was very happy about the steps taken by the Bihar government against corruption,” Thakur said, adding that his meeting with the crusader lasted for an hour.

Thakur met Hazare just days after the house of suspended IAS officer S.S. Verma was confiscated and turned into a school. The chief minister’s blog became active after that and made it clear that his steps against corruption would continue.

Incidentally, Nitish is among the few politicians of the country praised by Hazare. The Bihar chief minister went on record and said he had sought the help of Team Hazare in drafting the Lokayukta Bill. Nitish wants the chief minister and ministers to be under its ambit.

“Nitish is the only politician in Bihar who is on the side of Hazare. RJD chief Lalu Prasad has had a war of words with him. Even the LJP chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, supported the Congress when Hazare was sitting on a dharna,” said a senior JD(U) leader.