Ralegan Sidhi, Sept. 13 (PTI): Anna Hazare may be pulling all stops to force state governments to enact a legislation for appointing Lokayuktas but the social activist sounds evasive when the name of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi crops up.

Speaking to television reporters at his native place, Anna today termed L.K. Advani’s proposed yatra against corruption as a “gimmick” but refrained from attacking Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi when it was pointed out that the BJP leader’s state did not have a Lokayukta for the past seven years.

Modi and his party is having a running batttle with Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal after she bypassed his government and appointed retired high court judge R.A. Mehta as the state’s new Lokayukta.

In 2003, the last Gujarat Lokayukta S.M. Soni retired. It took the Modi government three years to approve a replacement suggestion. But three years later, the then Gujarat Governor rejected the suggestion on technical grounds.

Since then, the Opposition Congress said it has submitted four suggestions but the BJP government says Opposition’s lack of cooperation held up the appointment.

Anna had earlier this year praised the Gujarat chief minister’s development work and asked others to replicate Modi’s good work.

The social activist said that he would not support the BJP unless it backed the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament and its governments enacted a legislation for appointing Lokayuktas in states.

However, Anna had a vague reply to a pointed question on Modi. Asked why he had not raised his voice against the absence of a Lokayukta in Gujarat for the past seven years, Anna said: “Why just Narendra Modi? We should think about the entire country. There should be Lokayukta in every state.”

Anna, who was on a 12-day fast demanding a strong Lokpal in New Delhi last month, tore into the Congress and UPA government saying many people “inside the Congress think they are the Prime Minister”.

“If Advani is serious on the issue of corruption, then instead of yatra, he should ask all BJP-ruled states to enact legislation for appointing Lokayuktas...it is a gimmick,” he told television channels here.

“Absolutely not. If BJP says that they support Anna then they should bring Lokayukta bill in their states. First bring Lokayukta and then (ask for) support,” he said in a response to a question whether he would join any political yatra, especially the one to be undertaken by Advani soon.

Anna said he and his team would support BJP only if states ruled by the party had Lokayuktas and back “Jan Lokpal in total” in Parliament.

Criticising finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram and human resources minister Kapil Sibal, the social activist, who was part of the joint drafting committee, said they “behaved like Prime Ministers”.        

To a specific question about the three ministers, he said: “Everyone knows that they behave like prime ministers. Why do you want me to spell it out?”

Anna said he would support a front comprising non-corrupt people from non-BJP, non-Congress parties but not lead them.

“I will support them but not lead them. Because that is the only solution to make a strong nation. The good people of all parties can come together and I will tell the people of the country to support them,” the Gandhian said.