Suspecting a "foreign" hand behind Anna Hazare's anti-graft movement, Congress today raised questions on the US' statement that India would exercise "appropriate democratic restraint" in dealing with peaceful protests and asked the government to inquire how a "lone" civil rights activist is drawing support.

" US never supported any movement in India since its Independence. For the first time, the US said Anna Hazare's movement should be allowed and there should be no obstruction to it. What was the need for the US to give this statement?

" It needs to be considered whether there is any power which is supporting this movement which wants to destabilise not only the government but the country. We need to take the statement of the US seriously," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi

told reporters at the AICC briefing.

Asked whether it is the official position of the party as the UPA government has in the past been attacked by the Left over an alleged pro-US tilt, Alvi said "all that I have said, I have said on behalf of my party."

Asked whether Congress has made preliminary inquiries before making this allegation suggesting that the US was behind Anna's agitation, he said "government should inquire about it and find out the truth".

Alvi at the same time said "there are some forces also within the country (that are supporting Hazare's agitation from behind), which needs to be found out... I am not

criticising the US or any other country. But we will have to find out the truth, why is the US supporting this movemement"?

" Anna is alone. Anna has no organisation but only a few friends standing by him. The big question is how this movement came into existence? How people in such a large number come out to support him?" the Congress leader said.

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