``Since Hazare has reiterated the charges of corruption against me, I really do not know the course of action I should adopt. Therefore, I will meet Thackeray and Joshi for their advice,'' Gholap told The Indian Express.

Though unsettled by the release of Hazare, Gholap declined to comment on the decision of the alliance government to invoke provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code to remit the sentence imposed on Hazare. ``I was not consulted before taking the decision. But it must have been taken with good intention. After the decision was communicated to Hazare, I called on Joshi, who explained me at length the reasons for releasing Hazare,'' Gholap remarked.

Asked if he would file a freshcase since Hazare had once again levelled charges of corruption after his freedom from jail, Gholap said he had no such plans. ``I have won the legal battle against the anti-corruption crusader. Since he is repeating the same charges again, there is no need to take his cognizance,'' he remarked.

Apparently heckled by the sustained pugnacious stance by the crusader against even after the State's leniency, an indignant Gholap said, ``Thackeray took a liberal view against Hazare, but it appears that he is in no mood to compromise with the alliance government, on the contrary he has revived campaign against us with a renewed vigour,'' he said.

Interestingly, Gholap stated `though I had filed a defamation suit against Hazare, but I never wanted that the veteran social worker be lodged in jail for his criminal defamation'. ``My only intention was to prove that I am clean.''

``I filed a criminal defamation case against Hazare. The Court held that I am not corrupt and held Hazare guilty of defaming me,'' sumsup Gholap.

The Social Welfare Minister said Hazare had levelled three charges against him - rampant corruption in purchase of power looms for Mahatma Phule Corporation for Welfare of Backward Classes, acquired land worth Rs six crore in Nashik and large scale irregularities in allotment of Ashram Schools.

Consequently Gholap sent a personal rejoinder to explain his side of things, assuming it would settle the issue once and for all. The former even got a reaction from Hazare. ``While I thought that the chapter is closed, on September 22 last year, I read Hazare's interview in a local daily stating that the Anti-Corruption Bureau has evidence against me. I was shocked to read the interview,'' Gholap recalls.

Subsequently, Gholap asked the Director General of Police (ACB) to verify the contents of the interview and also brought the media report to the notice of the Chief Minister. ``Both, Joshi and ACB sleuths informed me in writing that there is neither any charge of corruption nor any inquiry pendingagainst me. Armed with this information, I decided to file a criminal defamation case against him despite the fact that my political well-wishers and lawyer friends specifically told me to refrain from rushing to the court,'' Gholap said.

Gholap believes that two senior leaders -- the then Agriculture Minister Shashikant Sutar and the then Irrigation Minister Mahadev Shivankar, who is now Finance Minister -- should have filed defamation cases against Hazare. ``Despite the fact that they were no specific charges of corruption, they had to face unprecedented humiliation after the alliance government instituted judicial probe against them on the basis of complaints made by Hazare,'' he said.