Magsaysay award winner and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi was recently criticised by former chief justice of India J S Verma for defending overcharging sponsors for her travel by saying that the excess money was diverted towards expenditure for the anti-corruption movement. Bedi, as a president's award winner, is entitled to fly at subsidised fares. However, she has claimed reimbursement for the market price of the tickets. The Anna Movement has relied on public and organisational contributions for meeting its expenses. To support the ongoing movement, funds need to be generated by the minute given the scale it has reached. Public munificence is thinning and the Team has miles to go before the goals are realised. So, come to think of it, fund generation through billing does seem like an innovative, entrepreneurial idea, though it is hardly sustainable and off-scale by leagues.

At the same time, is it ethical to leech off comrade NGOs and civil society organisations, that too in such a subversive way? These organisations are outreach partners for the movement. They bore travels costs of Bedi and aides. So, Bedi doesn't seem to have the done the right thing even though her intentions are noble. Then, there is the question of image. Claiming inflated costs from partners is not in harmony with Bedi's image as an anti-corruption leader. The movement could suffer (scale debatable) because of this indiscretion on her part.