Anna Hazare came under fire from political parties for his controversial comments that alcoholics should be flogged and shamed in public, a prescription dubbed by Congress as a Taliban-type action.

The 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader's approach to combat alcoholism also kicked up a debate today in the cyberspace with some bloggers saying the Gandhian is exceeding his "mandate" and that he should not go "overboard" and remain focussed on his campaign to fight graft.

Hazare's way of going after drunkards came to the fore when he spoke of how he got people in his native village in Maharashtra to give up drinking. He however advocated giving prior warnings before taking any such steps. 

The social activist said that if anyone after drinking creates trouble he would be simply warned thrice because he is "our man (belonging to our village).

" The person will also be made to understand that it is not good to drink. But even after warning him thrice if he again drinks then we will take him to temple and he has to swear by God that he won't drink in future.

"And even after all this he drinks then we will tie him up to the electric pole in front of the temple and then beat him up so that he gets scared," he said.