Contest if you want to rule, Bal to Anna
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday criticised social activist Anna Hazare and his supporters’ proposed fast against the Lokpal Bill. The Sena leader challenged Mr Hazare and asked him to contest the election instead of going on a fast.
“The question is how much the government will bend and against whom. The country cannot run by the hum kare so kayda (whatever I say is the law) attitude of people who do not contest elections and are not accountable for anything. If they are so worried about the Lokpal, Mr Hazare and his supporters should contest and win elections to acquire the right to press their point of view. The country cannot be run by people on a fast,” Mr Thackeray said in the editorial published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
Further lashing out at Mr Hazare, who is also called the country’s “second Gandhi”, Mr Thackeray said, “Twenty five per cent population of this country is always forced to fast and nobody goes to them with a glass of orange juice. But there is a tamasha (of fasting) going on in the name of Lokpal.”
On Mr Hazare’s threat of going on an indefinite fast from August 16 in protest against keeping out the PM, the judiciary and the MPs’ conduct in Parliament from the bill, the Sena chief questioned the need of the Lokpal. He said that proper implementation of existing laws were enough to check corruption.
“Lokpal is not at all needed if the four pillars of democracy, i.e. judiciary, parliament, administration and newspapers perform their duties strictly. As there cannot be a father of the nation, same way there cannot be a Lokpal. People of this country are capable of taking care of their welfare and it is because of them that this country has been running so far. If the Lokpal comes in to force, there will uncertainty on the role of judiciary, administration and Parliament. It is not correct to bring in the Lokpal bill only because Mr Hazare is insisting on it,” Mr Thackeray said. However, Mr Thackeray admitted that the corruption is the “biggest enemy” of the nation and it needs to be eradicated.
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