The senior Congress leadership continues to voice its displeasure over the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.
Continuing the party’s charge against the civil society-led movement, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday said that the movement against corruption may undermine democracy and its institutions.
Speaking on the sidelines of a function in the city Mr Aiyar stated, “Civil society’s recent movement has not understood the malaise. Their recent movement carries the danger of undermining our democratic institutions and our democracy.”
The nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and former Union minister clarified that civil society should agitate on important issues but resolution of such issues can only take place within the institutions of democracy.
“If a politician is not allowed to enter Janta Mantar and anybody who says he has got the support of the people, is described as a filthy dirty fellow, these noble people will never fight an election. Then you are endangering democracy. They don’t understand what they are doing is undermining democracy,” Mr Aiyar added.
The senior Congress leader also emphasised on the need for inclusive growth in the country. “If we have to preserve our democracy we must recognise that inclusive governance is needed for development. Without inclusive growth, we will not be able to promote democracy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the civil society movement continued to defend the father-son duo of Mr Shanti and Prashant Bhushan even as a series of allegations have surfaced against them in recent days.
Defending the duo, in an interview to a news channel, social activist Swami Agnivesh said that the two were the “strongest link” in the fight against corruption and the controversies should not be allowed to affect the Lokpal Bill drafting committee. Swami Agnivesh claimed that the Bhushans’ legal acumen has served the movement well. “They are the strongest link because when the process started nearly eight months ago Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan came forward to draft the bill together with Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.
On an question as to whether the two would have been included in the committee had the allegations surfaced earlier, he said, “Had we known this six months ago, there could have been discussions about the inclusion. But now it is irrelevant”.