Vote bank politics irrelevant: Abhay Firodia

President of the Mahratta chamber of commerce, industries and agriculture (MCCIA), Abhay Firodia, said the Jan Lokpal Bill movement of anti-corruption crusader, Anna Hazare, has proved the irrelevance of vote bank politics.

Firodia was delivering a lecture on the Jan Lokpal Bill organised by city-based organisation Nagrik Chetna Manch (NCM) at the Poona Club on Wednesday evening.

“Anna’s call against corruption had resonated with the masses, who stood up to support him and his cause. In the real sense, he had united the nation and reminded the elected representative that they are answerable to the people at large,’’ Firodia said.

He added that the support evoked by the movement made it the second freedom struggle for the nation.

Speaking on the lack of accountability amongst elected representatives, Firodia said although the masses are the real masters of the nation, they had been alienated from the power by a vicious circle of bureaucracy and elected representatives.

“This alienation had united the common man who stood behind Anna to support his great movement,’’ Firodia said.

According to Firodia, India will never be the same again. “If anything, the movement has awakened the dormant Indian to his sense of belonging and this will prove to be decisive in the years to come,’’ he said.