Of the two main Left parties, the CPI has no doubt that Hazare’s is secretly helping the right-wing BJP.
Anna Hazare’s announcement that he and his associates would oppose the Congress in elections if the Jan Lokpal bill is not passed in the winter session of parliament has set off political ripples.
While the Congress prepares to face the onslaught, communist parties think that while Hazare is free to enter the political arena he would not make any difference.
Of the two main Left parties, the CPI has no doubt that Hazare’s is secretly helping the right-wing BJP. CPI national secretary D Raja says, “Firstly, I do not think he has any clarity. I do not know who are the people advising him.”
The Rajya Sabha MP added: “They (Hazare and his friends) think that it (Jan Lokpal bill) is the wisest plan. It is for parliament to decide on the final form the bill should take, and parliament represents the collective wisdom of the country.”
Basudeb Acharia, CPI-M leader in the Lok Sabha, said his party had reservations about some clauses of the Jan Lokpal bill. He however admits that his party concurs with Hazare that there should be a “strong, credible, effective and independent” Lokpal.
Acharia also said that the Lokpal bill as presented by the government needs to be amended. He explained that there will be amendments in the standing committee deliberations and that his party would want to suggest amendments during the debate in the House as well. He is by implication making it clear that Hazare should not expect that his Jan Lokpal bill will be passed by parliament without any amendments. He was however confident that it will be passed in the winter session of parliament.
Asked whether Hazare entering politics and positioning himself against the Congress would help the opposition parties, Acharia said it would not be of any help to the communist parties.
Raja has stronger views on the issue. The CPI leader said: “Unlike us (the Left) he (Hazare) has nothing to say on price rise, on inflation, on the neo-liberal economic policies of the Congress. On the other hand, he says that he wants to keep away from the BJP. Why does he have to clarify? I do not have to say that I have nothing to do with the BJP or the RSS because our stand is clear.”
He also thinks that Hazare’s views on electoral reforms are hazy: “He does not understand the impracticality of recall in the Indian scenario. We have been demanding electoral reforms, and we have been asking for state funding of elections and also proportional representation. He does not speak of these things.”
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