Besides thanking the crowd, especially the youth, for turning up and targeting the UPA government, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, his team and India Against Corruption (AIC) members had nothing generous to say throughout the day.
Hazare, on Tuesday, began his three-day fast at the MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex against the “weak” Lokpal Bill tabled by the government in Parliament.
“The government had cheated Parliament and the people,” alleged the 74-year-old activist drawing applause from the thin crowd.
“You need to teach them [the government] a lesson. Jan Parliament is bigger than Parliament. It is we who have elected them to that place. They should realise that they are our servants. Even the village Parliament [panchayat] is supreme than the assembly and Parliament.”
“Even on the issue of land acquisition, the village panchayat is the most important. The government has to take its permission before taking over any land for development. There needs to be a law for that too,” he added.
In the same breath, Hazare called upon the people to join the battle to support another law — the right to recall. “Criminals reach the Parliament and destroy it. There should be an Act to reject them too,” said Hazare amid applause.
Arvind Kejriwal reiterated allegations that the Lokpal Bill was more focused on curbing corruption in society than in the bureaucracy and government.
“They have stringent punishment for the person who levels allegations, but free lawyer for government servants. Even maulanas and pandits will be deemed as government servants. The government promised us that both versions [of the Lokpal Bill] will be put up before cabinet but only one was,”he said.
Maulana Shamim Kazmi pointed out that leaders were raising issues that they are not serious about only to delay the Lokpal Bill.
“If they are so concerned about reservations, why do they not reserve seats in the Assembly and Parliament? Nanaji has done good work and whatever differences are there between the RSS and Muslims should be sorted out.”
Medha Patkar, who supported the reservation argument, said: “Lalu Yadav was only concerned if other parties too have a say in the Lokpal or only the Opposition.”
Poking fun at former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the current PM Manmohan Singh, Mayank Gandhi, India Against Corruption’s Mumbai co-ordinator, said: “These are clean leaders but there is a saying: An honest guard allows more people to steal. People have changed, but the rule of the game needs to be changed.”
Comments: 2