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Lokpal can destabilise the nation: Vayalar
Ravi
Monday December 26, 2011 09:33:27 PM,
K.G. Sreenivas, IANS
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New Delhi: Minister
for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi has warned that if basic
principles were incorrectly applied, a Lokpal can potentially
"destabilise the nation".
"I don't say there is no corruption in the country. But that does
not mean that the basic philosophy (of the constitution) and due
process should be thrown away in tackling it. If this happens,
there is a problem. Not today, tomorrow any Lokpal can, if it
wants to, destabilise the nation. It can," Ravi told IANS in an
interview.
"I don't want to blame anybody, but some kind of maturity is
necessary. Understand democracy. Understand balance.
"One judicial pronouncement (in 1975) disqualified Indira Gandhi,
a sitting prime minister. This is not a joke. For a small, petty
issue you disqualify the prime minister. It is almost like an army
coup.
"I'm telling you it depends on individuals. Anyhow, I am for a
Lokpal bill, but it should be reasonable," he added.
The minister's comments came ahead of a three-day fast Anna Hazare
is launching in Mumbai Tuesday to demand what he says should be an
effective Lokpal to check widespread corruption.
Asked how he felt about Team Anna's demand for the inclusion of
the prime minister and the Central Bureau of Investigation within
the Lokpal, Ravi countered: "My question is: Is there any scarcity
of anti-corruption laws in India? Don't we have enough
investigative agencies?"
"What if one were to act on some complaint, issue a notice without
proper investigation or inquiry. The point is this parliament and
system today is the product of the Indian constitution.
"The constitution is itself the product of the freedom struggle.
It was written and approved by some of the most brilliant men of
those days. They could foresee what could happen in the future."
Asked why the Jan Lokpal movement had gained popular traction,
Ravi said: "I disagree with certain groups of people who say they
can undo corruption through such a mechanism. I don't agree with
that.
"These people do not constitute even 10 percent of the people of
our country. They are saying, 'forget the constitution, forget
parliament, we dictate, you agree'. Sorry, I don't agree to that
kind of approach."
Asked if the idea wasn't germane to governance, he replied: "The
whole attack is on the political class. I believe and I claim that
you can count the number of corrupt leaders of the political
class.
"Don't think that everybody is corrupt in the political class.
No!"
(K.G. Sreenivas can be contacted at kg.sreenivas@ians.in)
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