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Aruna's dig at Hazare: 'None should overrule Parliament'
In an apparent dig at Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy on Monday said one has the right to dissent in a democracy but not to overrule the functioning of Parliament and its multifarious structures.
Roy, whose own version of Lokpal is before the standing committee which is going into the legislation, said anarchy will rule the country if Parliament is stopped from exercising its rights.
"This whole debate about whether we can take decision on the law is absurd. If you don't give importance to my point of view how will my right (of voting) translate? But another question is what kind of politics we want in translation. It is not right stopping Parliament from functioning. There will be anarchy if such things happen," she said.
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'Do we want to return to the times of kings?'
She was delivering Narendra Mohan Memorial Lecture on 'Today's Politics and Corruption' orgainsed by 'Dainik Jagran' newspaper.
Apparently referring to Hazare's movement for Jan Lokpal Bill, Roy, who has criticised the way the campaign was run, said in a Parliamentary democracy all structures have to be respected.
"We cannot say that there should not be a standing committee or there cannot be a debate. The Parliament is mine and it is of the people. Now the question is what structure do we want? Do we want to return to the times of kings or do we want the kind of a military dictatorship?" she asked.
Team Hazare had pushed for the passage of Jan Lokpal when the activist launched his fast in August and had even set deadlines for the legislation to be passed.
She also said the Jan Lokpal, if passed, would become a "super government" that is why her draft has sought to bring higher judiciary and bureaucracy out of the ambit of the Lokpal.
'Corruption is deep-rooted in the country's system'
She also favoured implementation of the Judicial Accountability Bill and said jurists like J S Verma and others have been supporting the legislation.
The activist and NAC member also dwelled on the issue of corruption in the country and said graft does not start and end with money alone.
"It is not just about money. If one thinks that way, he is wrong. No one thinks of corruption beyond money. Corruption is deep-rooted in the country's system. The corruption these days have become hi-tech due to technological advancements," she said.
Leaving poor people hungry and to fend for themselves is also "corruption", she said. Roy also urged the media to act like the "fourth estate" and be the voice of the voiceless.
"Media should play a more proactive role. It should find ways to curb paid news and so on. Information technology should play an important role and highlight the deficiencies in the functioning," she said.