NCP dares Hazare to contest against Sharad Pawar

The ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fired a salvo against anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, daring him to contest an election against its chief, Sharad Pawar, if he believes in democracy. NCP has added if that is not possible, Hazare should at least get elected from any ward.

NCP has also ridiculed those who have compared Hazare with Mahatma Gandhi or with Jayaprakash Narayan, saying such comparisons are absurd. The party has lambasted Hazare for undermining parliamentary democracy.

The trigger was the outburst against Pawar during Hazare’s five-day agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. An NCP minister, who did not want to be named, told Business Standard, “The cause is good but Hazare’s method is totally wrong. How can power be concentrated in one institution? This is a serious issue and it needs to be debated further.” The minister said the Lokpal would not be the sole answer to address the issue of corruption but it could be done by strengthening the executive, legislature and judiciary. Besides, administrative and judicial reforms would also be necessary.

In a related development, the Shiv Sena, which had supported Hazare’s agitation, has now questioned why the Lokpal Bill drafting committee has a chairman and co-chairman.

A morcha is being organised in Mumbai on Thursday to protest against ‘sabotage of the Constitution by a few righteous social workers, powered by TV channels and fuelled by a few activists, including Hazare’.