New Delhi, Dec 12 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday hit out at veteran social activist Anna Hazare for calling the parliamentarians 'goons'.
Yadav demanded that immediate withdrawal of Hazare's statement wherein he accused the parliamentarians of being criminals.
"The place for discussions is the Parliament and not the streets. You can only protest on the streets. With due respect to his age, I would like to say that he made a very bad statement, that 180 goons are sitting in the Parliament. This is an insult to the Parliament," said Yadav.
"He should take back his statement. Everyone wants a strong Ombudsman bill, and work goes on accordingly. He is pushing the country towards anarchy," he added.
Yadav further said that that although he had got an invitation from Team Anna to participate on the Lokpal debate at the Jantar Mantar, he declined because he felt laws were formulated in the Parliament.
Hazare, who sat on a daylong fast at the Jantar Mantar here on Sunday to protest against the proposals of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill, in his speech said: "Principles of democracy should be followed in the country, but those in power try to force their will upon the weaker section. Instead of asking for permission from the Gram Panchayat, those in power grab the land of the farmers forcefully."
"These people decide the fate of the entire country? We have to change this. We will have to stop these goons from reaching Parliament. And to do this, we need the Right to Reject," he added.
Hazare, who is fighting for a strong anti-graft bill, has been demanding that the lower bureaucracy should be brought within the ambit of the Lokpal besides provisions for Citizen's Charter and setting up of Lokayuktas under a central law.
The 74-year-old social activist has also warned the government that he would sit on an indefinite fast from December 27 at the Ramlila Maidan here if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The Lokpal Bill is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.
The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India.
Hazare had staged an indefinite hunger strike against graft that he gave up on August 28 when the government agreed to deliberate the issues raised by him and his forum vis-a-vis the passage and enactment of the Lokpal Bill, a suggestion that has received unprecedented nationwide backing. (ANI)
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