Shashi Tharoor expresses doubts over Anna's Lokpal

New Delhi, Sep 2: Anna Hazare, who has never stood for elections cannot be the voice of the people, said Union Minister Shashi Tharoor.

Further adding that laws could only be made in Parliament he said, "We cannot have a small group of unelected people imposing their will on Parliament because in the long term the danger will be to you the people....

"I do not believe that we can conduct democracy either from the Ramlila Ground or from television studio. Democracy must be conducted through both Houses of Parliament.

"If such people cannot claim to represent the people of India, but somebody else, who never stood for elections but has lot of television cameras around him and a few thousand people in a Maidan.... Will he be the voice of the people? Is that democracy?" he said.

He also stated that arresting the anti-corruption crusader was a "mistake" and government could not disagree with the cause of the Gandhian. He further stressed over the fact that the "question is the means".

"Saying that I will starve to death thereby potentially unleashing disruption violence and anarchy in the country unless you pass a bill which says exactly what I see it should say. Is that democracy? That is the question we have to ask," Tharoor said in a gathering at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Tharoor also expressed his doubts over the fact that Lokpal would be different from other agencies, that fought corruption.

"I am certainly not one of those to suggest that he is anything but a man of great integrity," Tharoor said.

OneIndia News