New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi expressed his gratitude to Anna Hazare for raising the issue of corruption, saying that it is a massive problem that every Indian wants to get rid of.
"We are all aware that corruption is pervasive. It operates at every level. The poor may carry its greatest burden but it is an affliction that every Indian is desperate to be rid off. Fighting corruption is as integral to eliminating poverty as is Mahatma Gandhi NREGA or the Land Acquisition Bill. Yet it is equally imperative to the growth and development of our nation," said Rahul while addressing the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour on Friday.
He pitched in for a strong Lokpal but cautioned that corruption is so deep-rooted in India that one law or institution will not be able to eradicate it.
"Witnessing the events of the last few days it would appear that the enactment of a single Bill will usher in a corruption-free society. I have serious doubts about this belief. An effective Lokpal law is only one element in the legal framework to combat corruption. The Lokpal institution alone cannot be a substitute for a comprehensive anti-corruption code. A set of effective laws is required," he said.
As soon as Rahul made the above statement Opposition MPs led by the Bharatiya Janata Party started shouting slogans which was countered by the treasury benches. Some of the Opposition MPs were arguing that why was Rahul given the permission to speak when the House should debate the different versions of the Lokpal bill.
A few of them also ridiculed him for reading out from a prepared speech.
After the sloganeering ended Rahul also warned against democratic institution being undermined saying that India's biggest achievement is its democratic system.
"A tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected Government that seeks to undo the checks and balances created to protect the supremacy of Parliament sets a dangerous precedent for a democracy. Today the proposed law is against corruption. Tomorrow the target may be something less universally heralded. It may attack the plurality of our society and democracy," he added.
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