Venkaiah for more teeth to anti-defection law

Drawing attention to the manner in which the anti-defection laws have been rendered ineffective, Naidu emphasised the need to make anti-defection laws more stringent and effective

Hyderabad: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for an urgent action to cleanse system and promote clean politics.

Expressing concern over the erosion of values in public life, he cautioned that people will lose faith in political class unless urgent and collective action is taken towards cleansing the system and promoting clean politics.

Delivering the third Atal Bihari Vajpayee memorial lecture organised by the India Foundation here, Naidu emphasised that it was the duty of all political parties to ensure that their members, including legislators maintain ethical conduct at all times and at all places. He also appealed to legislators to raise the level of debates, follow standards, avoid unruly behaviour and always adhere to 3Ds – discuss, debate and decide—avoid the 4th D-disrupt.

He remarked regretfully that the absence of value-based politics, lack of ideology, hunger for power, muscle and money power and the entry of people with a criminal background into politics was leading to violence in the political arena and debasing politics. “Unless these undesirable trends are checked, the situation will further deteriorate and cause irreparable damage to the country’s polity”, he cautioned.

Drawing attention to the manner in which the anti-defection laws have been rendered ineffective, Naidu emphasised the need to make anti-defection laws more stringent and effective. Remarking that defection matters cannot remain undecided for long periods, the Vice President suggested making it mandatory for the presiding officers to dispose of defection matters within three months. “We will be making a mockery of democracy if we fail to plug the loopholes in anti-defection laws,” he scathingly commented.

Naidu wanted all political parties to put an end to ‘politics of convenience’ and practice the ‘politics of conviction’ and ‘politics of consensus’ as demonstrated by late Vajpayee. He called upon the political parties to shun populism and accord priority to long-term development.

Expressing dismay over the sway of 4Cs – cash, caste, criminality and community—in Indian politics, he appealed to the people to elect their representatives on the basis of other 4Cs -character, conduct, calibre and capacity. Only then India’s democracy can flourish and become a role model for other nations. “We are the largest parliamentary democracy and we must set an example to the whole world,” he added.

Naidu appealed to the youth to learn from the lives of visionary statesmen like Vajpayee and be at the forefront of eliminating evils like corruption, discrimination of any form, violence against women and the problem of poverty.

Paying rich tributes to Vajpayee, the Vice President called him as one of the most respected and admired Prime Ministers in India and abroad. Speaking on the theme of this year’s lecture – “Building democratic consensus – The Vajpayee way”, Naidu said for Vajpayee, ‘consensus’ was not an expedient political tool rather it was a core element of his convictions. His consensual approach made Vajpayee widely acceptable across the social
and political spectrum.

This consensual approach enabled him to successfully lead a large coalition to its full term in an era of unstable coalition governments. Appreciating Vajpayee for his contribution in the domain of coalition politics, Naidu called him as the ‘Father of Coalition Practices’ in India. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Prathima Foundation representatives B Harini and B Prateek and other eminent personalities attended the event.

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