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Kejriwal's reply to RAJYA SABHA - Even if you don't have the time to read this yourself please do forward to all your friends-- Thanks
To
Shri Mukul Pande
Director
Rajya Sabha Secretariat

I have received the notices sent by you from Sri Rajniti Prasad and Prof Ramkripal Yadav in which I am accused of insulting the Parliament. I unequivocally deny that I have insulted the parliament in either speech or deed. I respect parliament immensely. I revere the parliament immensely. I consider parliament as a temple of democracy. For these reasons, I am immensely worried and pained that this temple of democracy is insulted very often by the speech and deeds of a few people who sit inside the
parliament. Various facts and instances show that parliament is insulted by
a few people sitting inside the parliament rather than by people outside. I
respect the parliament, many good parliamentarians, but find myself unable
to respect a few parliamentarians.

Recently, a movie called "˜Pan Singh Tomar" was released. A dialogue from
this film says rebels live in outback and dacoits live in parliament. I
watched this film three times. The audience clapped whenever the hero
uttered this dialogue. I was immensely pained each time I listened to the
ovation. Why is that when the hero referred to dacoits in parliament,
people felt that he was reflecting the sentiments of the people of this
nation. Its worth contemplating as to what went wrong that the people of
this nation have such an anger and disdain towards people sitting in
parliament? Who is responsible for this impression about the parliament?
The people of this nation or the people sitting in parliament? The respect
of parliamentarians is not diminished by what is said about them. Their
respect is commanded by their conduct and behavior.

The present Lok Sabha has 162 parliamentarians on whom 522 criminal issues
are lodged. Out of these, 76 are heinous crimes. Murder cases on 14,
attempt to murder cases on 20, fraud charges on 11, kidnapping charges on
13. In addition to these, there are many parliamentarians on whom
corruption charges are lodged. Ex; Shriyuts Suresh Kalmadi, A Raja, Smt
Kanimozhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav etc., If Jan LokPal would
have been in existence, then a few more would have been charge sheeted. In
this context please enlighten me weather the presence of such people
enhances the dignity of parliament or reduces it? A few of the above are
such that one would rather avoid inviting them to their homes for marriages
and festivals. Is not the parliament insulted by the presence of such
parliamentarians?

Why were such people given tickets? All parties pro-actively give tickets
to people with criminal backgrounds and each successive election has seen
an increase in them getting elected. In 2004 elections, 128 people in Lok
Sabha were with criminal backgrounds. In 2009 elections their number went
up to 162. By this progression, the day is not far when the majority of the
parliament will consist of people with criminal background. Hence, we
should not be surprised when the audience gives an ovation to the hero who
says dacoits are in parliament.

All parties are responsible for bringing the parliament to this. In 2009,
Congress gave tickets to 117 people with criminal background, out of which
44 got elected. BJP gave tickets to 116 people with criminal background,
out of which 44 got elected. Other parties too have proactively given
tickets to the tainted. The court has charge sheeted a good many of them
with heinous crimes. What was the compulsion of these parties? Did not the
parties insult the parliament by giving them tickets? Should not the
parties be punished for insulting the parliament?

It is being said that presently, they are merely accused. Charges have not
been proved in court. The case is pending. My answer to this is that these
cases will never end. A single judgment takes more than thirty years in
this country to be pronounced. Why is our country's justice delivery
mechanism so lethargic and procrastinating? The parliamentarians were
supposed to correct this anomaly. Why didn't they correct it in the last 65
years? Was it not done on purpose? Was it because if it was corrected,
swift justice delivery would have been possible and most of such people
would be incarcerated in jails? Is not the doubt strengthened then that,
till such time these people sit in parliament, our justice delivery
mechanism will not be reformed? Is not the apprehension valid that till
such time people like these are in parliament, crime will not come down in
our country? Please tell me how can I respect parliamentarians like these?

Its correct that these people are merely charged at present. The charges
are not yet proven. Cases are pending. It is possible that twenty years
later, the courts may pronounce them innocent. Alternatively, it is also
possible that twenty years later, many of these may be held guilty by the
court. In such a scenario, isn't this a cause for immense worry that this
nation's laws were framed by murderers, kidnappers and fraudsters? You say
that I have insulted the parliament. I respect the parliament immensely but
can you explain to me the rationale of respecting such parliamentarians.

There was a parliament in which Shri Lalbahadur Shastri resigned in the
wake of a single train accident. One feels the urge to submit everything at
the altar of such a parliament. But how can I respect a parliament with the
present composition?

On 29th December 2011, during the Lokpal Bill discussion, RJD
parliamentarian Shri Rajniti Prasad snatched the Bill from the hands of the
Hon'ble minister, tore it and threw it. Was not the parliament insulted by
this act? If we see parliament as a temple of democracy, isn't the
presiding deity insulted by tearing the Gita in such a temple? It was too
much that not a single parliamentarian stood up to protest this tearing of
the Bill. The chairperson too was mute. Why this speechlessness by those
who swear by the parliament? This was not the first such instance. Many
bills have been torn in this temple of democracy. But not one person has
been punished ever. Don't you think that Shri Rajniti Prasad should be
punished severely for tearing away the Bill inside parliament? Such an
exemplary punishment that no parliamentarian dare ever to tear away any
bill inside the parliament in the future.

Rajya Sabha has many industrialist parliamentarians who have no connection
whatsoever to people or public service. A good many industrialists enter
the Rajya Sabha in the wake of their money-power and tickets given by
various parties. People like these misuse the parliament to further their
industry. Shri Vijay Mallya is the owner of Kingfisher. It is not known
that he has done any public service. He is the member of the parliamentary
standing committee on civil aviation. He decides the civil aviation policy
of this nation. So, it is but natural that he will frame such policies that
benefit Kingfisher enormously. Isn't this a direct misuse of parliament?
Rajya Sabha has a cluster of such parliamentarians who misuse the
parliament directly to further the cause of their respective industries.
Isn't this misuse of parliament an insult to the parliament?

Cash for Questions in parliament came to light. This was a grave insult to
parliament. But such parliamentarians were merely sacked. Giving or taking
bribe is a criminal offence. Such people ought to have been jailed when
proven guilty. The fact that they were sacked demonstrates that they were
guilty. Why weren't they jailed? Why were they let off by mere sacking? For
such a grave insult to the parliament, if they were to be exemplarily
punished, future parliamentarians would not have dared to try insulting
parliament again. Since they were let off lightly, the 2008 open
horse-trading of parliamentarians was repeated. People saw buying and
selling of parliamentarians in the holy temple of democracy. The collective
conscience of the nation cried. Democracy wept. Parliament shed tears. But
the government survived. Not a single parliamentarian has been punished
till date. Was this not akin to treason? Isn't trading of parliamentarians
considered as treason? How can I respect such parliamentarians?

Microphones have been uprooted and thrown innumerable times in the
parliament. Chairs are hurled at each other. How can I respect such
parliamentarians? On one hand 8 Bills are passed without discussion in 17
minutes and on the other hand, there is daily disruption by
parliamentarians which results in parliamentary business being stalled.

The nation is struggling against corruption and price rise. Common man is
finding survival difficult. Farmers are committing suicides. Whistleblowers
against corruption are being murdered. People are writhing. On these issues
the parliament is either quiet or semantics are delivered. These problems
which have beset our nation for years have not been addressed. As a
thumb-rule, there is no unanimity in the parliament on these issues. The
issues linger on in standing committees, people writhe in agony.

Oddly, on any issue regarding parliamentarians all parties unite. When a
parliamentarian among them Shri Sharad Pawar is slapped, (slapping was
wrong, should not have been slapped) all parliamentarians writhed. All
parties got united. All leaders denounced this for two hours. Whenever
there is an issue of increase of allowance to parliamentarians, their
comforts, perks, we see instant unanimity among parties. All parties unite
against the use of an idiom (Chor kii daadhii me tinkaa). This tiny idiom
hurt the parties so much that parliament discussed this issue for hours.
All these instances force us to contemplate, aren't a few parliamentarians
more concerned about their self-interests rather than the people?

Along with parliament, legislative assemblies too are temples of democracy.
In such a temple if some legislature and the child & women development
minister of that state watch porn publicly, please tell me how can I
respect such legislatures?

Its not that this parliament doesn't have good parliamentarians. Many good
parliamentarians exist. And I respect them immensely. But the voice of such
good parliamentarians is drowned in the cacophony of the parliament.

I have raised a few fundamental questions on the notice received to my
statement. The same constitution that gives powers to parliamentarians to
enact laws gives the people the power to ask questions to the
parliamentarians. Questions are raised weather the parliament that is
comprised of so many criminally tainted parliamentarians can ever enact an
efficient law to end crime? If the parliament which is comprised of so many
people with corruption charges can ever enact a good anti-corruption law. A
law which, if enacted will create problems for some parliamentarians?
During the Jan Lokpal movement, the people of this country came down to the
streets demanding an effective law. People have started asking questions
when the government and the parliament seemed reluctant to enact such a
law. People have a question whether Jan Lokpal Bill will be enacted?

All these make it clear that the parliament is insulted not by me but
continuously by a few people sitting inside. By those on whom the people
put their faith and future. I just stated the facts. I have not stated
anything wrong. I just raised the queries of the people. If in the eyes of
your law, I am guilty, I am ready to be punished under such a law. If you
find me guilty under your law, my request would be to give me an
opportunity to present myself in person to air my views.

With regards

Arvind Kejriwal

403, Girnar, Kaushambi

Gaziabad,
 
Uttar Pradesh