The former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, said that Parliament and Assemblies, considered to be the temples of democracy, have declined over the past few years and have become institutions for power brokering.
Speaking after felicitating the former Minister and trade union leader, S.K. Kanta, here on Sunday, Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that the electoral system of the country had to be blamed for the current decline of these institutions.
He said that politicians considered contesting elections as an investment in a profitable venture and after investing to win the elections, the politicians started counting the profit for the next five years. Criticising the role played by the Election Commission of India, he said that it, while accepting the nomination papers of the politicians, did not object to or inquire into about how the property shown in the declaration by the candidate was earned.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar lamented that the priorities of the Union government was tilting towards the rich and the affluent. Despite increasing cases of farmers’ suicides, the Centre had not taken any decision on the waiver of crop loans.
He added that the same was not the case in respect of industrialists who were continuously given concessions.
He condemned the killing of two Dalit children in Sonepat in Haryana and said that the casteist and fundamental elements were raising their heads once again.
He also paid tributes to the contribution of Mr. Kanta to the trade union movement and said that he was an ideal leader who pursued value-based politics in his lifetime.
