Lok Sabha members cutting across party lines criticised members of Team Anna who levelled allegations of corruption and reportedly used derogatory terms to describe parliamentarians and politicians.
Even as the members spoke against Team Anna, MPs from the Congress belonging to the Telangana region as also those from the Telengana Rashtra Samiti and the Telugu Desam Party rushed to the well of the House raising slogans in support of separate Statehood.
Suggesting that social activist Anna Hazare should remain within his limits, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj accused him of using unparliamentary language against the legislators.
She recalled that the BJP, along with other Opposition parties, had supported Mr. Hazare's demand for a strong Lokpal Bill and had even slammed the government for bringing a “weak” legislation.
Ms. Swaraj said the issue was not limited to an individual or a group of MPs but the entire institution, which was the anchor of democracy in the country.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, during a day-long fast here on Sunday, alleged that 165 MPs, including 14 Ministers, were corrupt and accused of rape.
Remarking that Team Anna had lost direction, the Leader of the Opposition said that by speaking against democratic institutions, the civil society members were indirectly inviting dictatorship.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convenor and Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, who had shared the platform with Team Anna at Jantar Mantar last year, said that Mr. Hazare was against democracy as he was attacking Parliament.
“We have fought against corruption for the past 30 years and for the rights of the poor and the farmers. I supported Anna but cannot agree with all his demands,'' Mr. Yadav said.
Accusing Team Anna of “working against Parliament,” Mr. Yadav said MPs had often raised the issue of corruption inside the House. He recalled that some MPs had to lose their membership in the cash-for-query scam. “We had also raised the issue of 2G scam,” he said.
Describing the allegations as a “matter of concern,” Congress' Sanjay Nirupam said the “so-called civil society” was using uncivil language. He also demanded a probe into the activities of the anti-corruption movement.
CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia and Samajwadi Party leader Shailendra Kumar termed Team Anna's allegations “condemnable.” Mr. Acharia said the attack on MPs was not an attack on an individual but on the reputation of the entire House.
As slogan-shouting on the Telangana issue continued, Deputy Speaker Kariya Munda adjourned the House for the day.
