Anti-corruption activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare on Thursday extended support to “the right to recall” Bill introduced in Parliament by Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi saying that the accountability of peoples representatives must be fixed by the people.
Varun said he was “honoured” by Hazare’s support to the Bill that he has introduced in the Parliament in the last session and would ask the BJP leadership to initiate a debate on the issue.
“I shall request my leadership to initiate a debate on the same. The move will help increase political accountability and deepen democracy for all,” the BJP MP tweeted after receiving communication from the Gandhian on Thursday.
In his letter to the MP, Hazare said he felicitates the MP for bringing such a legislation saying such law would “help ushering right kind of democracy” in the country.
The crusader for clean politics, however, in his letter suggested that prior to “Right to recall” another law “Right to reject” should be introduced which would allow electorate to reject all the candidates, if they like so. The ballot unit should have ‘rejection button’ at the end, he said.
“In such case where all candidates have been rejected , the election should be declared null and void and a fresh elections be announced in the constituency,” Hazare said.
“The Rejected candidates” would not be allowed to contest elections again, he said pointing out that it would prove to be strong deterrent to political parties who give tickets to tainted, corrupt and criminals.
The twin-legislations - ‘Right to recall’, ‘Right to reject’ — Hazare said in his letter
to Varun, would be “revolutionary steps”. Hazare has sent the copies of his letter to the offices of President, Prime Minister and the Election Commission.
Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2016, introduce by the MP, seeks the concept of Right to Recall whereby an MP or an MlA could be recalled within two years from being elected if 75 per cent of those who voted for them are not satisfied with their performance.
MPs and MlAs may be recalled by filing a petition before the lok Sabha Speaker, signed by at least one-fourth of the total number of electors in that constituency.
After confirming its authenticity, the Speaker will move the application to the Election Commission for its verification and authentication of the voters’ signatures on it. The Commission will
verify the signatures on it and will organise the voting on 10 places in the respective constituency of MP or MlA, it says.
The BJP MP is of view the Bill needs to be debated, improved and perfected not just in Parliament but also in the court of public opinion.