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President warns of anarchist, corrupt political outfits in Republic Day speech

Pranab Mukherjee in his R-Day speech says populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance.

New Delhi: In a hard-hitting speech, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday hit out at governments and political outfits for corruption and “populist anarchy”.

While the Congress-led UPA has been reeling under a series of corruption cases and scams, it is the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP which had unleashed the rule of mob in the garb of populism.
Stressing the need for a stable government, the President cautioned politicians that “every election comes with a warning sign - perform or perish.”
Sensing the anger simmering inside the common man, the President made it clear that “If Indians are enraged, it is because they witnessing corruption and waste of national resources.”
He also gave a stern warning. “If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove governments.”
Even as discussions on the issue of Telangana continued in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Mukherjee called for the debate to conform to democratic norms.
Hitting out at the AAP brand of politics, the President said: “Government is not a charity shop. Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance.”
In another warning, he said: “False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage and that rage has one legitimate target — those in power.”
Next page: Hung House will be catastrophic, says President

Hung House will be catastrophic, says President
Addressing the nation on the eve of Republic Day, President Pranab Mukherjee hit out at communal forces and terrorists who “seek to destabilise the harmony of our people and the integrity of our state but they will never win”.
And even as discussions on the issue of Telangana continued in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, Mukherjee said the debate to conform to democratic norms. “A democratic nation is always involved in argument with itself. This is welcome, for we solve problems through discussion and consent, not force,” he said.
He said healthy differences of opinion must not lead to an unhealthy strife within the polity. “Passions are rising over whether we should have smaller states to extend equitable development to all parts of a state. A debate is legitimate but it should conform to democratic norms. The politics of divide and rule has extracted a heavy price on our subcontinent. If we do not work together, nothing ever will work,” he said.
The President pointed out that 2014 was a precipice moment in the nation’s history. “This chance will not come if India does not get a stable government. This year, we will witness the 16th Lok Sabha. A fractured government, hostage to whimsical opportunists, is always an unhappy eventuality. In 2014, it could be catastrophic. Each one of us is a voter, each one of us has a deep responsibility, we cannot let India down. It is time for introspection and action.”
The President also pointed out that rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at snail’s pace but with the speed of a racehorse. “The aspirational young Indian will not forgive a betray of her future. Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people,” he said.
He stated that the nation needs to find its own solutions. “We must be open to all knowledge, to do otherwise would be to condemn our nation to the misery of a stagnant mire. But we should not indulge in the easy option of mindless imitation, for that can lead us to a garden of weeds,” he said.

( Source : dc )
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