Hyderabad, Jun 24 : The Telugu Desam Party has supported bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal.
“There is nothing wrong in bringing the Prime Minister under the Lokpal's purview. The civil society's demand in this regard is justified. We will discuss the issue in our party and firm up an opinion,” TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said.
Addressing a press conference at his residence here, Naidu said the time had come to build a corruption-free India.
“There is a lot of hope among people that the time has come to put a full-stop to corruption. It's a now-or-never situation as India is at a transformation stage. We all should now fight for economic freedom and this is the right time,” the former Chief Minister observed.
He pointed out that the demand for setting up Lokpal was 40-year old and none should be exempt from this.
Lashing out at the Prime Minister, the TDP chief said things have come to such a pass only because of the former's inaction and the Congress' indifference.
The Congress is not acting against corruption only to protect its political vested interests, he alleged.
“This is resulting in the growth of political mafia which is dictating terms to the government,” he said.
“Had the Prime Minister taken firm demonstrative action in the 2G spectrum scandal and Commonwealth Games scandal, this situation would not have arisen. People's trust in the system has eroded only because of the Central government's failure to curb corruption and confiscate ill-gotten wealth,” Naidu pointed out.
Finding fault with the Congress' efforts to “malign and blackmail” civil society members like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, who were waging a relentless battle against corruption and black money, Naidu demanded that the government convene a meeting with the civil society and political parties to sort out the issues.
“If implementing what the civil society is demanding is not feasible, the government could discuss them with all concerned and go ahead. The civil society should be encouraged, not discouraged. People at large should also be taken into confidence,” he said. PTI
