Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Tuesday came out in defence of former party colleague Uma Bharti who was turned away from Jantar Mantar by supporters of Anna Hazare and said the anti-politician stance of some social activists as a “disservice to democracy”.
“I am of the view that those who revel in spreading a general climate of disdain about politics and politicians are doing a gross disservice to democracy,” Advani wrote on his blog. “There is no dearth of analysts who hold that the popularity of these two personalities has a lot to do with the fact that they shun political personalities,” Advani wrote, referring to Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev.
“No wonder the news that Uma Bharti was turned away from Jantar Mantar, the venue of Anna Hazare’s fast was very prominently publicized. It was done by some who claimed to be Anna’s followers,” he wrote. Uma Bharti was booed away from Jantar Mantar by supporters of Anna Hazare during his fast there last week to demand a strong anti-corruption bill. Hazare later apologised to Uma Bharti.
“It is an index of Anna’s innate decency, and his disinclination to believe that all politicians are corrupt that when he learnt about this he publicly apologized to Uma,” said Advani. “Despite the shortcomings of Indian democracy we still have conscientious and upright politicians in the country and it is they who still give people optimism and confidence for the future,” he added.