The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Politicians should be more accountable: Chandrashekar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 21, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Politicians should be more accountable: Chandrashekar

Special Correspondent

THIS WAY: The former Minister A.B. Malakaraddy (right) and Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan (left) with Chairman of the Legislative Council B.K. Chandrashekar before the felicitation function for Prof. Chandrashekar in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: Chairman of the Legislative Council B.K. Chandrashekar has promised that he would do his best to ensure that elections to the post of Council chairman were held on time.

Replying to a felicitation organised under the aegis of the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs here on Sunday, Prof. Chandrashekar said he would seek amendment of the rules.

It was the prerogative of the committee on rules and procedures of the Legislative Council to bring about the changes. The post of chairman, obviously due to political compulsions, had been vacant for varying terms over the past decade.

Earlier, institute secretary M.C. Shanthamurthy expressed concern that the Council chairman's post had remained vacant for nearly nine months (before the election of Prof. Chandrashekar to the post) and suggested to Prof. Chandrashekar to take the initiative to amend the rules to ensure that a new chairman was elected prior to the expiry of an incumbent.

Referring to the country's political scenario, Prof. Chandrashekar stressed the need for greater accountability among politicians.

The present political trend of suspecting the motives behind each and every decision and also trying to provide a caste colour to them was not appropriate.

He pointed out that a politician was not a role model for society.

The general feeling among the people was that politicians had not risen to the expectations of society and their conduct was also found wanting. However, "there is no alternative to democracy despite frustrations. We cannot junk democracy just because it has some weaknesses. Democracy marked by secularism is essential for retaining the country's unity."

Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan endorsed the views of Prof. Chandrashekar and observed that there was need for some changes in the political system. Speaking on the occasion, the former Minister A.B. Malakaraddy hailed the commitment of Prof. Chandrashekar to the principles and ideology.

"Prof Chandrashekar is an academic among politicians and a politician among academics," he remarked.

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