Democracy cannot function at whims and fancies of anyone: PM Modi

Expressing "sorrow" over fresh Parliament disruptions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that democracy cannot function at the "whims and fancies" of anyone, in a veiled dig at continuing protests by the Congress.

Without any reference to Congress, which has held protests in both houses of Parliament over the National Herald case, Modi said democracy cannot be restricted to elections and governments alone and that one of the two main dangers before it is 'mantantra' (functioning as per one's whims and fancies) with the other being 'dhantantra' (money power).

Modi also said the poor are not being able to get their rights as legislations to benefit them are stuck due to disruptions in Parliament. "It is not only GST (bill) but many pro-poor steps are stuck in Parliament."

"You must have seen that these days this (disruptions) is being seen more. Meri marji (I will do what I desire). I will do whatever comes to my mind. Does the country run like this? Democracy does not function with 'mantantra'. The country does not run on its basis. Whatever you may think but the system does not run like this," Modi said.

"It is a matter of sorrow that the poor are not being able to get their rights due to Parliament not functioning. However the talk is only centred on GST versus Parliament. Whatever has to happen with the GST, it will be done in consultation with everybody to decide the fate of India but what about the poor, what about the common man," he said addressing the Jagran Forum of Dainik Jagran in New Delhi.

"Due to Parliament not running this time a particular law is also stuck up, which we have brought to enhance the bonus amount of the poor in jobs from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000. This also seeks to increase the salary ceiling for giving bonuses from the existing Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000. Is this not directly a work for the poor?" he said

Modi said the government is requesting that the Parliament be allowed to function.

"And that is why we are requesting for allowing Parliament to run. There cannot be a bigger forum than Parliament for discussion, debate and communication. But if we will negate the institution itself, then there will be question marks on democracy itself.

"We have to keep in mind the dignity of democracy and enact laws for the benefits of the common man and the country. We have to lay emphasis on it, strengthen it," the Prime Minister said.

Drawing an analogy with musical instrument Sitar, he said its both strings need to be tightened to strike the right note as if even one is loose, the right music will not come out.

"If one has influence, one has to convince people of one's views and carry them with him. We cannot run the country like this. In democracy, you have to connect, you have to assimilate. If you have to dilute (your stand), dilute it," he added.

The National Herald issue had cast its shadow over Parliament for last couple of days with Congress members continuously creating uproar in both Houses and blocking the passage of bills. 

Making a strong pitch for people’s participation in the journey of India’s development and democracy, Modi said the first thing is to have faith in the people and their strengths.

“Our definition of democracy can’t be restricted to elections and governments only. Democracy is strengthened by Jan Bhagidari (peoples’ participation),” he said calling for making development a mass movement and integrating every Indian in India’s development journey.

“Then Lok tantra becomes Lok shakti,” he said, adding that he wants to make development journey a people’s movement on line of what Mahatma Gandhi had done to India’s freedom struggle.

“Everyone must feel he or she is working for India’s progress,” he said, adding the most important need for the growth of democracy was “awareness”.

He said the more aware people become, the development path of the country will be clear.

Modi said the thought process of the government was to empower people and the country’s development can be done only through people’s participation.

In a veiled dig at the previous Congress governments, he said had people’s participation in the country’s development being made a policy after the independence of the country, the pace of development would have been 1000 times more.

“Now the situation has come where every work has been left for the government to do. Gandhi’s model was that everything would be done by the people. The demand of the time is that we make the journey of India’s development a people’s movement,” he said while he also referred to the impact of programmes like Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and ‘Give it up’ for voluntary withdrawal of gas subsidy.

He said 52 lakh people have given by their subsidy from which 46 lakh people who we are not using gas cylinders have benefited.

Asserting that the two ills that are threats to democracy are ‘Mantantra’ and ‘Moneytantra’, the prime minister underlined the need to protect democracy from the influence of money power.

Addressing the event organised by Dainik Jagran, the prime minister also spoke of “mission mode” journalism and hailed the role of the fourth state, saying this mission mode should not get any blow either from inside or outside.

Seeking to change the Opposition discourse that the government has reached out to them only for the passage of GST, Modi linked the disruptions in Parliament with the loss of the poor in the country.

“People only talk about GST and Parliament but there are also several other measures for the poor that are pending in Parliament,” he insisted.

Calling for giving a push to entrepreneurship, he said merely restricting ourselves to private and public sector will limit our development and there is a need to focus on personal sector.

“The personal sector is a source of great strength,” he had said and listed the government initiative ‘PM Mudra Yojna’ of giving out loans to small entrepreneurs.

Significantly, Modi mentioned that bulk of the people working in the personal sector belong to SC/ST and OBCs who are between the poor and the middle class category.

He said these small entrepreneurs, like barber, washermen and others, give jobs to 12-14 crore people and if encouraged properly they can create up to 20 crore jobs.