Team Anna insulting the Parliament, says Sibal

Slamming Team Anna for burning copies of the Lokpal Bill, government on Thursday said actions of the civil society members was an insult to Parliament and posed a danger to democracy.

"Today, this Bill is a property of Parliament and to burn this Bill publicly is an insult to Parliament. If our democracy continues to function in this fashion, then I feel it poses a danger to democracy," Human Resources and Development Minister Kapil Sibal told mediapersons in New Delhi.

He said if Anna Hazare and his colleagues wanted to put across their views on the Bill, they should approach the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

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"The Bill is Parliament's property, there are Parliamentary procedures. If Mr Hazare wants to put his point of view he is entitled to do so by moving to the Standing Committee and saying that the provisions of my Bill be taken into account," Sibal said.

Asked whether any action would be taken against Hazare and his colleagues for burning copies of the Lokpal Bill, he said this issue would be decided by someone else.

"Whether to take action or not will be decided by someone else. We have said this is against democracy and against the Constitution and it is an insult to Parliament," he said.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid asked Team Anna to come clean on whether they have faith in Parliamentary democracy.

"You should ask them (Team Anna) about this as the Lokpal Bill is now the property of Parliament. They claim that they have full faith in Parliament," he said.

"Those who express faith in Parliament are themselves burning the copy of the Bill. You should ask them what kind of belief is this," he said.