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Moily casts doubt on Team Anna's motive

[email protected] (TNN)
August 23, 2011

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Mangalore, August 23: Union corporate affairs minister M Veerappa Moily has attacked Anna's team questioning their motives and keenness on having a Lokpal. “I don't know whether they are really keen on Lokpal. Do they have some other invisible agenda? They have to make it clear”, Moily said.

Speaking at the airport here before leaving for New Delhi, Moily said the call to gherao MPs and ministers was undermining the Constitution. “Does it mean that they should not go the Parliament and pass a bill and discharge their duties as members, Moily questioned. “The call they have given amounts to anarchy. Should anarchy prevail or rule of law? The dictating of terms by one or two people is a dangerous trend in Indian democracy,” he said.

Moily said there were six principles in the draft on which they had reservations, as it involved constitutional amendment in case of some principles and changing the basic structure of Constitution in others. "It was referred to a standing committee for this reason. Then they (Anna Team) started changing their milestones and goal posts. So I dont know whether they are really interested in Lokpal. If they were interested, the Bill would have been passed in last session itself," he claimed.

Moily cancelled his programme schedule in the city for Monday and rushed back to Delhi after he received a call early morning.


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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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