Sharad Pawar slapped: Govt has to think about how to keep public anger under check, says Anna Hazare

Denouncing the attack on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar,
Anna Hazare today said there was no place for violence in a democracy.

RALEGAN SIDDHI/NEW DELHI: Denouncing the attack on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, Anna Hazare today said there was no place for violence in a democracy.

He, however, asked the government to take appropriate measures to keep public anger under check. "There is no place for violence in democracy. I condemn the attack," Hazare told reporters here.

"However, the government has to think about how to keep the anger of the masses under check. The people are angry. There is corruption and price rise....there is the issue of Jan Lokpal....people are angry over so many things," he said.

When a reporter pointed out that BJP leaderYashwant Sinha had warned of violence if price rise went unchecked, Hazare said,"There should not be violence in a democracy."

Kiran Bedi condemns assault

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today condemned the attack on agriculture minister Sharad Pawar but said one should analyse why such things happen to public functionaries.

"While condemning assault on public functionaries, (one) needs to analyse why is this happening and what must done to contain this... "Assault on public functionaries calls for serious reflection at all levels of society including media forums," Bedi said in a tweet.

At public function here, Pawar was slapped by a youth who claimed he was angry with corruption and price rise.

Pawar was slapped by Harvinder Singh, a transporter in his thirties who had assaulted former Telecom Minister Sukhram outside Rohini Court on Saturday after he was sentenced in a corruption case.

Political parties condemn incident

The incident of slapping of Union Minister Sharad Pawar today evoked wide condemnation from the political class, even as some opposition leaders warned the government that such incidents may increase if it did not take adequate steps to curb rising prices.

Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, who was coming out of Parliament rushed to see her father after hearing about the incident.

Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi blamed BJP for the "unfortunate" incident saying, "the incident was a result of the opposition party leader's statement made to incite the public.

"If the opposition party says that people will resort to violence due to rising prices, it means they are inciting the people of the country... If a political party incites the public like this, then it will have such results."

Alvi said, "all political parties and their leaders should be very careful in giving their statements," as they weaken democracy.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, while condemning the incident said it is unfortunate that Congress feels that the opposition party is trying to incite the public. "It is not proper. It should not have happened. It is a security breach," he told reporters outside Parliament.

Reacting to the Congress comments blaming the BJP for instigating violence, Prasad said, "If Congress thinks it is because of opposition's statements, we pity them for not being concerned about the public apathy and pain due to price rise. People are today helpless and are feeling the pain of price rise for the last 3.5 years even when an economist Prime Minister is running the nation."

Source: The Times of India