Former MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar has expressed concern over the growing influence of money in politics and described it as a threat to democracy.
He was speaking at a meeting on ‘Save Democracy’, organised by the Jana Chaitanya Vedika, at the Public Library here on Sunday.
Mr. Arun Kumar said it was futile for the people to think that elected representatives would do wonders, or keep their election promises, after spending crores of rupees on winning an election. “A candidate has to spend a minimum of ₹20 crore to contest for an Assembly seat. Those who spend before elections would strive to recover the investment during the five-year term,” he said.
Referring to politics during the early days of Independence, Mr. Arun Kumar said: “Politics in those days meant ‘sacrifice’, with many leaders giving away their wealth to the country. But today, it has turned out to be like any other business.”
‘Rampant corruption’
Calling for a change in the mindset of the voters, he said there was no use finding fault with politicians alone.
He came down heavily on the TDP government for what he called “rampant corruption” even in welfare schemes such as Aadarana and mid-day meal scheme.
Justice P. Lakshmana Reddy, retired judge of the AP High Court, underlined the need to check the growing interference of elected representatives and ruling party leaders in the administration. He alleged that the TDP government had dumped the Sivaramakrishnan Committee report only to make money by developing real estate in the capital region.
Social activist and former bureaucrat E.A.S. Sarma wondered: “From whom A.P. should be saved? Should it be from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP or Congress?”
‘Praja manifesto’
Putting the onus on the electors, he called for a ‘praja manifesto’ to make the elected governments more responsible. Former chairman in-charge of Union Public Service Commission K.S. Chalam recalled how successive governments had neglected north Andhra during the last four decades.
Former AU Registrar P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy alleged that the TDP government was insisting on investors who were signing MoUs for setting up software companies in Visakhapatnam, to establish them in Amaravati. Vedika president V. Lakshmana Reddy presided.