Ex-VP Venkaiah Naidu calls for strengthening anti-defection law, end to freebies in polls

New Delhi: Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the "frequent" party-hopping by political leaders was a "disturbing trend" and called for strengthening the anti-defection law.

Speaking at a function at his residence here after receiving the Padma award, Naidu said announcing "freebies" during elections without listing out funds mobilisation is an unhealthy trend which should be discouraged and people should question the leaders and parties making such lofty promises.

Naidu was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award on Monday evening by President Droupadi Murmu at a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"Defections are being encouraged. We should strengthen the anti-defection law," he asserted.

"Now, the worry is that there is a fall in the standards in public life. In political parties, people often change their parties. The latest trend is people are in one party in the morning and join another party in the evening and then they criticise your leader and say things left and right. Some of them are favoured with tickets also.

"This is a very disturbing trend and people should avoid it. People should work at parties and prove their credentials. If anybody wants to change parties, one should resign from the post given by that party and then only join another party. One can understand making accusations, but what is happening is not accusing but abusing," Naidu said.

He said another unhealthy trend is that people are making promises left and right, without considering where the money will come from, as there is no money.

"Political parties must come out with a manifesto and secondly, should come out with schemes supported by the financial health of the state and third, how they are going to mobilise resources and then whatever they want to spend," the former vice president said.

He wondered how it was possible to give everything for free as "money does not come from trees".

But then some of the leaders and parties are making promises left and right even when the financial health of the state is weak, he observed.

Naidu said even when the financial burden of lakhs of crores of rupees is there on states, still leaders make promises and everything is being promised for free.

"I am against freebies. I am in favour of two things - education and health should be given free. Make education and health free, and you can avoid all others. They are not doing that," he lamented.

"This sort of promises and freebies should be discouraged and political parties should question how you are going to mobilise resources. Manifesto and resource mobilisation and financial health of the state should be presented to the people," he said.

Naidu also appealed to the voters to reject those candidates who use vulgar language and are known to be openly corrupt.

"People who are in the habit of accusing and using vulgar language should be rejected in elections and people who are known to be openly corrupt, they should be rejected," Naidu asserted, noting that parties should present alternative policies instead of accusing.

Narrating his recent meeting with a religious saint who migrated from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu, he said though having Muslim origins he sang Ram bhajans every morning.

Observing that culture is a way of living and religion is a way of worship, he said, "Rama is a cultural embodiment of the state, he is not a religious person. Rama is an ideal human being, a great ruler, a great father, and a great son, who led an ideal human life. We must lead a life like him and try to follow his ideals."

He said his message to the people is that everybody should take an interest in public life, not necessarily politics.

He said somebody asked him about what patriotism was as everybody is talking about it these days, he said, "Everybody should be doing their respective work sincerely and should do their duties assigned to them, then you are a patriot and make the country strong."

The former vice president said India is on the rise and the entire world is looking at it, even as the Western powers and superpowers are not able to digest the country's growth.

"But at the same time, they cannot ignore India and they have to maintain a relationship with India. India can never be ignored in the present situation.

"We are the world's largest democracy and we must make efforts to make it the healthiest and ideal democracy, for that all political parties must ensure this," he noted.