New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday termed the Communal Violence Bill as "the most obnoxious piece of legislation in independent India", saying had it been in place, it would have resulted in punishment of the members of the majority community for Muzaffarnagar riots.
"The 2011 draft, which the National Advisory Council prepared, I have not the least doubt, is the most obnoxious peace of legislation in independent India," Arun Jaitley, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.
"For instance, in Muzaffarnagar violence if this Bill had existed and both communities had representatives who were guilty of violence, one would be prosecuted under this law, others would not," he said, terming the controversial Bill divisive and discriminatory.
Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, however, said the Bill has been prepared to curb the "ideology of hate and violence". "This is something absolutely important in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-caste society that India is," he said.
Both the leaders were speaking at a discussion "A new vision for India" at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
Asked their views on the rise of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, which exits polls have predicted would make a strong debut in Delhi Assembly polls, Jaitley said it has to be seen whether it is a long lasting phenomena or not.
BJP had earlier dismissed AAP's presence in the fray, saying opting for it would be a waste of vote.
However, today he seemed to have reconciled to its emergence, admitting that he had no other choice on the matter but to welcome it. Whether results, which would be announced tomorrow, back up the buzz about it in elections remain to be seen, he added.
Singh said he would welcome all civil society members, who want powers without accountability, in politics.
Singh blamed BJP's confrontational attitude since 2004, when it lost power, for pending bills and loss of work in Parliament. "Highest number of bills pending are in present Lok Sabha and on number of occasions on petty issues Parliament was not allowed to function. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh can be charged on any issue but not for confrontation. He is one man who is not a confrontationist," he said.
Jaitley said it was a myth that the BJP was not allowing economic legislation to go through in Parliament. He blamed the slowdown on "executive decision-making and weak prime ministerial authority which lacked in overruling" one voice in favour of another.
"If you slow down on infrastructure it is not Parliament that comes in between. If you slow down on clearing 700 thousand crores worth of project, it is not Parliament coming in between...
"Now within the government there are difference of opinion and prime ministerial authority is lacking in certainly overruling in favour of another, the slowdown is because of that," he said.
Both leaders blamed the societal sanction for criminals as a major reason for fall in standards of politics with Singh saying that "in a democracy people get a government they deserve".
When both were quizzed about tainted former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa's likely return to BJP and Congress' tie-up in Jharkhand with Shibu Soren, accused in criminal cases, Jaitley said voters preference for such leaders left parties with little option but to rely on them.
"There is an impression, to a large extent true, that the quality of people who man politics does not measure up... We in the political parties have to improve the quality of people who represent parties in legislative and other bodies," he said.
There was no point in criticising the system from outside, he said, adding that more well-meaning people must join political parties or form their political parties and contribute to politics.
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