By IANS,
Mumbai : In a stinging attack on the government at the Press Club here Monday, former army chief General (retd.) V.K. Singh, who has joined social activist Anna Hazare in his crusade against corruption, demanded immediate dissolution of parliament.
“The government is snatching food and work. People must act, otherwise nothing will be left. Why is the government silent on black money? The government has surrendered to the market. The government is against the constitution. We demand that parliament should be dissolved,” Gen. Singh said.
The former army chief said that the government is “anti-people” and that it is “bending” before the corporates. He also demanded immediate elections in the country.
“People should choose the new government. Both the ruling party and opposition are silent over corruption issues. The government should come clear on how they want to run the government; on the market demands or on the constitution,” he said.
Within months of retirement, in a direct attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Gen. Singh asked him on why the government is looting people.
“How can the prime minister clear FDI when the government is in a minority,” he asked.
Gen. Singh was speaking to media persons alongside Hazare, who is expected to launch an anti-graft team after severing ties with Arvind Kejriwal and India Against Corruption (IAC) over the formation of a political party.
“This government has crossed all limits. Tribals are being left homeless and farmers’ land is being given away by the government to big companies,” Gen. Singh alleged.
He said that people of this country have rights over the land that is being gifted to corporates. “However, issues like land acquisition, water, jungles are important… who owns them? But no MP raises these questions,” he said.
In a long list of allegations, Singh said that corruption, scams, unemployment and poverty have left people discontented with the government. “Government has raised prices of fuel, every town is hurting. Foreigners are given access to our natural resources, big industry is set up. Poor people don’t benefit from this. It will not lead to progress,” he said.
Gen. Singh also said that people must have the right to recall their elected representatives as the country and its people have no future with “these parliamentarians” and “this government”.
“The country belongs to the people, they must bring down this government. We need a new set of parliamentarians,” he said.
Hazare agreed with Gen. Singh and said this government is not working according to the constitution, adding that the fate of the poor of the country is “being decided by people sitting in America”.
“We are both from the army, we have fought wars. Now it is time to fight the enemy within,” Hazare said.
“What sort of freedom is this? These big dams that are built… where will water come from for our towns, our farmers?” he asked.
Hazare said that neither parliamentarians nor the government would bring the Janlokpal bill.