New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday attacked Anna
Hazare for his remarks that alcoholics be flogged and shamed
in public, saying it amounted to instigating people to take
law into their own hands and weakening democracy.
"It is like instigating people to take law into their own
hands. Democracy will be weakened through such acts... People
who claim doing things for public welfare should make
statements with responsibility," Congress spokesman Rashid
Alvi said.
Taking strong exception to Hazare`s controversial remarks
on alcoholics, Alvi without naming him said, "Such statements
will not strengthen democracy, they will only weaken it."
Another Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari equated the
social activist`s suggestion to the way Taliban used to punish
those who did not comply with the Sharia law.
"I think the Taliban used to say the same thing. By that
analogy, you will possibly have to flog half of Kerala,
three-fourth of Andhra Pradesh and about four-fifth of Punjab.
Therefore that`s quite a tall order," Tewari said.
Taking a strong stand against alcoholics, Hazare had
yesterday said in his village Ralegan Siddhi that alcoholics
should be flogged and shamed in public.
The social activist had said if anyone after drinking
creates trouble he would be simply warned thrice because he is
"our man (belonging to our village)." The person will also be
made to understand that it is not good to drink.
"But even after being warned thrice if he drinks again,
then we will take him to temple and he has to swear by God
that he won`t drink in future.
And if even after all this he drinks then we will tie him
up to the electric pole in front of the temple and then beat
him up so that he gets scared," he had said.
PTI
