Lucknow: In an apparent reference to Team Anna, senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday said some people were trying to tarnish the image of legislature and a "befitting reply" was not being given to them through the works and behaviour of people's representatives.
"There is an all-round attack.... Someone termed 545 people sitting in the Parliament as 'goondas'...If this was said for House of Commons in Britain it would have been intolerable," said Yadav, who is national general secretary of the party.
He was addressing an orientation programme of over 160 newly elected MLAs of the UP Assembly here.
"Some people are out to tarnish the image and it is serious that a befitting reply is not being put forward through the works and behaviour of people's representatives", Yadav said.
The leader, who is also brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, claimed that even the most "dishonest legislator is doing more for the people than those claiming to be most honest and upright."
Asking the newly elected representatives to maintain good behaviour, Yadav said that once elected the MLA is not just of one party but need to work for ensuring justice to all.
The SP leader said that it is more the responsibility of the ruling party to see that power is not misused for crushing the opposition as those who had indulged in such acts were never re-elected.
Highlighting the importance of the House and the Speaker, Yadav said ruling party should respect positive criticism and favoured holding of proper Sessions of the legislature.
Congress leader Pramod Tewari also stressed on longer sessions of the Assembly and proper proceedings.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, May 19, 2012, 17:54