BENGALURU : Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday expressed concern over loopholes in the anti-defection law and said there is a need to amend legislation to check mass defection of legislators that has become a menace. Delivering a talk on “Media’s role in new India” at an event organised by the Press Club of Bengaluru (PCB), Naidu was critical of the media saying, “Values were getting eroded.”
He said, “The anti-defection law has loopholes as it allows wholesale defection as legislators mobilise and defect. But they continue to enjoy their posts, as presiding officers — the Speakers — and even courts delay disposing of cases. There have been instances of them continuing to remain in their posts for over six months or even up to three years.
By the time the courts dispose of the cases, their term would come to an end.” He said, “In most cases, the Speakers, who are given powers to decide about defections, do not deal with them effectively and instead deal with a sense of affection. I feel such cases should be disposed of by three months or within six months. Even your dharma, culture and Constitution tells you to leave the post after defection.”
Naidu regretted that “caste, cash and criminality” have replaced “character, conduct and calibre” in politics and suggested that political parties should have their own code of conduct to be followed by its members.
“There is a decline in values on all fronts from politics to medicine to education and journalism. Media, which is known as the watchdog of democracy, should guard the erosion of the values to strengthen democracy,” he added.
He took a dig at the trend of politicians and political parties launching their own media platforms saying such a move will affect independent journalism. “Media had played a stellar role during the freedom struggle and even during the Emergency. Journalists such as Ramnath Goenka, Nikhil Chakravarthy, Kuldip Nayyar, Khasa Subba Rao and Arun Shourie had led from the front to oppose the Emergency. These people have set a standard of ethos in journalism which is relevant to strengthen democracy,” he said.
On social media, he said though it had its pros, it also contributes to social and political tensions and hatred in society. “I had told the government that there needs to be some regulation, not censorship, to check the ill-effects of social media. Sensationalism in the media amounts to senselessness”, he said. He was also critical about personal attacks on politicians.