Parliament unites against Team Anna

New Delhi: The uproar over alleged derogatory statements made by the Team Anna describing the politicians as 'dacoits and thieves' on Monday forced the adjournment of the Parliament for the day.

According to reports, the proceedings inside the Lok Sabha were disrupted after a large number of parliamentarians voiced their strong objection to Team Anna's corruption allegations against politicians.

The remarks were allegedly made by noted RTI activist and Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal yesterday, while he was addressing a gathering at Anna Hazare’s day-long fast at the Jantar Mantar.

Another key Team Anna member Kiran Bedi also said, “We are responsible for bringing criminals to Parliament and state legislatures. We must wake up now and vote for the right candidate even if he or she is an Independent. If right people come, then right law will be enacted.”

"Often they (the MPs and MLAs) challenge us saying who are you to question us? People have elected us. So we must be cautious in electing right people," she said.

Reacting to these allegations, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “Team Anna has lost its focus, crossed all limits."

Swaraj, whose party had supported Anna Hazare's call for the Lokpal Bill, even advised Team Anna to maintain its integrity.

On his turn, Janta Dal (U) chief Sharad Yadav termed Team Anna’s allegation as an attack on the institution of Parliament. He even criticized them for referring to politicians as murderers.

Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam also endorsed the views expressed by Swaraj and Yadav and said, “Team Anna members call themselves the representatives of civil society but they have themselves used unparliamentary language. They have conducted themselves in a highly irresponsible and uncivilized manner.

Anna, while addressing his supporters yesterday, said the government should be prepared to be voted out of power in 2014 if it does not pass the Lokpal bill, which provides for a national anti-corruption agency.

Anna also asked for FIRs or police cases to be filed by August against 14 ministers who he accuses of corruption.