Ghaziabad, Feb 27 (IANS): Upholding his claim about entry of criminals into parliament, India Against Corruption Activist and key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal Sunday said he did not speak anything wrong.
While addressing a voters' awareness summit in Greater Noida Saturday, Kejriwal said: "All types of elements have entered the parliament, including robbers, murderers and rapists. Parliament has become the biggest problem of the country."
"It is now essential to change its character. We need a complete revolution in the country and a change of the system," he added.
Clarifying his statement a day after, Kejriwal said: "One-third members of the existing parliament have criminal cases registered against them. Of these, 14 are those booked for murder, 20 have attempt to murder cases registered against them.
"Eleven members have case of cheating and forgery against them while kidnapping cases have been lodged against 13. In the ongoing assembly polls in UP (Uttar Pradesh), five candidates have even rape cases registered against them.
"And cases of corruption are lodged against several MPs, including Kanimozhi, Raja, Kalmadi, Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"Had CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) been an independent investigating agency, people like Chidambram would also have been facing corruption cases.
"Can such a parliament can make the country free of corruption and crime. Today if somebody commits a rape or murder, it takes 25-30 years for the court's decision to come. Why does this happen?"
"Such persons against whom cases have been levied would never want that system would change and would like the cases to be finished at the earliest. So long as people like Kanomozhi, Kalmadi, Raja, Lalu and Mulayam are in parliament, a strong Jan Lok Pal could never be passed because if a strong bill and strong judicial system comes into force, these persons stand the chance to be in jail," Kejriwal said.
"It does not mean altogether that parliament is devoid of good people. But good people are very less and they are helpless as the parliament is held captive by such corruption and criminals," he added.