"Democracy should work under Constitution": Murli Manohar Joshi stresses fair polls, accountable governments

New Delhi: Amid the Opposition's demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, former BJP national president Murli Manohar Joshi said democracy can survive when elections are fair, governments are accountable, bureaucracy is transparent, and the Opposition is responsive and responsible.

Speaking to reporters, Joshi invoked former US President Abraham Lincoln's description of democracy and said the government "of the people, for the people and by the people" would not perish from the earth, provided certain democratic principles were upheld.

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"I will say only one thing: government for the people, of the people and by the people shall not perish from the earth. Lincoln said this about 200 years ago. Now I say that government of the people, for the people and by the people shall not perish from the earth, provided the elections are fair, the governments are accountable, the bureaucracy is transparent, and the Opposition is responsive and responsible and has a clear-cut alternative programme," Joshi said.

He said all democratic processes must function within the framework of the Constitution and added that the Supreme Court should intervene if the Constitution is violated.

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"The whole thing is to be done under the ambit of the Constitution, and if the Constitution is violated, then the Supreme Court should look into it. That is the principle on which democracy should work," he said.

Joshi was responding to a question on the Opposition's continued questions over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and its demand for his resignation.

Meanwhile, R Balasubramanian, a member of NITI Aayog, said India's knowledge systems and the wisdom embedded in its scriptures and civilisation have answers that remain relevant to the contemporary world.

He said concepts such as "Paravidya" and "Aparavidya", along with the values of "Pranipata, Pariprashna and Seva" mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, could be imparted to young people alongside modern learning.

Balasubramanian said these qualities could help young people develop a broader understanding of knowledge and contribute to society.