Right to recall representatives a must for people: Varun Gandhi

GUWAHATI: BJP Lok Sabha member Varun Gandhi today said that people must have the right to recall their elected representatives if they fail to deliver.

The MP from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh also advocated that people from non-political families should come into politics on the basis of talent and not on issues such as caste and religion.

"Winning an election is not enough... People must have the right to recall and I introduced this bill (a private member's bill) in Parliament as a step to ensure that people, if not satisfied with their representatives, can get them removed," he said.

This could be done by the means of petition system, the BJP leader said.

In Britain, the electorate could collectively petition the government and if over a lakh signatures were there, a discussion could be initiated in parliament ensuring accountability of an elected representatives, Gandhi said at a programme here.

He said zila parishad elections were held in his constituency recently and he ensured that talented people were given an opportunity to contest and most of them won.

He that had he not been a 'Gandhi', it would not have possible for him to become a Lok Sabha member at an early age of 29.

This kind of a culture was also prevalent in other fields like business, cricket and films and it must end, Gandhi said.

"We must strive to ensure that a composite concept of Hindustan is evolved where all would enjoy the fruits of equality and opportunity," he said.

He said that he was against frequent increase in salary of MPs which was done by the MPs themselves.

At least, the MPs should not increase their salary themselves, he said.

Gandhi said he does not take his salary as an MP and has asked the Lok Sabha Speaker to give it to some NGO or a person in need of money.

He said there should be citizens' intervention in government schemes and constant monitoring was needed to ensure accountability and transparency which would automatically bring down corruption.