Dynastic parties are a threat to democracy: Modi

How can parties that lost their democratic character protect democracy, asked the PM

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R Dynastic parties are a matter of concern to people committed to the Constitution and are against the spirit of democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday at a Constitution Day event in Parliament.

Modi also paid tributes to security personnel who lost their lives during the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

“Dynastic parties are matter of concern to people committed to the Constitution… Look at dynastic political parties from Kashmir to Kanyakumari; this is against the democratic spirit,” Modi said.

“If a party is run for generations by a family and the entire party system is with a family, then that is the biggest problem for a healthy democracy,” he said in an apparent reference to the Congress.

“By dynastic politics, I don't mean that more than one member of a family can't enter politics. No... on the basis of potential, with people's blessings, people can join politics. But if a political party, generation after generation, is run by one family, it becomes a threat for democracy,” NDTV quoted Modi as saying. “The spirit of the Constitution has also been hurt, every section of the Constitution has also been hurt, when political parties lose their democratic character in themselves. How can the parties that have lost their democratic character protect democracy?” ANI quoted Modi as saying.

The event, which was organised as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India's independence, was boycotted by opposition parties.

Modi, however, said the function was not organised by the government, but by an institution.

(With PTI inputs)