MYSURU: Expressing anxiety about the lack of a strong political force to protect the three pillars of democracy – legislature, the executive and the judiciary – president of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav on Tuesday said that the country today needed a new political force that needed to emerge from farmer, youth and Dalit movements.Yadav, who interacted with the media at the Mysuru District Journalists’ Association, said, “The very idea of India is being challenged at every level. Though there were many challenges earlier too, they were small. Unfortunately, there is no political force to protect them.”Lamenting that the opposition parties in the Parliament were in no position to counter the government, the real challenge to power was arising out in the streets in the form of movements of various groups, such as farmers, youngsters, Dalits and protests opposing violence against women. “Swaraj India is an attempt to create a political force that will channel these movements. Such a force cannot come into being under existing political parties,” said Yadav.Yadav also bemoaned the sustained efforts made by all leading political parties to prevent debates on pressing problems plaguing the state. “Only matters of general interest are being discussed,” he said.Criticising both national parties for ducking discussions on key issues such as corruption, Yadav said, “Both the Congress and BJP talk about corruption. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too occasionally talks about the problem, and says Congress deserves a gold medal for corruption. While at the national level, Congress will get gold medal for corruption, in Karnataka, BJP’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa deserves it.”Yadav further added that nobody wanted a serious discussion on the issue. “That would entail a discussion on Reddy brothers, where the Congress too will be questioned about the delay in prosecuting them. And why the government has diluted the powers of the Lokayukta. Every party makes tall claims about being pro-farmer, but they don’t want a debate on the issue,” he added.Yadav came down on both Congress and BJP, for failing to deliver on their promise of providing employment. “Unemployment can be effectively addressed only by promoting agriculture, and its allied activities and not the IT-sector, which has offered jobs to less than 3% of the working population,” he said.‘Regional parties need to have a national agenda’On the promise that regional parties held for the democratic polity of the country, Yadav said, “Regionalism is a positive political force in India, but regional parties have not fulfilled their promises. The idea of regional parties does not mean they have to restrict themselves to specific regions. They can have a say on matters of national importance, have a national agenda and strong economic policies. Sadly, most regional parties don’t have any national agenda or any economic policies.”Yadav rued that regional parties in Karnataka, including the JD(S), were only worried about winning an election and retaining power for the longest period. “These parties in Karnataka do not have any vision, and do not offer an alternative force to national parties,” he said.

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