Mani Shankar Aiyar is “sick” of Team Anna – and it shows in the way he froths at the mouth when he even takes Anna Hazare’s name.
Appearing on a panel discussion on CNN-IBN on Tuesday night on the Lokpal Bill, Aiyar became virtually apoplectic whenever he mentioned Team Anna. Spitting out epithet after epithet, he called Team Anna a “Frankenstein’s monster” that the government had, in its desperation, created by inviting it to join in drafting legislation.
Mani Shankar Aiyar is sick of Team Anna. Reuters.
Some of Aiyar’s eminently unforgettable quotes from the interaction:
“I believe that it’s time we stopped appeasing Team Anna. Let them go into the wilderness or into a crowd…
“We (the government) made a huge mistake in converting this Team Anna into a Frankenstein’s monster. They’ve had their say. We have thought about it. It is our job as parliamentarians to legislate. I hope we get through the Lokpal Bill… And then we can tell Team Anna to go back to flogging drunkards at Ralegaon Siddhi…
“We (the government) should never have built these jokers up. But we did it. We’ve given then ample opportunity to say what they want….
“Now is the time for parliament to conduct its function as the most important pillar of democracy
“We should certainly stop giving this exclusive place to Frankenstein’s monster.
“It’s time we got to rupees instead of dealing with annas and paise.”
“We have attempted to build a consensus. But for Team Anna, nothing we do can be right.”
“I just don’t think Team Anna, which has grown too big for its boots, should be appeased anymore.”
“I am fed up with them. Now let them shut up and go back to Ralegaon Siddhi.”
Asked if this wasn’t the same arrogance that had fed people’s anger against the ruling class, Mani Shankar said:
“The only way of meeting the Hazare arrogance is by being arrogant myself. Fortunately, I am not a member of the government, so without any inhibition, I can say: I am sick of Hazare.”
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