Govt,civil society discord should not be encouraged: Khurshid

Law Minister noted the two sides should talk directly to each other to resolve differences.

Amid sparring between Team Anna and the Congress on the Lokpal issue,Law Minister Salman Khurshid today said there should be no encouragement for discord between civil society and the government.

Things will be said and people would think they should say something. I don’t think we should engage in a dialogue of this kind through the media, Khurshid said.

Please don’t try to create greater difference between civil society and the government… Whoever tries to create difference between civil society and the government is not working in the interest of the society, he said.

Story continues below this ad

Noting the two sides have enough channels for direct communication,he said,I am sure we have a lot of channels by which we can talk directly. I don’t think we should encourage discord and distance between civil society and government.

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh had yesterday ridiculed Kiran Bedi’s statement that the money she had overcharged from NGOs and other hosts would be returned,saying by this yardstick all corrupt people should give back money and be absolved of their crimes.

Anna Hazare had yesterday defended Bedi from the allegations of air travel corruption and accused a gang of four in the government of being behind the campaign against his team.