Gandhinagar, Aug 23 (IANS) Breaking ranks with his party's stand, Gujarat Law Minister Dilip Sanghani Tuesday expressed his opposition to the way pressure is being brought to bear to get Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill passed by parliament.


"Mobocracy can not be a substitute for democracy," Sanghani told media persons here.

He made it plain that while he welcomed Hazare's stir against corruption, he felt it was not right to demand that parliament pass only his (Hazare's) "Jan Lokpal bill".

Sanghani said the constitution has empowered parliament with the power to enact legislation in the way it feels best. "Mobocracy and gheraos cannot be used to coerce parliament to pass things in a particular form," he said.

The minister made it clear that recourse to such methods was constitutionally erroneous and a threat to democracy.

"It amounts to interference in the functioning of the Lok Sabha. The MPs should be allowed total freedom in this respect," he added.

Sanghani's is the first voice of dissent from the BJP on the issue. Four party MPs - Harin Pathak, Balkrishna Shukla, Rajendrasinh Rana and Kirit Solanki - from the state have already submitted in writing that they would support the Jan Lokpal bill in parliament.

Meanwhile, supporters of Hazare continued their agitation in front of the residences of MPs from the state and organized a day-long dharna in front of the residence of the union minister of state, Tushar Chaudhary, in Vyara in south Gujarat.