New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) People have a growing distrust of politics and to regain faith, political parties should choose their best candidates for parliament, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ashwani Kumar has said.

 
 
 There is a need to strengthen the foundations of democracy in the country in the wake  of growing scepticism about political processes, Kumar told IANS in an interview.
 
 "It is true and also unfortunate that there is a growing distrust among people with politics and its processes. We need to regain their faith in the institution of parliamentary democracy and its processes," said Kumar, who is also minister of state for science and technology and planning.
 
 The minister agreed that there was growing scepticism among the people when asked if the outpouring of public support for social activist Anna Hazare's fast in the capital for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal Bill reflected a disdain for politicians.
 
 He said a vibrant, liberal democracy is a glowing achievement of free India and there is need to strengthen its foundations.
 
 "The effort should be to ensure that political parties choose their best people to enter parliament," he said.
 
 Anna Hazare's indefinite fast at  Jantar Mantar in the national capital April 5 had sparked off a nationwide wave of public anger against corruption when people from all walks of life came out in support of the 73-year-old crusader.
 
 Asked if the countrywide agitation forced the government to accept Hazare's demands, Kumar, 58, said, "Fighting corruption cannot be seen as a partisan or a political agenda."
 
 "It is a national agenda and there is total unanimity in fighting corruption," he said.
 
 Kumar said there could be a difference in terms of provisions of the bill and the manner in which it has to be enacted.
 
 "We now have to move forward and take such initiatives that would make the Lokpal Bill credible and effective," the minister said.
 
 According to Kumar, Anna Hazare ended his 97-hour fast due to total cooperation from the government on his demands and support of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leadership.
 
 Hazare ended his fast April 9 after the government accepted his demand for a new drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill with half of its members coming from civil society.
 
 The veteran reformer, along with several other prominent citizens, is pushing for a strong Lokpal Bill that will have provisions for time-bound investigation and trial of corruption cases and stringent punishment for the guilty.
 
 Asked about the turf war between the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the probe into the 2G spectrum allocation controversy, Kumar said that  the two panels should not consider themselves as encroaching on the other's domain.
 
 "The mandate of the PAC is defined by the conventions of parliament as also by the constitution and parliament rules. The JPC has its mandate clearly spelt out in the resolution of parliament which brought it into existence," he said.
 
 Kumar, who is a Congress parliamentarian from Punjab, said the chairmen and members of both the committees were "sufficiently senior and experienced to perform their duties in the specified parameters".
 
 "The Speaker, I believe, has already advised the chairmen of the two committees accordingly," he said.

By Prashant Sood (IANS)