Infosys’ founder, N R Narayana Murthy, otherwise an admirer of the government, says he’s unhappy at the way Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have handled the Lok Pal Bill issue. In an interview to NDTV Profit (to be telecast on Saturday night), he says corruption has damaged India's reputation abroad severely. Edited excerpts:
The goodwill for India that existed a couple of years ago has diminished because of corruption. I serve on several boards outside India, I meet top CEOs. In the past six months I have only heard complaints about corruption. It is an irony because you have one of the most honest persons in the country as prime minister. You have someone I respect as deeply as Sonia Gandhi. In such a circumstance, for the UPA to put themselves in such a situation is sad. For a party led by Sonia Gandhi or a government by Manmohan Singh, they could have done a much better job.
You’re saying it is damaging India's reputation abroad, this kind of constant corruption?
The goodwill for India that existed a couple of years ago has diminished. There is no doubt.
Because of all this corruption?
Absolutely. I meet on an average about 30-40 new people (abroad) every month and and out of that, I would say at least about a third have spoken to me on that.
On the handling of the Lok Pal issue, initially it seemed the government was willing to sit and discuss the entire bill with civil society members. Suddenly, you seem to have a reluctance on key issues like having the PM being scrutinised by the Lok Pal.
It is an irony because we have one of the most honest people in the country as our PM. I think the president of the UPA is an extraordinary individual. In such a circumstance, for the UPA to put themselves in such a situation is sad. A party led by the stature of Sonia Gandhi or a coalition led by somebody extraordinary like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee, another fantastic minister, could have done a much better job in dealing with the demands of civil society. All that they (the latter) are saying is that no one should be above the law.