Within hours of social activist Anna Hazare's arrest, industry chambers issued statements that neither supported nor condemned him. While FICCI upheld the right of Parliament in determining the nature of legislation, it reiterated individual freedom of speech and Assembly as stated by the articles of faith.

“The Government action must find the necessary balance that strengthens our democratic institutions and conventions. FICCI strongly feels that India's vibrant democracy and strong institutional framework are pre-requisites for investment and thus, need to be preserved and reinforced,” said Mr Harsh Mariwala, President, FICCI, in a statement.

Meanwhile, CII issued a “Code of Business Ethics” for its members and stated that the chamber would play an active role in ensuring high standards of ethics, probity and transparency in both business conduct and government processes and policies.

Taking a strong position on bribe, the code states, “No employee or company representative shall pay or offer to pay a bribe, or provide any other object of value for the purpose of obtaining a benefit, to any third party, public or private, with whom the company is doing business. No one should also receive a bribe from any source.”

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