New Delhi: The tough and plain-speaking Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) J M Lyngdoh has once again attacked politicians calling them a "cancer" for which there was "no cure at the moment".

He has also said that there was no politician in the country who was committed to democracy and welfare of the people. He declared he would refuse any post-retirement job, even if offered.

The CEC, who is to demit office in less than two months, said his parting message was to build pressure to incorporate free and fair elections as part of the Fundamental Rights of the Indian Constitution.

In an interview to Karan Thapar on the "Hard Talk India" programme in BBC World, he answered questions on his harsh remarks about politicians and bureaucrats saying many of them he actually meant.

Asked about his recent statement if people were "exposed" to too much of politicians they might get "cancer", Lyngdoh said "Yes".

Here is an excerpt of the question and answer session with Lyngdoh;

Q: Did you mean to put it so vehemently?
A: Yes it explains itself very nicely. I don't have to say any more.
Q: But you are saying that politicians are a cancer?
A: Yes, they are. They are in fact.
Q: A virulent cancer that kills?
A: Yes.

Lyngdoh said no cure has been found for cancer yet and if in due course cancer is cured "we will have to find some other expression."

When asked if the body politics is under threat of death as no cure has been found for cancer, he said "yes".
Q: And there is no cure?
A: There isn't at the moment.

Asked about a statement he had made once that he could not really think of a politician who was committed to democracy and people's welfare and whether he meant that, he replied, "Yes, I do mean it. Yes."
Q: There is not a single living politician in India today that you think is committed to?
A: Yes.

When told it was a stinging indictment of Indian democracy, Lyngdoh said it was because democracy meant a whole lot of other things.

"I mean it's not merely going through the motions of an election. Democracy means basically individual freedom and that you respect individual freedom to the utter most extent. I can't think of anybody around now."

To a query whether it meant today the country was ruled by people who really were not fit to rule, he replied, "well, that's going pretty far but then you know..."
Q: But that follows from what you're saying.
A: Ya, well.

To a question on the "pernicious influence" of politicians, Lyngdoh compared them to zamindars. A five year term by many Governments of the day was looked upon as a five-year lease of the zamindari and therefore they could do whatever they wanted in those five years.

"Basically it is exploiting the potential, the resources of a particular State. That's how many of them look upon it.

I'm absolutely serious. There are exceptions but by and large this is so in the present circumstances."

The CEC said there were "very few" politicians who knew to talk politely and understood basic courtesies.

"There are very few who talk to you on equal terms as a human being. Either they have their noses stuck in the air or they prostrate at somebody's feet. There is nothing in between. There are very few politicians in between and speak to you at the same level as just good human beings."

Asked about the term "cheating" he used against politicians, which was contemptuous and dismissive of them, Lyngdoh said it was his duty to do that because no one else was going to do it.

"It might seem strange but somebody has to do that. I think everyone is flattering them all the time and they only get worse. Somebody has to tell them they're not as lovely as they thing they are."