New Delhi: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on September 28 disfavoured business houses using their "financial clout to meddle" in government policies and decisions, saying it vitiated the atmosphere for good governance.

Advani also said that a string of corporate scandals that had surfaced over the past two years the worldover had shaken the confidence of the people across the globe in the paradigm of unregulated liberalisation and globalisation.

"It is alright for business associations to represent the case of business to the government, just as it is alright for trade unions to represent the case of labour. This is legitimate Democratic activity," he said inaugurating a seminar on 'Towards good governance'.

"But it is certainly not alright for business houses to use their financial clout to meddle in government policies and decisions and to influence political processes. This does no good either to the cause of good business or good politics. It indeed vitiates the atmosphere for good governance," he said.

"Let politicians and administrators attend to their dharma and let businessmen do their dharma," Advani said.

He said in the pre-Independence days, there was a widespread urge for 'Swaraj' (self- rule) with the expectation that it will solve most of their problems of poverty and under-development.

"However, after Independence, we failed to transform Swaraj into 'Su-raj' (good governance)," Advani said.

PTI