The Congress leader erred, but it does not justify the stalling of Parliament

The temple of democracy, Parliament, is locked down to satiate bruised egos. The people are deprived of their right to hear arguments advanced by proponents and opponents. Instead, an outrageous demand is made that their bête noir be banished from the Lok Sabha! That will mollify egos, but will it get Parliament to function?

“It is true that he works 24×7, that he has achieved a lot, especially in the area of infrastructure development. But it is not correct for him, and his efficient propaganda machine, to constantly repeat that nothing was done or achieved before his arrival on the scene. The pace has certainly picked up since 2014, but the work had begun in 1947! If Modi had been presented with an India that existed in 1947, untouched by the Nehru-Gandhis, or other Prime Ministers who followed, he would not have accomplished what we now see in 2023. It is a work in progress and that work will certainly continue after his term.”

Rahul Gandhi has been in the news. The ruling party, which has been entrusted with the job of running Parliament, did exactly the opposite all through last week. It did not permit Parliament to function over its demand for an apology from Rahul for his ‘anti-national’ speech during his recent visit to the UK. Rahul had made some uncalled-for remarks which he should not have made. They were provocative and unpardonable.

No head of state rails against his political opponents when she or he travels on our soil. Why is it that Modi and Rahul indulge in such unbecoming talk overseas?

It is easy to twist words that disparage you or the ideology you represent. It is sycophancy of the worst form to say that ‘Modi is India’, just as it had once been proclaimed that ‘Indira is India and India is Indira’. The Congress president in those days was a known sycophant. I cannot make the same accusation against the BJP’s president but I can say with all certitude that the BJP has the most effective, well-oiled propaganda machine that can make innocents believe the untruths it disseminates. Rahul gave the BJP’s propaganda cell a lot of ammunition to trouble him!

Let us examine what Rahul said, where he said it and when. At Chatham House in London, where a local think-tank is headquartered, he said: ‘Democracy in India is a global, public good. It impacts way further than our boundaries. If Indian democracy collapses, in my view, democracy on the planet suffers a very serious, possibly fatal blow. So, it is important for us. We will deal with our problem, but you must be aware that this problem is going to play out on a global scale!’ But at Cambridge University and other fora, his utterances were childish. To say that Sikhs were being treated as second-class citizens by our government is not only incorrect, but also very, very dangerous!

But can you find anything particularly anti-national about what he said? The Goebbelsian lie that was sought to be disseminated, that he appealed to foreign countries to intervene, is just simply what it was meant to be — a lie. Perhaps, he could have put it somewhat differently. His statements have been twisted to ensure that Parliament was immobilized. That is probably what the ruling party wanted — a relief from discussing contentious issues.

Instead of talking about the Opposition’s woes in foreign lands, Rahul should concentrate on the recipe for success against a formidable opponent like Narendra Modi. He has to sit down and strategize for a victory at the hustings. His party has lost even the two northeastern states where earlier it had a major say for decades!

The Bharat Jodo march was easily the best thing he had attempted. It opened up the possibility of dividends which, unfortunately, he failed to exploit. Of course, it is easier to talk about his travails at gatherings in Cambridge and assorted think-tanks in the UK than revitalize grassroots Congress cells. The BJP has been working on it for years. It now dominates the political scene. It will take more than Opposition unity to remove it from its pole position.

Unless the BJP loses power, the travails of the leaders of other parties in the Opposition will continue to haunt them. They should not be surprised if the ED, the CBI or the taxman comes knocking. The BJP has rewritten the rules of the game. The Congress and the parties that preceded  it into office did not use Central agencies against political opponents as is being done today. Many known offenders cross over to the BJP to get off the radar of the investigative agencies. Since many politicians have their hands soiled, it will be the BJP that soon will be stacked with these ‘converted’ newcomers of uncertain integrity.

It is interesting that the AAP has not lost any of its legislators or leaders to the BJP. Except the leftists, who are ideologically committed, most other parties have hemorrhaged. The Congress has parted with the biggest slice of ‘Gaya Rams’. With its coffers full and pliable Central agencies at its beck and call, the BJP today calls the shots. To its credit, it has worked hard and maintained an iron hold on its cadres. The ‘Aaya Rams’ may not hold out if and when it loses power in the distant future.

But let us revert to the speeches of our political leaders when travelling abroad. Our PM leads the pack. At home, he never fails to denigrate the dynasty spawned by Jawaharlal Nehru. Does he do this abroad also? When he first travelled abroad as PM, it was reported in the media that he had disparaged those who preceded him in office! He never fails to tell the world that all the progress the country has made started only in 2014, the year he was installed as PM.

It is true that he works 24×7, that he has achieved a lot, especially in the area of infrastructure development. But it is not correct for him, and his efficient propaganda machine, to constantly repeat that nothing was done or achieved before his arrival on the scene. The pace has certainly picked up since 2014, but the work had begun in 1947! If Modi had been presented with an India that existed in 1947, untouched by the Nehru-Gandhis, or other Prime Ministers who followed, he would not have accomplished what we now see in 2023. It is a work in progress and that work will certainly continue after his term.

I have never heard a visiting head of state rail against his political opponents on our soil. Why is it that our PM and Rahul Gandhi indulge in such unbecoming talk when visiting foreign lands? It is peevish and undignified.

To add insult to injury, the people of this nation suffer for no fault of theirs. The temple of democracy, Parliament, is locked down to satiate bruised egos. The people are deprived of their right to hear arguments advanced by proponents and opponents. Instead, an outrageous demand is made that their bête noir be banished from the Lok Sabha! That will mollify egos, but will it get Parliament to function?

(The author is a former governor and a retired Indian Police Service officer)