The Opposition has once again disappointed the country. After demanding for the last six months that the session of Parliament be convened for having an elaborate discussion on various issues including the Corona crisis; the Opposition has not shown any interest in joining the proceedings for even a single day during the on-going Monsoon session of the Parliament. Not only this, the Opposition leaders have made it clear in their statements that this entire session has been “washed out” from their side. The entire media has also reported this.
The country's “grand old party”, the Congress, is becoming “Champion” of this “irresponsible politics” done by some Opposition parties. In early May, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had requested the Hon'ble President of India to convene a special session of Parliament immediately. The Congress leader had said that the session is very important because all the MPs, coming from all the states, want to discuss the situation arising out of the Corona crisis in their respective areas. The Congress' "new friend" Shiv Sena MP and leader Sanjay Raut had also reiterated the demand for the special session of Parliament.
The Government had requested that the entire administrative machinery is engaged in efforts to control the second wave of the Corona and gathering of the people in the Parliament session is dangerous keeping in view the pandemic. But the Opposition had made statements criticising the Government’s stand for several days.The Monsoon session of the Parliament is underway since more than a week and a half. The Opposition, which was pleading with the Hon'ble President of India for the session in the midst of the second wave of the Corona, has not allowed the Parliament to work smoothly even for a single day.
Not only this, when on the first day of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji invited the leaders of the Opposition parties for a special meeting to give information regarding the steps taken by the Government to tackle the Corona crisis and future course of action to deal the pandemic; some leaders, including those from the Congress, had said that when the session has been started then what is the need for a separate meeting? Whatever has to be said, the Government should say it in the Parliament itself.
(1)Even though the Congress had suggested to convene an All Party Meeting on the Corona crisis; these statements proved that that how much keen and serious the Opposition is about the Parliament session. This so-called seriousness of the Opposition vanished when, in the very first week itself, papers were snatched from the hands of a senior Minister in the Rajya Sabha, known as the "House of Elders". In the Lok Sabha, the situation reached such a level that the Opposition members started throwing pieces of papers at the respected Speaker. Pieces of papers were not only thrown in the House but also at the journalists sitting in the Gallery. Even the officials, who take note of the proceedings of the House, were not spared from “torturous behaviour” by some Opposition parties.
The Opposition is taking the shield of the so-called “Pegasus issue” for their “irresponsible behaviour” in the Parliament. It is to be noted that the concerned Minister has given statements in both the Houses on this Pegasus issue. The Opposition may not be satisfied with the Minister’s statement. If so, then the best forum is the Rajya Sabha, where according to the Rules, there is a provision to seek clarification on the statement made by a Minister. But the Opposition's focus was on suppressing the Minister's statement in an uproar and then snatching the paper from his hand.
So far, the behaviour of the Opposition raises some important questions. Was calling an emergency session of the Parliament on Corona crisis was just a trick to divert the attention of the Government? If their intention was for a discussion, then why the Opposition is running away from the discussion for almost a week and a half? Or the Opposition is taking a U-turn fearing that the Corona debate may “boomerang” on them since the Corona cases are increasing in states like Kerala, Maharashtra even though the second wave of the Corona has been controlled? Or is the Opposition afraid that if a detailed discussion is held, then its Chief Ministers will get exposed? Is it that the leaders, who are claiming regarding Opposition’s unity against the Modi Government, are afraid that this so-called unity will be shattered by point-by-point discussions in the House? If so, it would be pertinent to mention here that hollowness of the Opposition’s unity is getting exposed day by day. When the Congress calls for a meeting, the Trinamool Congress’ MPs go missing and when the Trinamool leaders meet regional parties, the Congress cuts off.The reality is that, instead of becoming a "Part of Solution", some political parties were involved in spreading "Political Pollution" during the Pandemic Period. They tried to use a “National Calamity” as a “Political Opportunity”.
(2)Instead of fighting this pandemic unitedly, those who demanded to convene a special session of Parliament in the midst of the pandemic only to derail the work of the Government, are now stalling work in the Parliament on such an unsubstantiated, baseless and fabricated issue of Pegasus, which has no relevance to interests of the people of the country. Earlier also, the Opposition has paid the price for creating illogical ruckus without understanding the mood of the people of the country. This time too, they will meet the same fate.
The Government has made it clear again and again, that under the Rules and Provisions of both the Houses and under the directions of the Chairman and the Speaker, the Government is ready for a discussion on all essential issues including the Corona pandemic, farmers’ issues, inflation, floods etc. On the alleged Pegasus issue also, the Government has given a statement in the Parliament without any delay. But the Congress is adopting a “hit and run” policy in the Parliament. By labelling its “negative and obstructive approach” as “stand” of the entire Opposition; the Congress is trying to “hijack” the positive thinking of those Opposition parties who are in favour of discussion and smooth functioning in the Parliament.