DC Debate: Whether the Opposition is correct in stalling Parliament session

Atal, too, wanted Sukh Ram to quit
There is a great deal of propaganda by the BJP-led government that the Opposition is disrupting Parliament and avoiding a discussion on the IPL and other scams of the Modi government that has surfaced in recent weeks.

This is misleading propaganda. Many leading members of the BJP have been alleged to have indulged in acts of corruption. One of them is the minister for external affairs, the other two are Chief Ministers. The Opposition, particularly the Left, has been demanding that the Modi government order a high-level investigation into these allegations. Like is the norm with all government employees and officers, pending investigation, such persons should demit office. They should not hold their positions in order to ensure complete impartiality of the investigation. But why is the Opposition particularly the Left, not discussing this issue in Parliament and instead demanding action? No debate in the Parliament can be a substitute for an investigation. Parliament is not an investigating agency. Par-liament is mandated by the Indian Constitution to discharge amongst others three important responsibilities. The first is to make the government accountable to Parliament. This is an important function of Parliamentarians in the implementation of the centrality of our Constitution. The sovereignty under our Constitution rests primarily with the people of India. The people exercise this sovereignty through their elected representatives. The elected representatives make the government accountable to Parliament which then is accountable to the people.

Crucial in this link is the accountability of the government to Parliament. Such accountability is possible only when allegations such as the present one are investigated at the highest level and guilt established. No amount of debate in Parliament can ensure this. That is why we are asking the Modi government to first order an investigation and make sure that the minister for external affairs, the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and MP do not remain in their positions. Once this is done, the Parliament can function normally and there can be a proper discussion.

This stand is similar to the stand taken by the BJP earlier when they disrupted the entire Winter Session in 2010 over the 2G scam. Normalcy in Parliament was restored only when the then minister resigned and a Joint Parliamentary Committee was constituted to probe the scam. The same demand is being refused by the BJP and the Modi government. If Parliament is not functioning, the Modi government and BJP are responsible.

It needs also to be remembered that Atal Behari Vajpayee on two occasions took a similar position while the BJP disrupted Parliament in the 1990s during the Sukh Ram scandal. In 2005, Mr Vajpayee remarked in the Lok Sabha that the BJP doesn’t want “a debate for debate’s sake.” Mr Modi seems to be forgetting the history of his own party. (Sitaram yechuri, CPM general secretary and Rajya Sabha member)

Congress stalling without reason
The Parliament logjam is a very unfortunate chapter in the history of India’s democracy. The Congress is responsible for it and they are doing it without any valid reason. If they are strengthening democracy through this action of theirs, then it can be called a protest but they are doing the opposite. This is reflection of frustration stemming from the defeat which they suffered in 2014.

Therefore, the Congress is stalling Parliament without any valid reason. First, they wanted to have an immediate discussion keeping other business aside on the issues they have been raising and had sent a notice on the same to the Lok Sabha Speaker. As far as the issue concerning Ms Sushma Swaraj raised by the Congress, the Speaker accepted their demand to have an immediate discussion. The government and even Ms Swaraj were willing and are still ready for it. However, the Congress realised that if discussions take place it will expose them and hence they changed their strategy and demanded first the resignation and then discussion. This cannot be a precondition for parliamentary democracy. In politics, defeat and victory happens but you have to come out of it and start working for the people.

The Congress has begun a defence strategy. They just stall Parliament, go outside and give a byte. Rahul Gandhi everyday gives a two-line byte. He seems to have a new scriptwriter who is failing him every day because the more Mr Gandhi talks, more the Congress is in trouble.

This stalling of Parliament is unacceptable. This is an insult to democracy, insult of the public mandate. Parliament is meant for debates and discussions and the government is ready for it. The Congress suddenly decided to discuss issues of Rajasthan and MP in Parliament. There is a tradition over more than six decades that you don’t discuss state issues in Parliament. If they really want to discuss state issues then why don’t they talk about Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other states.

There is land scam in Karnataka, solar scam in Kerala, inflated income of the Chief Minister in Himachal Pradesh, flood relief scam in Uttarakhand. Parliament discusses national issues, policies and priorities. Our nomenclature is legislature and our job is to legislate, discuss rules, regulations, implementation and enforcement of laws. They don’t want to debate, pass any Bill and not even take part in question and answer sessions which are not on the government agenda but meant for members. The Congress is in an utter illusion and is behaving irresponsibly.

This is a serious issue. In Ms Swaraj’s case, Mr Gandhi is bereft of facts. He says she freed a criminal. The Congress was in power when the Lalit Modi saga took place but they did not do anything and suddenly Mr Gandhi discovers Lalit Modi is a criminal and he is being freed. He doesn’t know the basic facts of the case. (Prakash Javadekar, Mos, Parliamentary affairs and Union Environmient minister)