Centre must address, not skip, questions

The President’s address to the joint session of the two Houses of Parliament kicks off the Budget Session. It is typically an enumeration of the government’s achievements and the policy outlook for the year ahead, and is prepared by the government. The motion of thanks to the President sums up the debate on that document.

On behalf of the government the PM replies to the debate, and is expected to dwell on the specific points raised by the Opposition parties. Mr Modi hardly did any of that. Indeed, from that perspective, the PM’s reply appeared about as sterile as the President’s address itself, though it dripped with sarcasm against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. It was evident that in his reply on Thursday Mr Modi was skipping questions about his government’s performance, and going political instead in the run-up to the Assembly elections in five states.

The PM targeted Mr Rahul Gandhi without mentioning his name. The Congress leader was widely thought to have made a notable speech the previous day in which he focused on the government not living up to key promises made last year. But Mr Modi went personal in response, saying some people grew in age but did not mature, and spoke from an inferiority complex. Earlier PMs have not gone down that road.

In order to turn the tables on the Congress, the PM quoted his predecessors — Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi — to urge that the Opposition should question the government but not obstruct Parliament. But these things are context-specific and raise as many questions as they answer.

Mr Rahul Gandhi raised sharp questions on the government’s promises regarding black money, unemployment and high prices of essentials. He also made points concerning Pakistan — saying that Mr Modi’s sudden visit to Lahore got Islamabad out of the “small cage” in which the UPA government had placed it after the Mumbai attack — and the Naga accord.

The Congress leader’s speech appears to have found its mark. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley sought to strike back the same day, but their observations were non-specific, essentially meant to wound Mr Gandhi — a tactic advanced the following day by the PM himself. A little less focus on overt politics and point-scoring, and more attention on the unglamorous work of government, alone is the way forward. To retrieve the Budget Session, it would be useful if the government genuinely reached out to the Opposition and engaged in fair give and take.