Can or should Congress compete with BJP?

BJP double standards are exposed when the Parliament is in session. The blame is pinned entirely on the 44 unruly members (Congress) of the family (Parliament) as they are not allowing the vision and the mission of the PM to function due to disruption at Parliament. Indeed PM Modi has one of the optimistic, growth oriented, vibrant and garrulous approach and vision for the nation and its people. But that does not mean, PM Modi has to become PM Manmohan Singh (not for economics but for keeping his mouth shut) when there are certain contentious that the opposition wants the answer from the Head of the Govt.

Last year, when BJP won 282 seats, it was jubilant for India as a nation. After 25 years of coalition politics, we had elected a party with majority and everybody thought the impediment to growth had been the various alliance partners and now there is a clear path to growth and productivity. Yet the Congress with its worst performance of 44 seats is giving its best performance (to their standards). Or I guess we are living in a nation and at a time, where the minority wields more power and strength than the majority.

Even though some of those have been not so contentious issues to stall Parliament, like last time, there was Lalitgate (Sushma Swaraj), corruption issue of Vasundhra Raje and Babri lynching case, the PM has to respond to the nation but his attitude disappointed me. I just expect better from Mr Modi. Still the opposition did its best at what it is best, stalling the Parliament. I agreed with certain reasons of the Congress, they also have to answer the little electorate left with them or their party members.

But this time, it was not just an olive branch that the PM extended to Congress. He really followed on the high pitch tagline (I do remember from his numerous tags and captions), sabka saath, sabka vikas (Let’s work together for Progress of All). He invited the President of the Congress, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi (where would she be without that surname, ever wonder) and Dr. Manmohan Singh over tea before the beginning of the Winter Session and he must have explained and communicated his predicaments in the way or manner Prime Minister’s do.

But then came the National Herald case or what not and what not, OK, the opposition party has been eliminated from the whole process of governance, that’s why they have the right to disrupt Parliament but not allowing it to function, it’s arsony. Bringing the personal issue of Italian Miss and her RaGa (fancy name devised after NaMo, but no effect) is actually stalling the nation to gun point.

Let’s try to look at the BJP’s performance as the opposition party, when UPA was in power. Sitting time lost to disruptions was 38% in the first 8 sessions of UPA. During UPA-II, BJP created a record at disruption, just like created a record at amount in scams, the disruption element was 61% and 66% in the Upper House, which is uphill task for BJP to crack. GST Bill was introduced by Pranab Mukherjee (then Finance Minister now The President) but to no avail due to disruptions by BJP then.

It is the politics of confrontation by BJP and Congress against each other which is harmful for the nation in the long run. Both have Parliament obligation to ask questions and create ruckus in Parliament but not allowing it to function is not in the right flavor of the secular democratic, we claim ourselves to be.

Just like Congress has its reasons and stupidity for parliament disruption, BJP able speaker summed it up pretty succinctly, Arun Jaitley said “If parliamentary accountability is subverted and a debate is intended to be used merely to put a lid on parliamentary accountability, it is then a legitimate tactic for the Opposition to expose the government through parliamentary instruments available at its command.”

Come what may, Congress was right or wrong for whatever reasons, they should have allowed the Parliament to discuss the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Bill, it is the Bill which will unlock the key to the consistent growth pattern and single model of functioning across the 32 States that India can achieve as a nation. Actually the President of the Congress should be tried for treason for stalling the growth of the nation.

Or are they trying to better the BJP’s record of disruption, which is a bad parameter of comparison and should be condemned at the highest pitch. Whatever their political compulsions or situations be, if they can sit and dine at each other’s children’s weddings, I guess they can definitely find a way to function Parliament.

BJP has asserted moral right to pin the blame on Congress but they took pride in disrupting Parliament the entire time. There were issues that were important to people and there are issues which are important to the political parties.

And then there are some issues which are important to the nation, so taking a leaf from its history Congress could have allowed at least the GST Bill to be cleared and kept the moral vicissitude, or rights, duties or obligations to other issues in the Parliament. Nothing is credited to the BJP for the disruptions at the time when they were in opposition. Does Congress think that whenever GST Bill is legislated, it will be to its credit? After the long baggage and slow process of bringing all the States was done by Congress. Yet I doubt.

Congress will break BJP’s record of disruption. Let’s Pray and Hope, it doesn’t. It is neither good for our charismatic PM or for the nation. There are other parameters from which Congress can learn and imitate from BJP.