We have seen the complete washout of the monsoon session of the parliament. There has not been any significant progress on the legislative front in this crucial session of the parliament so far. It is most likely to end on Thursday without having transacted any worthwhile business. The budget session of this year was one of the productive sessions of the parliament in recent history but the deadlock in the Parliament in this session has left the legislation in a poor state.
The opposition, mainly the Congress, has over exploited the controversial issues such as Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam. No doubt these issues are much critical and Opposition has the right to seek the resignation of External Affairs minister Shushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. But the Congress should have sensibly re-think upon its strategy of stalling the House for an entire session.
But what has the Government done to break this logjam? Did the government reach out to the Congress to end the stalemate? Did the BJP’s floor managers seek the help of the rest of the opposition to engage congress? All the ruling party did was to reciprocate the aggression that the main opposition party displayed, when it could have taken the lead towards rapprochement. As it is evident now, if the monsoon session is a washout, the blame ought to be shared by both parties.
The people of the country choose their representatives and form the Governments to govern them in a way that is most beneficial to the masses. The political parties and the politicians, either in the Government or in the Opposition, should understand their responsibilities they carry. Leaving behind the personal ego and rivalry, they should work comprehensively for the masses.
The Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam are serious issues and that call for extensive debate in the House. With the house in limbo, the government in under no pressure to explain the conduct of the people it is defending in Parliament. The congress should re-strategies of holding the house to force resignations. A host of crucial issues, from the Goods and services tax to land acquisition, await the attention of our MPs.
Could the Speaker’s office have helped break the logjam, as Mulayam Singh Yadav has suggested? With the big two parties stuck in a rut, the Speaker ought to have tried to talk them out of their maximalist positions. Unfortunately, the decision to temporarily suspend 25 Congress MPs for disrupting the Lok sabha foreclosed her leverage. In a session of undue aggression and hostility, a peacemaker proved to be elusive, and the session is a casualty.
