Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday emerged to take centre stage on the contentious lokpal Bill by saying “Parliament disruptions” had led to the non-passage of the legislation so far and urging all political parties to come on board for its passage.
But he restricted himself to only a broad-based appeal without making any reference to the Samajwadi Party, UPA’s outside supporter which is staunchly opposed to the Bill and had scuttled any discussion on it Friday when it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress’ apparent bid to take credit for the Bill and the pretext of Parliament disruptions saw the Bharatiya Janata Party launching an immediate counter.
“Government seems to have changed its heart again on the lokpal Bill. The Bill should ideally have been passed in Rajya Sabha on Friday itself. We reiterate our stand that it should be discussed and passed on Monday. If Congress and its allies do not allow the House to function, then we are ready to pass it without a debate. In case there is no order in the House, I am ready to make my speech in the din,” leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
Jaitley emphasised that BJP was never in agreement with the lokpal Bill passed by the lok Sabha and hence, wanted changes to avoid passage of a diluted legislation. For her part, leader of Opposition in lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said: “Why usIJ We are prepared to pass the Bill without discussion. let Rajya Sabha pass lokpal Bill on Monday. We will pass the Bill in lok Sabha on Tuesday.”
In what came as big relief for the UPA dispensation, though immediately after Rahul’s statement, Anna Hazare responded by stating he was satisfied with whatever he has seen of the amended draft legislation and will call off his fast as soon as the Bill becomes law. In a series of tweets, Kejriwal expressed surprise that how Hazare could accept the lokpal Bill that was tabled in the Rajya Sabha. He reasoned that this Bill does not contain any of the three most important provisions that the Jan lokpal Bill espoused by Hazare and his team contained.
“I m really surprised. How can Anna accept sarkari lokpal billIJ Sarkari lokpal is a “jokepal”. Who is misguiding AnnaIJ” Kejriwal tweeted. Kejriwal, who in 2011 was with Hazare, also tweeted that “None of the 3 conditions which were agreed upon when Anna broke his fast in Aug 2011 are there in this jokepal.”
Rahul’s third interaction with the media in the last 10 days seems to be in line with his public admission following the party’s humiliating defeat in the just-concluded Assembly polls that the Congress needed to take a leaf out from the AAP’s stylebook. But, his and the Congress’ renewed pitch for the lokpal Bill is also being seen both as an attempt to salvage some ground in view of the party’s rapidly declining popularity among the masses besides help the Gandhi scion’s projection, like in earlier instances, as the prime mover behind the key legislation.
Rahul had a couple of years ago led a team of Congress MPs to the Prime Minister to pitch for the land Acquisition Bill and more recently, publicly trashed the Government’s proposed Ordinance to negate the Supreme Court’s order on convicted politicians. The Government subsequently dropped the Ordinance plans.
However, Rahul’s delayed appearance on Saturday to pitch for the lokpal Bill is in stark contrast to his almost instantaneous response to the SC verdict criminalising same gender sex. He had supported the Delhi HC’s verdict decriminalising it. More so, since the Government had for long been talking of tabling the lokpal Bill in the Winter Session; the SP had made known its intentions and the principal opposition BJP had vouched its support to an amended legislation.
Rahul, flanked by three Union Ministers, nevertheless, sought to assert his push for the Bill had nothing to do either with the fasting Hazare or the AAP’s stunning performance in the Delhi Assembly polls. In fact, he termed the RTI as the biggest weapon to fight corruption.
“We (all political parties) should put aside our differences, get together and finish the bill. Our appeal to them is to keep reservations aside. We want to cross the finish line and get it into a law. I think the country needs a lokpal and we can have a lokpal in this session if parties set aside their reservations,” Rahul said. The Parliament has continued to be paralysed on a slew of issues. With SP making its intent clear, the Congress’ strategy to either bring it on board or get the Bill passed amid its opposition remains to be seen.