Cong, BJP disagree to agree; Session washout feared

The return of the Opposition MPs to the lok Sabha on Monday at the end of the five-day suspension of the 25 Congress members may witness “more fireworks” as the Government and the main Opposition on Sunday refused to smoke the peace pipe and rather escalated the confrontation. There is only a remote chance that Parliament will function, as the Congress showed no let-up in its protest on the lalit Modi controversy and the Vyapam scam while the BJP hit back saying the former has become “politically bankrupt” by playing  “obstructionist and destructive” Opposition during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Raising the pitch of the BJP’s aggression, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is “miles away from ground realities” and that the Congress has made Parliament, a “platform” to display its “narrow political mindset”.

“Political journey from nonsense to nuisance of Rahul Baba, the brand new leader of the grand old party, is miles away from ground realities,” Naqvi alleged while writing in his blog.Nine Bills have been identified by the Government for introduction in Parliament during the Monsoon Session. These included important legislations like the GST Bill, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill 2013, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2015, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2013 and the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill 2015, which could not be taken up due to disruption in the Rajya Sabha. 

The Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into the controversial land Acquisition Bill will finalise its deliberations by Monday  and may submit it before the House on Tuesday. The ongoing Congress protests, however, do not brighten the land Bill’s prospects to see passage in the Upper House. Congress leaders, however, kept their plans under the wrap and did not say whether the MPs would again be showing placards in the House, an act that had angered the presiding officer.

The Opposition party has told the Government that it was not amused by the “politics of abuse” resorted to by BJP leaders and Union Ministers against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.“Unfortunately, BJP leadership’s thought process is fast turning to the level of personal abuse as reflected from statements of Kailash Vijayvargiya, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani and Santosh Gangwar… We, in Congress, reject in toto and want to humbly tell the Modi Government that politics of abuse will never replace the politics of consensus and construction in India,” Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said here.

The Opposition has been agitating for resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping controversial former IPl Commissioner lalit Modi. 

Both Sonia and Rahul had attacked Swaraj on Friday. While the Congress president called Swaraj an expert at theatrics, Rahul Gandhi went a step further to ask how much money lalit Modi had paid Swaraj’s family to help him stay out of jail.