Heat is on ... but with a difference ! A large number of Congress MPs - especially in Lok Sabha meaning those who get elected by people - are raising objections on why should the party consistently sabotage or disturb parliament proceedings.
Many of them also say that creating pandemonium in the House over the issue of Gautam Adani does not make much sense after the Congress and its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (of Sharad Pawar) were humbled in Maharashtra.
Some also say the anti-CAA 'hungama' was another misguided move as taking such stance has only distanced and isolated the Congress leaders from the common people especially Hindu voters. "We tend to give a signal that we are communists and as they allege urban Naxals, we have started opposing everything for no reason or rhyme," says a Congress MP from north east India.
The party leaders are taking objections that the Rajya Sabha MPs and 'armed chair intellectual varietis' such as Jairam Ramesh's influence is more on party's decision and party's parliamentary strategiesand which are not helping the bigger cause for the Congress in fighting Narendra Modi. ".... voters are already asking why am I wasting time in Delhi,” - is the refrain from several lawmakers of the grand old party.
The Congress party has been demanding detailed discussions on the Adani bribery allegations but the Modi government is also consistently rejecting such a demand. As it is, even Trinamool Congress is also not quite comfortable in seeing parliament washout. The first week of winter session is already over and the chaos has not helped either side. The first time MPs of other opposition parties also have sounded their displeasure over the manner the Congress MPs create chaos in the House on regular basis.
The notices by other Opposition MPs were over other issues, including the Manipur situation and the Sambhal violence are also not coming up in the House.
The NCP led by Sharad Pawar is also not quite comfortable about raising the Adani issue time and again. It is likely a section of Congress MPs especially in Lok Sabha could meet Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and urge him to convince Rahul Gandhi that raising the Adani issue has not helped the grand old party much and nor it has able to corner the Modi government.
On the contrary, as the opposition MPs are unable to raise contentious issues like Manipur situation, price rise and joblessness, the Congress lawmakers feel the Treasury bench is rather happy about these.
Of course, for Rahul Gandhi, the Adani issue is a pet theme and hence some MPs even moot the move to sound it to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that disallowing House proceedings is only helping the BJP. But will she really go against her brother's wishes so early in her parliamentary career?
Some of these disgruntled MPs therefore believe that the respective Houses should resume normal business, which will offer them opportunity to hold the NDA government accountable.
The communists too are of the view that the Opposition MPs should not stick to disruption as parliamentary strategy.
The Trinamool Congress will focus on “people’s issues” in the ongoing winter session of Parliament and it does not want the proceedings to be disrupted over “one issue”, deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said last week. In fact, the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit has identified five issues that it wants to be discussed in both Houses of Parliament.
These issues are inflation, unemployment, deprivation of housing and other funds for West Bengal, fertiliser shortage, and violence in Manipur.
The party is not quite keen on Adani-bashing.
MPs from other parties including from Samajwadi Party say that the Opposition has probably or "willfully" falling into the "trap” of the BJP -- who actually do not want serious debate on critical issues.
"By not allowing any discussion on Manipur, we are only helping the Prime Minister," said one MP from northeast adding,
"This is at the time when Manipur is again burning and we find the Home Ministry on defensive and clueless on handling the situation there especially after the violence has been reignited after Jiribam incidents".
Meanwhile, West Bengal MPs and also a few from Assam and Bihar also want to raise the situations in Bangladesh wherein Hindus are being attacked and the Hindu monks have been arrested.
"Instead of grilling the government, we are practically giving them escape routes and a cake walk," says a lawmaker.
“Priyanka’s approach in her campaign has proved so far that she is more practical and commanding when it comes to decisions. Her presence in the Lok Sabha and the meetings could make the Congress approach more pragmatic and appealing,” said in MP.
ends
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