The BJP is proving Rahul’s point

By denying Rahul the right to speak on the matter in parliament, the government would only be showing that his view about suppression of democracy in India is correct

The parliamentary business during the second part of the budget session till now has been badly disrupted by an unseemly confrontation between the government and the Opposition. The BJP wants Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to apologise for the remarks he made in London about the threat to democracy in the country. The Congress, and other Opposition parties also, want a discussion on, and a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into, the charges against the Adani Group. Union ministers have led the attack on Rahul Gandhi. A BJP member has sought a parliamentary committee to inquire into Gandhi’s remarks. There is a move to suspend or expel him from the Lok Sabha. The Congress has sought to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for some remarks he made about the Gandhi family. The Congress has also pointed out to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha that Rahul Gandhi has the right to respond to the ministers who criticised him in the House.

By denying Rahul Gandhi the right to speak on the matter in parliament, the government would only be showing that his view about suppression of democracy in India is correct. It is not the first time that such criticism has been made on foreign soil. Modi himself has made such remarks in other countries. A careful reading of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks shows that he has not sought the intervention of other countries in the affairs of India. In fact, he said that the problems of the country have to be resolved within the country. To consider his comment as “anti-national” and as “a calculated attempt to bring parliament and highest democratic institutions into disrepute” is wrong. BJP president J P Nadda has even called Rahul Gandhi as “part of a toolkit against the country”. It is strange that the BJP does not see the irony of its position.

It is the ruling party’s responsibility to conduct the business of the House and ensure that the Opposition parties, which are equal stakeholders in democracy, are treated well and fairly. To disallow a major Opposition leader from speaking in parliament on the most unconvincing grounds and to plan a move to expel him from the House is most undemocratic. The BJP may want to put down Rahul Gandhi, who is considered to have gained some lustre with his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Or it may want to avoid an inconvenient discussion on the Adani Group. It may have other reasons, too. None of them justifies blocking Rahul Gandhi in parliament. If the government wants to counter his criticism that democracy is shrinking in the country, the way to do so is to let him speak his mind freely.