No more disruption

Congress must find a better way of being in Opposition

It seems clear, right from the beginning of the ongoing Parliament session, that the principal Opposition party, the Congress, is in no mood to allow either of the Houses to function and conduct legislative business. The Rajya Sabha failed to transact any meaningful business yesterday; the Lok Sabha will likely suffer a similar fate when it returns to its normal schedule today. The Congress' demand is for three resignations - those of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Ms Raje and Ms Swaraj are embroiled in "Lalit-gate", about whether they misused their positions to benefit former Indian Premier League supremo Lalit Modi, now living in London to avoid legal proceedings in India. Mr Chouhan meanwhile has been rocked by allegations of corruption on a grand scale in Madhya Pradesh medical recruitments that has also seen many mysterious deaths.

The Congress must realise that the blocking of Parliament has gone well beyond the point of reasonableness. The government is willing to allow Ms Swaraj to make a statement of explanation; after that, the Opposition is free to demand discussion on the issue and a resignation, and to put the case before India's citizens as to why she must resign. In demanding a resignation before even a debate, the Congress is not following the basic principles of parliamentary democracy. The party has implied that it will continue to stall Parliament, permitting nothing to pass - or even be voted upon - while its demands are not met. This will, once again, dim people's expectations from their elected legislators, which is a dangerous game to be playing for a political party. Faith in the system is not so robust that it will stand up endlessly after such cynical assaults. Furthermore, several of the laws awaiting approval are of great importance. If the land acquisition law amendments and the goods and services tax have problems in their current draft, then Parliament must do its job and discuss them at length, and ideally fix them. The economy, no less than the polity, needs the political establishment to get moving on reform. Delay for the sake of scoring political points adds nothing to the Congress' credibility.

The Congress can no doubt point to the behaviour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when it was in Opposition. Ironically under Sushma Swaraj, then leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the BJP had several times stalled Parliament, leading to considerable waste of time that India could ill afford. The Congress is clearly relishing the boot being on the other foot. But it could have chosen a different path by playing the role of a more constructive Opposition political party in Parliament by allowing discussion. This would have also enhanced its credibility as a party with a difference. For both the Congress and the nation, its chosen path of disruption is dangerous. The Congress must find a more sensible way of being the Opposition, and Parliament must be allowed to do its business.