 "Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi")
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi tells Archis Mohan that the government is willing to hold discussions on any issue, including on intolerance, during the coming winter session of Parliament. Naqvi terms the perception incorrect that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unwilling to pick up the phone to speak with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. Edited excerpts:
The signs are that the winter session of Parliament might be a repeat of the monsoon session - a washout.
We hope, and also expect, that the Opposition, particularly the Congress, will show more maturity and support important Bills, especially those with a bearing on the nation's economic progress. The winter session is brief and the pressure of pending business is enormous. There are several Bills that we plan to introduce. We are willing to sit late, if needed. We are also willing to have discussions on any subject that the Opposition wants us to.
Isn't your confidence misplaced, given the acrimony between the government and the main Opposition party, the Congress?
The first two days of the session, November 26 and 27, will see a discussion on the contribution of BR Ambedkar to the framing of the Constitution. This will hopefully set a positive tone for the session. We hope the Opposition will take part in discussions on important Bills such as the Real Estate Bill, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitution Amendment Bill, the amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act. The weather in Delhi has turned pleasant. Let's see how the political weather turns out when the session convenes next week.
Has the government reached out to the Opposition?
We have had discussions with all Opposition parties separately. All of them agreed that they do want Parliament to function. On our part, we conveyed to them that the government was willing to have a discussion on all issues.
... Including on intolerance and the Dadri lynching?
Yes, indeed. All issues. You won't find us backtracking on this.
But the stumbling block, as witnessed in the last few Parliament sessions, is when the Opposition demands that the Prime Minister make a statement on such issues.
Look, there is some confusion regarding this. The Opposition can demand a discussion or debate on a particular issue. But it cannot decide which minister will reply from the government's side. It is the government's prerogative to decide which of its leaders will reply to the discussion, just as it is the Opposition's prerogative to decide which of its leaders will take part in that discussion. For example, we in the government cannot demand that we will take part in a debate only if (former PM) Manmohan Singhji speaks, or that Sonia Gandhiji (Congress president) speaks.
The attack by your party leader Subramanian Swamy on Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi isn't exactly auspicious for a fruitful winter session.
I will request Rahulji's mother, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, to drive some sense into him. Rahul Gandhi's comments on the issue raised by Swamy betray his confusion; they are contradictory and put a question mark on his maturity. We believe Rahulji should respond to the allegations. It isn't for the prime minister to reply to allegations made on Rahulji.
But it is your government at the Centre. It is your responsibility to ensure that your economic agenda is implemented.
But Swamy isn't the government - please understand this first. If a certain individual has raised this issue, what can the government do? The government cannot do anything in this. It would have been justified for Rahul Gandhi or the Congress to get upset if the issue had been raised by somebody in the government. Now that Swamy has raised the issue, isn't it incumbent on the Congress or Rahul Gandhi to come clean on it? The matter is between two individuals.
The business community is looking forward to the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)Bill, amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act etc. Have there been any discussions with the Opposition on these Bills?
Yes, we have had discussions. We will have an all-party meeting on November 25. We will try to understand the Opposition's views on these specific issues. We have also had talks separately with all Opposition parties. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of State Rajiv Pratap Rudy and I have reached out to the Opposition leaders.
But Congress has concerns on GST.
They (the Congress) have no technical objections to the GST Bill. It is just their obstinacy that they are blocking the Bill. We are willing to discuss their concerns, but in the House. Let them put forth in the Rajya Sabha their amendments to the GST Bill and let the House decide.
Isn't there an ever-widening communication gap between the leadership of the Congress and the PM? What stops the PM from picking up the phone to speak with the Congress President or the Vice-President and request them to support issues of national interest?
The PM, when required, talks to all. This perception - and I would even go as far as to call it propaganda - is incorrect. It is unjustified to expect the PM to speak with all leaders of the Opposition on every issue. Did Manmohan Singhji, as prime minister, speak with all Opposition leaders? Our senior ministers - the parliamentary affairs minister, home minister, finance minister - are responsible leaders who speak with Opposition leaders.
As for the PM, he is there either in the House or in his office in Parliament for nearly the entire duration of the session and is available to meet MPs. As for talking to the Congress leadership, if needed, the PM will definitely speak with Soniaji or Rahulji. When the issue is of national interest, the PM is willing to reach out to anyone. The PM has never said he would not.
Do you expect the Opposition to be more emboldened after the Bihar electoral verdict?
The legislative agenda is substantial. Let's see how the political weather shapes up. But whether it is Rahul Gandhi, or other Opposition leaders, they should be magnanimous in victory. They have won in Bihar and now they should bend a little to support issues that are in the interest of the nation's economic progress.
Is there a sense in the party that the issue of intolerance hurt its prospects in the Bihar Assembly elections?
The issue of intolerance was totally fabricated. It wasn't a coincidence that it was raised during the Bihar Assembly polls. Elections are over and the issue is closed. But the tragic bit was that people tried to paint an image of India as if we were in the middle of a civil war and that there were rampant communal riots. It was unfortunate that the issue was raised when top leaders of 54 African nations were in India to take part in the India-Africa Forum Summit. The message of this discourse has hurt the country. You (the Opposition) won the Bihar elections but raking up the issue of intolerance damaged India's reputation. We also have much to say on the issue of intolerance if the Opposition demands a discussion on this.
Is the BJP planning to raise the issue of former PM Rajiv Gandhi defending the 1984 anti-Sikh riots?
It's a short duration session and only two-three discussions and debates can be taken up. All the parties will collectively decide what these issues will be.
