'Will do anything to hold govt accountable'

The current session of Parliament is a relatively short one but it is already proving eventful. It has been eventful for one and only one reason - and that is the gross insensitivity of the Modi government to public opinion, for its absolute silence on acts of monumental corruption, its wilful violations of the law and gross misdemeanours on the part of its leading lights.

The Prime Minister has been very free with his promises. Yet he seems totally incapable of delivering on them. On the one hand, he never misses an opportunity to claim the moral high ground on transparency, integrity and accountability; on the other, he has been conspicuous by his deafening silence on the blatant transgressions by his External Affairs Minister and two of his chief ministers. There are others too in this roll call of dishonour but for the time being we are confining ourselves to these three. The Mann ki Baat man appears to retreat into a maun vrat whenever there is a scandal involving his colleagues.
 

Today, we have to listen to sermons on parliamentary behaviour from those who not only defended but also advocated disruption as a legitimate tactic when we they were in the Opposition. Yesterday's agitators in both the Houses have suddenly become today's champions of debate and discussion. Memories are short and therefore we need to remind our political adversaries, who are conveniently suffering from selective amnesia. Has the BJP already forgotten that it is the author of the "resign-now-debate-later" principle of parliamentary practice, which it has used on at least five different occasions since 1993?

Let me say that we are not being aggressive just to match the BJP's aggression of the past. We have been forced to take our position because of the government's brazen attitude. Of course, we want both the Houses to function. Of course, we want legislation to be debated and adopted. But we are very clear that there can be no productive discussion or meaningful proceedings as long as those responsible for gross wrongdoing remain in office. Our stand has been straightforward and clear from Day One: there is a mountain of incontrovertible evidence in the public domain for the Prime Minister to require the resignations of the External Affairs Minister and the two chief ministers.

For too long, this government has used its numerical strength as a source of arrogance rather than responsibility. First, Parliament is bypassed and a spate of ordinances are issued and some re-issued as well. Bills don't get referred to Standing Committees. And now this numerical strength is being used to substitute investigation with mere discussion. This is unacceptable to us and we will do all that is necessary to hold this government accountable. Parliamentary majority does not give anyone a licence to escape accountability.

Since we met last, the Modi government has completed its first year in office. And already it stands exposed. Of course, the Prime Minister has turned out to be a master re-packager, a skilful salesman, a sharp headline grabber and a clever news manager. Not a day passes without some UPA programme being given a new name or spin. We cannot deny the Prime Minister this prerogative. But what is positively deplorable is the shocking cuts in the budgetary allocations for these social sector schemes. That, and not the hijacking of our yojanas and initiatives, is what is most destructive.

And when the truth is unpalatable it is simply suppressed. Let me give you a telling example. Between November 2013 and May 2014 the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Unicef conducted a rapid survey of child health. The survey has been kept under wraps. Why? First, because its showed that child malnutrition, though still unacceptably high, did decline appreciably during the UPA decade of 2004 to 2014. But more importantly, it showed Gujarat in poor light on various child nutrition and health indicators. The state was well below the national average. So much for the Modi miracle. Or perhaps we should ask: is this the Modi model - benefit the few at the expense of the many, leaving the vulnerable to fend for themselves?

For over four decades, the northeastern states have enjoyed a special category status along with northern hill states when it comes to financial assistance from the central government. And what has this government done? It has abolished the very concept of special category status, which will prove detrimental to the economic interests of these 11 states.

The government's anti-farmer policies have crippled rural India. Farmers are up in arms against the amendments to the 2013 land acquisition law. While the government fails to increase MSP in the manner the UPA used to, the doors are now open to large-scale imports of wheat. Does Make in India not apply to our kisans? And to make matters worse, the Agriculture Minister rubs salt into their wounds by giving an outrageous answer to a question on farmer suicides. Rubber cultivators are facing great distress as are coconut, coffee and tea growers. Yet, the government is unmoved and top posts in some of these boards have been vacant for many months.

For reasons best known to it, the government has come down heavily on civil society organisations and social action groups. They are integral to our democracy and many serve as the moral conscience of our society. But this government has been quick to silence and muzzle any activism, any grassroots movement for mobilisation. Thousands of NGOs are under threat by the draconian actions of the government. There is a strong element of vengeance in these actions against some NGOs who have been exposing the dark deeds of those in power.

The manner in which the Ministry of Human Resource Development has been mortgaged to a certain ideology should be of concern to the country, particularly the youth whose future is being endangered by communalism and mediocrity in learning and culture. There is a systematic erosion of the autonomy and competence of institutions of higher education that have been built up so carefully over the decades.

Friends, we have been in office for long periods and we understand the imperatives of governance. We have always appreciated the need for dialogue. We are aware of our own responsibility to support programmes and legislation that are in national interest. But the "take it or leave it" approach of this government and its supreme leader goes against all democratic norms. Grandstanding and arrogant and hypocritical lectures will not work.

I wish to say a word on the charge that we lack statesmanship because we have stalled a debate on the Gurdaspur tragedy. I would like to remind those who have levelled this allegation at us about what happened on November 28, 2008 when anti-terror operations were underway in Mumbai. All of a sudden the-then Chief Minister of Gujarat appeared in the city and instead of supporting the Prime Minister indulged in grandstanding and criticised him. Was this statesmanship?

So we will persist both in Parliament and, more importantly outside Parliament, to make our points emphatically. Let us collectively ensure that our message reaches every nook and corner of the country.

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Edited excerpts from Congress President Sonia Gandhi's address to members of the Congress Parliamentary Party, August 3, 2015, New Delhi