By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
New Delhi: After the recess, the second phase of the Budget session of the Parliament is all set to begin from tomorrow on a stormy note with the entire non-National Democratic Alliance opposition parties ready to confront the government on several issues. During the first phase of the Budget session, it was the Hindenburg report on Gautam Adani, which rocked the Parliament with the Opposition directly accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time, the regional parties as well as the Congress-led opposition are targeting the government for “blatant misuse” of federal agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) to browbeat the Opposition.
The main Opposition, the Congress Party, would be targeting Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar in both Houses, following his veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi for his “misplaced campaign to taint India”. Dhankar, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha, had minced no words while being critical of Rahul Gandhi, for his negative comments on the working of the Indian Parliament. Congress Rajya Sabha members clearly indicated here after the leaders meeting this evening that they would raise the issue of Jagdeep Dhankar’s comments on Rahul Gandhi. Even Prime Minister Modi also slammed Rahul for his remarks made in London on Indian democracy.
Opposition sources say that they would not allow the Parliament to function with the government is hell-bent on finishing the Opposition in the country by intimidating several parties through central agencies. The arrest of Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi liquor scam as well as the interrogation of Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha in the same case is expected to rock both the Houses.
In a further development on Saturday, March 11, 2023, a day after search probes were conducted at 24 locations in the country, from Patna to Ranchi to Delhi, linked to former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and his family members with regards to land for railway job scam, the ED claimed yesterday that it has seized documents revealing “ proceeds of crime” worth Rs 600 crores. Reacting sharply to the ED probe, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleged that it was nothing but vendetta politics by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Laloo’s Rashtriya Janata Dal came together and formed government in Bihar.
On the other hand, the ruling BJP is equally aggressive to take on the Opposition. Sources in the Government said that the Opposition politicians facing action by federal agencies—the CBI and the ED— should stop playing the “victim” and “emotional” cards and understand that they are not above the law as the people of the country have understood that they are corrupt. According to sources, the BJP-led NDA would counterattack the Opposition on the floor. It is said that the important Finance Bill would be passed during the last week of March, with the Budget Session going to conclude on April 6, 2023.
Targeting the Opposition, a BJP spokesperson said whether Manish Sisodia of the Aam Aadmi Party or K Kavitha of BRS must realise that Agencies are doing their job and they should not cheat the nation by crying that the government is indulging in political vendetta. Referring to Bihar, the spokesperson said that the RJD, “which had become synonymous with corruption and jungle raj”, did not even spare the fodder for animals.
Launching an attack on the Congress Party, the BJP said “ open old newspapers, and you see Congress scams— full of 2G scam, Coalgate scam, CWG scam, brother-in-law and land grabbing of farmers scam. The hope of the public is that whoever is corrupt, that corrupt should realise how strong is the law,” the BJP spokesperson said.
*Senior journalist
