Dealing with Lalu - Will NDA learn from its mistakes?
Lalu Prasad is increasingly becoming intolerant towards NDA and more specifically towards some members including Modi, Advani, George Fernandes and so on. Well, this is nothing new and evident from more than one instance. The U C Banarjee committee set up by Lalu immediately after he took over as Railway minister was just the beginning. The report was 'fixed' by Lalu even while the committee was being constituted. The outcome, it was clear even then that it is going to be against Modi and BJP, but what was surprising was the manner in which it was achieved - it concluded that Godhra was an accident caused by cooking fire.
However, Lalu's mastery in story-telling came to the fore when he alleged Narendra Modi for engineering attack on him during his visit to the Vadodra hospital after the ill-fated Sabarmati express accident. The whole nation and the parliament was forced to listen to Lalu's allegation, when nearly 20 people lost their lives and more than 100 passengers were injured. Lalu achieved two objectives in just one stroke, i) successfully deflecting any criticism towards him for the accident, ii) painting the sangh parivar as villian (which, the English press gleefully parroted). He went to extent of seeking the dismissal of Modi government for 'attack on a central minister'.
NDA has completely failed in taking on Lalu and his lies, by boycotting the parliament. It thus failed on two counts, i) to raise the issue on increasing train accidents and have a meaningful discussion on rail safety, ii) to call his bluff about the alleged attack on his car. Its protests and press meets outside the parliament houses fell on deaf ears. And remember, congresss smelled the rat right in the beginning; it was completely silent on the issue and neither offered any comment nor joined the RJD in the parliament to protest against BJP and sangh parivar.
His anger is understandable, especially after NDA along with Paswan literally ruined his chances of continuing the proxy-rule in Bihar. This by itself is quite normal as politicians all over follow the same route. But, his recent attack on EC and two of its commissioners is quite alarming for the reason that EC is an constitutional authority and any attempt to draw it into political rivalry will undermine its authority. The only solace in the whole episode is that the law minister and the prime minister refused to side with Lalu and stanchly defended the EC.
But, unlike the media portrayal, I view Lalu's attack as the one targeted more against Advani and BJP rather than on EC. "The letter by Saptrishi to the law minister" said Lalu, "accuses the Election commissioners acting at the behest of Advani in ordering repoll in Chapra", while showing the letter purportedly written by Saptrishi to the full media glare. Lots of things happened later and following questions beg for answer from Lalu.
* When both the law minister H R Bharadwaj and rural development minister Raghuvansh prasad (under whom Saptrishi works) denied receiving any such letter, to whom did Saptrishi wrote?
* How did the letter find its ways to Lalu, without the knowledge of the law minister?
* Why did Saptrishi abandon a press meet at India International Centre on May 8, which was never authorised according to IIC official Lalit Joshi?
* We were told that Saptrishi won 'warm praise' from his chief T S Krishnamurthy for a job well done as Special Observer for Bihar in the polls. But, what we were not told that emerged much later is that, such a letter is a customary one written to all the central observers.
* Why was the congress deafeningly silent in the whole issue, save for the statements of the prime minister and law minister in their official capacities?
* Why was Saptrishi, a soon-to-be-retired officer was appointed in a three-year fixed tenure posting as the Director-General of CAPART under the rural development ministry headed by an RJD MP?
* Why wasn't any inquiry ordered in the whole affair to bring out the truth? Though union law minister Bharadwaj indicated that Saptrishi might have breached official discipline by criticising the EC, what disciplinary action was initiated by the rural development ministry?
There is no point in blaming the UPA in the whole affair. The party to be blamed is none other than NDA. This would have provided them a great opportunity to grill the government and corner Lalu on the floors of the parliament. It is fully clear that Lalu has lied to the media. You now require little intelligence to raise this in parliament and bring a motion to dismiss or impeach Lalu as the case be. Probably, government can be pressurised to secure the resignation of Lalu (this would have been a simple way than parroting 'tainted-minister' over and over again). At the very least, Saptrishi could have been made to pay for his misadventure, if not Lalu. Significantly you have the prime minister and law minister on your side.
NDA has thus done a grave mistake by letting Lalu to escape unscathed in the twin issues of sabarmati express accident and Saptrishi affair. NDA has lost much by boycotting the parliament. George Fernandes should realise this at least now and be willing to fight it out directly. Worst, the boycott has brought bad reputation for the BJP/NDA, which is being blamed for stalling the now diluted Employment Guarantee Scheme Bill.
Will the NDA at least learn now?
However, Lalu's mastery in story-telling came to the fore when he alleged Narendra Modi for engineering attack on him during his visit to the Vadodra hospital after the ill-fated Sabarmati express accident. The whole nation and the parliament was forced to listen to Lalu's allegation, when nearly 20 people lost their lives and more than 100 passengers were injured. Lalu achieved two objectives in just one stroke, i) successfully deflecting any criticism towards him for the accident, ii) painting the sangh parivar as villian (which, the English press gleefully parroted). He went to extent of seeking the dismissal of Modi government for 'attack on a central minister'.
NDA has completely failed in taking on Lalu and his lies, by boycotting the parliament. It thus failed on two counts, i) to raise the issue on increasing train accidents and have a meaningful discussion on rail safety, ii) to call his bluff about the alleged attack on his car. Its protests and press meets outside the parliament houses fell on deaf ears. And remember, congresss smelled the rat right in the beginning; it was completely silent on the issue and neither offered any comment nor joined the RJD in the parliament to protest against BJP and sangh parivar.
His anger is understandable, especially after NDA along with Paswan literally ruined his chances of continuing the proxy-rule in Bihar. This by itself is quite normal as politicians all over follow the same route. But, his recent attack on EC and two of its commissioners is quite alarming for the reason that EC is an constitutional authority and any attempt to draw it into political rivalry will undermine its authority. The only solace in the whole episode is that the law minister and the prime minister refused to side with Lalu and stanchly defended the EC.
But, unlike the media portrayal, I view Lalu's attack as the one targeted more against Advani and BJP rather than on EC. "The letter by Saptrishi to the law minister" said Lalu, "accuses the Election commissioners acting at the behest of Advani in ordering repoll in Chapra", while showing the letter purportedly written by Saptrishi to the full media glare. Lots of things happened later and following questions beg for answer from Lalu.
* When both the law minister H R Bharadwaj and rural development minister Raghuvansh prasad (under whom Saptrishi works) denied receiving any such letter, to whom did Saptrishi wrote?
* How did the letter find its ways to Lalu, without the knowledge of the law minister?
* Why did Saptrishi abandon a press meet at India International Centre on May 8, which was never authorised according to IIC official Lalit Joshi?
* We were told that Saptrishi won 'warm praise' from his chief T S Krishnamurthy for a job well done as Special Observer for Bihar in the polls. But, what we were not told that emerged much later is that, such a letter is a customary one written to all the central observers.
* Why was the congress deafeningly silent in the whole issue, save for the statements of the prime minister and law minister in their official capacities?
* Why was Saptrishi, a soon-to-be-retired officer was appointed in a three-year fixed tenure posting as the Director-General of CAPART under the rural development ministry headed by an RJD MP?
* Why wasn't any inquiry ordered in the whole affair to bring out the truth? Though union law minister Bharadwaj indicated that Saptrishi might have breached official discipline by criticising the EC, what disciplinary action was initiated by the rural development ministry?
There is no point in blaming the UPA in the whole affair. The party to be blamed is none other than NDA. This would have provided them a great opportunity to grill the government and corner Lalu on the floors of the parliament. It is fully clear that Lalu has lied to the media. You now require little intelligence to raise this in parliament and bring a motion to dismiss or impeach Lalu as the case be. Probably, government can be pressurised to secure the resignation of Lalu (this would have been a simple way than parroting 'tainted-minister' over and over again). At the very least, Saptrishi could have been made to pay for his misadventure, if not Lalu. Significantly you have the prime minister and law minister on your side.
NDA has thus done a grave mistake by letting Lalu to escape unscathed in the twin issues of sabarmati express accident and Saptrishi affair. NDA has lost much by boycotting the parliament. George Fernandes should realise this at least now and be willing to fight it out directly. Worst, the boycott has brought bad reputation for the BJP/NDA, which is being blamed for stalling the now diluted Employment Guarantee Scheme Bill.
Will the NDA at least learn now?
posted by Baskaran Sankaran @ 09:30
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home