Mockery on democracy

While the opposition INDIA bloc and other political parties are working to unfold a strategy to unseat the ruling BJP from power in 2024, the latter has responded to this grand strategy by suspending a record-breaking number 146 MPs during the current winter session of parliament. This is almost 2/3rd of all opposition MPs in parliament and clearly against the spirit of the constitutional democracy. The Congress and its INDIA bloc allies have been demanding that Home Minister Amit Shah should make a statement on the December 13 Parliament security breach by two men carrying smoke cans. The MPs have been suspended from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the last few days for carrying placards and disrupting proceedings of the two Houses. The opposition has accused the government of throttling democracy by suspending critical voices. The opposition member protested and were duly suspended by the presiding officers . After the suspensions, the session was resumed in the Lower House – where a number of bills were passed with two-thirds of opposition MPs out of the chamber. Opposition politicians are furious at the suspensions and argue that they allow Modi’s BJP to pass legislation without debate in parliament. When confronted with this record breaking suspension of MPs, the BJP resorted to ‘whataboutery’ which says, “you did it in the past so why complain if I’m doing the same today?” BJP has always carried its politics in an aggressive manner whether as an opposition party or currently, as a ruling party. While as the opposition during the UPA regime, the BJP paralysed parliament by resorting to all kinds of disruptions both within and outside parliament when its members dared the Congress to take action against them. The presiding officers during the UPA used to literally beg with opposition members not to create ruckus etc but to no avail. Even presently, BJP still acts like an opposition by provoking the opposition. When the present opposition tries to emulate BJP by sloganeering and trooping near the well of the house, it backfires and opposition members get suspended. As commented earlier, a statement from the home minister Amit shah as demanded, would have ended the matter then and there. All Shah had to do was to address the house and reassure members of their security etc.Instead, Shah purportedly gave interviews to TV channels where he spoke about the security breach in parliament. Even prime minister Narendra Modi while speaking with a newspaper, urged not to debate about the incident but to help find solution. This infuriated the opposition who deemed it as breach of privilege since, both Modi and Shah spoke to media while the parliament was in session. It may be recalled that after the parliament attack on December 13, 2001, LK Advani made a statement on the floor of the House. It is shocking the 146 MPs could be suspended while no action was taken against the BJP member- Pratap Simha- on whose recommendations, the two accused were issued visitors’ pass to the Lok Sabha. It is a matter of deep concern that the people’s highest forum has been reduced to such a state where both ruling and opposition members have scant regard for the people’s democracy except to further their political interests.