Vaishnaw Vs Shouters

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s jab at the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in his reply to the discussion on his ministry’s budgetary allocations was disarmingly delivered but carried a sharper message. Faced with constant disruption from a section of the Opposition, the minister said that while he was committed to considering all demands, those put forward by members not in the well might get faster attention. Vaishnaw had taken pains to emphasise that contrary to claims by Opposition MPs from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala, there was no step-motherly treatment of these states. Rather, allocations had risen exponentially. His likely point was that while the speeches of Opposition MPs had been heard without interruptions, it was only fair they did him the courtesy of hearing his responses. That was not to be, as Congress and other MPs trooped into the well. During most of the discussion on March 17, the front rows of the Opposition benches were bare. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were absent. Apart from
Gaurav Gogoi and Selja Kumari, no other senior Congress leader was present. On March 18, SP MPs avoided entering the well. The shouting, however, continued. It seems I.N.D.I.A., in this instance chiefly three parties, has not fully understood the limited utility of disrupting proceedings when ministers are replying to questions or debates. With TV cameras largely omitting the protesters and the minister’s mic switched on, the din was a backdrop for viewers. For the media in the gallery, the earphones more or less filtered out the Opposition sloganeering.

Prime Seats

Sitting on a bench behind the speaker in Parliament has its advantages and downsides. With the cameras tightly focused, a drowsy or sleeping MP is embarrassingly in the frame. On the other hand, as some members have figured, being behind the speaker means footage. The large screens in the chambers that show live proceedings allow members to adjust so that they are in perfect position. A couple of MPs made it a point to position themselves so when a member from their state was speaking on the Budget allocations on March 17. The alacrity with which they moved from the middle rows to the back of the House indicated they were not going miss out on the opportunity.

Gated Entry

The Budget Session has seen yet another innovation by Lok Sabha staff. The height at which the speaker’s chair has been placed has to do with Opposition MPs holding up placards obscuring the chair in the old Parliament building. This unhappy practice had taken root over the years. In the new Parliament, Opposition MPs began trooping up the aisles leading to the chair on either side. In order to ensure they did not approach the chair, sturdy wooden gates have been installed at the level of the chamber floor. This means MPs wanting to find out from the chair’s assistants when they are likely to be called have to wait at the barriers like supplicants.

Candid Gabbard

It may be a coincidence that the first top-ranking figure in the Trump administration to visit India is Tulsi Gabbard. But it was fortuitous that NSA Ajit Doval hosted a meeting of intelligence czars around the time. A charismatic figure who professes Hinduism, Gabbard hit the right notes and stepped around contentious issues on trade, saying the two sides are engaged at the highest levels. On terrorism she was more forthright, noting the threat of Islamist extremism and spoke clearly on concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

Signal From Sule

NCP leader Supriya Sule makes it a point to be in attendance right by the side when a party MP speaks. She was there when Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane rose to speak on the railway budgetary allocations, advising him to speak into the mic and ensuring relevant points were made. Sonawane’s brief intervention had more than one expression of gratitude for Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It’s not uncommon for MPs to acknowledge the minister since everyone needs a railway project. But the fulsomeness of the phrases was noticeable. A useful signal since the Modi government needs to steer some contentious legislation through Parliament.

Modi’s Podcast

BJP is busy circulating extracts from Prime Minister Modi’s lengthy podcast with Lex Fridman which carried important and newsy comments on India’s relations with the US and China. But Modi also used the occasion to speak of his spiritual and political journey and the rigour he subjects himself to by way of fasting or serious meditation. It was a peep into Modi’s ability to bring to bear the single-mindedness his opponents lack and cannot decipher. The extensive interaction indicates Modi feels BJP has recovered after a sub-par Lok Sabha election. Commentators who felt the party had been weakened have been served notice that they need to revisit their assessments.

Ashwini VaishnawBudget sessionNarendra ModiNational PoliticsParliamentPodcastSupriya SuleTulsi Gabbard