The Elders Have Got It Wrong

The Government wants the opposition to first stop disrupting the House

The strategy of the ‘united’ opposition in the Rajya Sabha (where non-BJP parties form a majority) to stall parliamentary work is both flawed and unwise. Opposition leaders in the Upper House, especially those belonging to the Left, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, insist that Prime Minister Modi should reply to a debate on communal incidents, including forced reconversions. The Government wants the opposition to first stop disrupting the House. Hell-bent on creating chaos, the opposition elders have virtually given the ruling coalition an invitation to pursue other options: which includes convening a joint session of Parliament to pass crucial bills.

The irony is that while the deadlock persists in the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha continues to do business. This ‘show of strength’ posturing by the opposition is farcical because a joint session will easily ensure that the Narendra Modi Government gets its way, which would do nothing to allay the concerns of the Rajya Sabha’s all-so-vocal protestors.

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