As I write this blog, the news coming in on TV is that the Congress Working Committee has advised the government to withdraw the controversial ordinance providing protection to convicted politicians. While the nation is heaving a sigh of relief at the turn of events, a lot has been said and commented on about Rahul's role, and the style and manner in which it was done.
First of all, what's the ordinance all about? An ordinance is the route chosen by the government to push laws that haven't been ratified/passed by parliament - this is generally done when the government needs to take some emergency measures and does not have time to go to parliament with it. And what does this ordinance propose? It aims to protect convicted MPs, MLAs and MLCs from losing their seats automatically when convincted, in contravention to the ruling of the Supreme Court. And why the urgency? Primarily because Lalu Prasad's convinction in the fodder case is on the table, and the Supreme Court judgement would mean he would get immediately disqualified and barred from elections for a long, long time! While a bill to achieve this protection is already in parliament under discussion, the government chose to promulgate the ordinance because Lalu needed it in an emergency.
However, when the ordinance was sent to the President, he summoned ministers to ask for clarifications, instead of signing it. And then Rahul put the nail in the coffin going public in a press conference, calling it nonsense, and worthy of tearing it up and throwing it away.
Now most people criticize Rahul for the manner in which he opposed the ordinance. Why do this in public, instead of fighting it in the cabinet meetings? Why do it when the PM was abroad? Why shame the PM and the government? Why make it look like one person is bigger than the government?
And while a lot of this seems fair to ask, let me ask some questions. Can we be sure that Rahul did not question his "seniors" in the cabinet? Can we be sure that the alliance partners like the SP and NCP, which have already opposed withdrawing the ordinance, did not ignore him and instead threaten the government? Was Rahul's word maybe ignored in the cabinet meetings, leaving him with no choice but to go public?
Sometimes, the end justifies the means, and if there was ever any situation in which that applied, this is it!
For that, Rahul, you have my support!
1 comment:
You are acting naive Siddhesh, IMO. INC does not have guts to override anyone of the Gandhi family, may it be right or wrong.
While the outcome is good, I still see all this as a drama to create space for Rahul. He has hardly said anything on any of the issues so far and this was a right chance for Congress to put him forward. Congress tested the waters by putting in the ordinance. But once they saw the reactions from president and the opposition party, they decided to hit back putting Rahul in the front. MMS is surely becoming a scapegoat here, but that's the least he could do for the royal family!! He wouldn't be seeing next term, even if UPA wins.
And yes, if Rahul really didn't want this, he should have done that even outside the party cabinate meetings "BEFORE" it was put to president, not after seeing the reactions!!
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