THAT the Lok Sabha functioned for 45 hours -- 34.28 % of its total duration, and the Rajya Sabha for 31 hours -- 24 % of its total duration, is a terribly bad news for India’s representative democracy in which Parliament occupies the apex position of the institutional pyramid. This shows how this institution was forced into wasting precious time that should have been utilised for ultimate public good beyond political agenda of people working in the two august Houses. Both, the ruling parties and the Opposition camp will blame each other for this loss of time and opportunity to discuss and debate issues of genuine national interests. But such a blaming will only be a political exchange that would mean actually nothing on the ground. Yet, when the entire scenario is viewed dispassionately and in a non-partisan manner, we do arrive at an invariable conclusion that it is the Opposition camp that has forced such a waste of time in both the Houses. It was obvious that the Opposition was fully geared up to block proceedings of the two Houses by raising issues which the Government was fully willing to deliberate upon. All that the Government insisted was that every discussion should be and would be held according to parliamentary procedures.

Yet, the Opposition -- Congress party in particular -- kept demanding formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the Adani issue. The basic rule is that a JPC is formed only when the issue is discussed in the floor of the House first in an attempt to find a solution. The JPC could be formed only when that option had been exhausted. Meanwhile, the Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) also continued heaping all sorts of allegations on Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi about his so-called close association with industry tycoon Mr. Gautam Adani. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also put forth the factual data of how Mr. Adani was favoured by earlier Congress Government at the Centre and current Congress Governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The Opposition was in no mood to listen to reason, and insisted upon blocking precious time of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

It must be stated sadly that the Opposition acted against the larger national interest, in the sense it came across to the common people as a joint entity whose priority was not other subjects of national interest, but only one subject -- of trying to corner the Prime Minister. The Opposition seemed interested only in maligning the Prime Minister’s image not just within India but also abroad. That same attitude was visible in Parliament as well. In sharp contrast, the Prime Minister kept himself busy 24x7 in pursuing schemes and projects directly related to national interest -- mostly in the interest of common people in different domains -- from rural development to foreign policy. The range of activities of the Prime Minister, the manner of his round-the-clock engagement in official work were not missed by the common people. His attitude reflected very accurately even in the Government’s functioning in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. It is important to note that all these details were noted by the common people without fail. In a way, the sharp contrast between the functionings of the ruling BJP and the Opposition favoured the Prime Minister and his Government in popular esteem. It went directly against the image of the Opposition’s combined pranks that conveyed only senselessness and lack of connect with reality and people. It was certainly a massive waste of time of the country’s highest democratic institution, all right. Yet, it also showed clear who was working in national interest, and who was not.