O NCE again, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress Member Mr. Rahul Gandhi indulged in madness of its own kind -- as if it is his birthright to do so. In the process, he unleashed a train of senseless allegations that the Government and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had “sold out the nation” to foreign powers. As he delivered his speech, Mr. Gandhi used a rough language beyond parliamentary norms, as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Members alleged. Other reports also stated that the Congress party Members of Parliament indulged in abusive language during their meeting with Speaker Mr. Om Birla. Union Minister Mr. Kiren Rijiju also released a video showing how the Congress (Opposition) Members behaved in the House earlier. It is obvious that the Opposition is refusing to respect basic norms of parliamentary business.

 

This is nothing but sheer madness, to say the least, which must be stopped with immediate effect. And the responsibility of this should rest on the shoulders of the Government and the Parliamentary secretariat. For, when the Opposition is not listening to the voice of reason, then it must be made to do so with tough measures. The occasion on the floor of the House was the response of the Leader of Opposition to the debate on the Union Budget. Instead of voicing his views on the finance bill, Mr. Rahul Gandhi indulged in his usual, irresponsible diatribes hurling senseless allegations that sought to disrupt the parliament proceedings rather than initiate a healthy discourse on issues of critical importance.

 

The content of Mr. Gandhi’s speech showed clearly that he did not want to speak anything about the Budget but had all the mind to show that the Prime Minister had “sold out the nation” to foreign powers. There was no substance in his speech and no well-argued points that would make the Government think deeply about the issues. In stead, all Mr. Rahul Gandhi had to say was nothing but a political polemics that carried little sense and meaning.

 

Those who happened to watch the proceedings of the Lok Sabha during Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s speech would know that even many Members on the Opposition benches were completely embarrassed and skeptical of his content and form of speech. It appeared that at least some of them hoped that his diatribes ended quickly so that the House could get over the bad experience. Of course, Mr. Gandhi, with his back to his own benchmates, did not notice the changing faces of his own colleagues and continued his senseless argument. Mr. Gandhi’s speech, thus, epitomised the overall conduct of the Opposition in Parliament over the past some time. Some women among the Opposition Members tried to block Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s way to the House by encircling his official chair in the House.

 

They also used abusive language during their meeting with Speaker Mr. Om Birla -- so much so that the Prime Minister had to cancel his speech and deliver it in the Rajya Sabha the next day. All this does not augre well with norms of parliamentary democracy -- though the Opposition does not suffer from any qualms of conscience in that regard. Much to the contrary, it appears to have made it its policy to throw to the wind all norms of decency and decorum that underline parliamentary conduct. If this not to be called sheer madness, then what should be the name for such a behaviour indulged by the Opposition in sustained manner? Going by the popular mood, it is obvious that the common people of India desire that the Opposition be punished the hardest so that it forgets its insolence forever. The honourable Speaker should have thrown all the ill-behaving Members of Parliament out right at the first instance of unparliamentary conduct. If he did not do it a few days ago, he may do so now on an immediate basis so that a right message is passed to the political community and the common people.