10-18-2008, 10:57 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>A sham session</b>
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<b>Congress ridicules Parliament</b>
<b>The Opposition cannot be faulted for pointing out the absurdity of calling the present session of Parliament with no ostensible reason other than providing the Congress with an opportunity to once again demonstrate the contempt with which it treats the parliamentary process.</b> For, had it been otherwise, the Monsoon Session would not have been scrapped in so cavalier a manner simply because the Prime Minister refused to face Parliament before concluding his hugely flawed nuclear deal with the US that severely curtails Indiaâs strategic programme and impinges on its sovereign right to decide what is in the nationâs interest. Not only does this fly in the face of his assurance that he would take Parliament into confidence before finalising the nuclear agreement, it also proves that the Government has more to hide than it has cared to reveal by way of misleading propaganda. <b>Tragically, the shoddy treatment that the UPA regime has meted out to Parliament is in sharp contrast to the US Congress determining what the American Administration can and cannot offer India by way of civil nuclear cooperation. Capitol Hill was neither impressed nor persuaded by the Prime Ministerâs declaration of âdeep loveâ for President George W Bush; it decided for America what was in American interest. On the other hand, the UPA Government has cursorily called a session of Parliament, presumably to inform the elected representatives of the people of India that the deed is done and there is nothing they can do to prevent it â the Opposition can either take it or lump it. In the event, the Opposition should strike back and make the Government regret that it chose to call this session of Parliament.</b>
This can be achieved by pursuing twin objectives. First, shame the Prime Minister and his Cabinet for violating a solemn assurance given to Parliament, and thus expose them for what they truly are. The Left has demanded that it be allowed to move a breach of privilege motion against the Prime Minister; the presiding officers of both Houses should accept the demand and thus uphold the dignity of Parliament. Not to do so would be tantamount to colluding with the Government to denigrate and belittle Parliament. Second, the BJPâs demand for a debate on terrorism should be admitted, not least because the dark shadow of jihadi violence looms large over the entire nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The Prime Minister and his team have abysmally failed to contain, leave alone curtail, terrorism, and are guilty of strengthening anti-national forces by refusing to act against them lest it causes the Congressâs Muslim vote-bank to meltdown. Of course, such assumption is ill-founded and does disservice to the over-whelming majority of Indiaâs Muslims, but the Congress could not be bothered about the damage it is inflicting. There is a third option: Let the entire Opposition take a united stand and refuse to be part of this charade which ridicules the role of Parliament in our democracy and diminishes the importance of the parliamentary process. There is no reason why the Opposition should allow the Congress to get away with such travesty â if the presiding officers are less than fair in deciding the agenda, the Opposition should stay away from this sham session; the Prime Minister and his Cabinet can stew in splendid isolation.
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link
<b>Congress ridicules Parliament</b>
<b>The Opposition cannot be faulted for pointing out the absurdity of calling the present session of Parliament with no ostensible reason other than providing the Congress with an opportunity to once again demonstrate the contempt with which it treats the parliamentary process.</b> For, had it been otherwise, the Monsoon Session would not have been scrapped in so cavalier a manner simply because the Prime Minister refused to face Parliament before concluding his hugely flawed nuclear deal with the US that severely curtails Indiaâs strategic programme and impinges on its sovereign right to decide what is in the nationâs interest. Not only does this fly in the face of his assurance that he would take Parliament into confidence before finalising the nuclear agreement, it also proves that the Government has more to hide than it has cared to reveal by way of misleading propaganda. <b>Tragically, the shoddy treatment that the UPA regime has meted out to Parliament is in sharp contrast to the US Congress determining what the American Administration can and cannot offer India by way of civil nuclear cooperation. Capitol Hill was neither impressed nor persuaded by the Prime Ministerâs declaration of âdeep loveâ for President George W Bush; it decided for America what was in American interest. On the other hand, the UPA Government has cursorily called a session of Parliament, presumably to inform the elected representatives of the people of India that the deed is done and there is nothing they can do to prevent it â the Opposition can either take it or lump it. In the event, the Opposition should strike back and make the Government regret that it chose to call this session of Parliament.</b>
This can be achieved by pursuing twin objectives. First, shame the Prime Minister and his Cabinet for violating a solemn assurance given to Parliament, and thus expose them for what they truly are. The Left has demanded that it be allowed to move a breach of privilege motion against the Prime Minister; the presiding officers of both Houses should accept the demand and thus uphold the dignity of Parliament. Not to do so would be tantamount to colluding with the Government to denigrate and belittle Parliament. Second, the BJPâs demand for a debate on terrorism should be admitted, not least because the dark shadow of jihadi violence looms large over the entire nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The Prime Minister and his team have abysmally failed to contain, leave alone curtail, terrorism, and are guilty of strengthening anti-national forces by refusing to act against them lest it causes the Congressâs Muslim vote-bank to meltdown. Of course, such assumption is ill-founded and does disservice to the over-whelming majority of Indiaâs Muslims, but the Congress could not be bothered about the damage it is inflicting. There is a third option: Let the entire Opposition take a united stand and refuse to be part of this charade which ridicules the role of Parliament in our democracy and diminishes the importance of the parliamentary process. There is no reason why the Opposition should allow the Congress to get away with such travesty â if the presiding officers are less than fair in deciding the agenda, the Opposition should stay away from this sham session; the Prime Minister and his Cabinet can stew in splendid isolation.
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