(Pervez Bari) The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has expressed its deep anguish, dismay and disapproval at the just concluded turmoil-ridden Monsoon session of Parliament wherein 13 of the 20 days were washed out due to Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), protests over coal block allocations causing Rs.29 crore to go down the drain.
SDPI national president Mr. E. Abubacker in a statement decried the stalling of Parliament, the seat of democracy, by BJP which has unashamedly justified its stance calling it also a part of democracy. The monsoon session came to an end transacting no purposeful business. Out of the 30 Bills taken up for consideration only four Bills were passed in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha during the session.
Mr. Abubacker said Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has aptly described the wasted session of Parliament as “a mockery and total negation of Parliamentary democracy”. The Prime Minister has rightly warned that the politics of disruption would be “grave violation” of democracy and could lead to “deeply divided and disenchanted” country, Mr. Abubacker added.
The SDPI president said: “What is more pertinent in the politically charged atmosphere is who has the right to claim a victory now, the BJP or the Congress?” The strategy of the BJP was simple: launch a perception battle against the Congress-led UPA and cause as much damage to its already battered image as possible. It did not matter that its own states chief ministers were party to the alleged scandal too. In a perception battle the bigger perception always buries the smaller one.
The statement said that the BJP should first ask its Chief Ministers to resign in the Coalgate row, since the state governments decide who gets the lease, to lead by example to cleanse the system before launching tirade against the Prime Minister. (pervezbari@eth.net)