While Congress fumbles with contradictions, BJP rides a media wave—both failing the moment when the nation needed clarity, not choreography.
THE SINGLE LARGEST opposition party, the Congress, appears to be groping in the dark and clutching at straws over its stand on the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. The contradictory positions taken by its leaders are further eroding the party’s credibility and spreading confusion among its members and supporters.
Some recent statements by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi are not only immature but also in poor taste.
In one of the videos circulating on social media, he is seen lampooning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ceasefire with Pakistan. He is heard saying that U.S. President Donald Trump called up “Narender to surrender,” and that the Prime Minister promptly agreed to do so.
Rahul Gandhi has also been insisting that the government declare India’s losses and has demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue.
There are times in any nation’s history when all citizens must stand united and firmly behind the government. There will be ample opportunities later to hold the government accountable for its actions and any failures.
At the same time, it is also true that the government should have been more communicative and should have explained what led to the sudden ceasefire — especially when godi media and andh bhakts were all charged up and baying for blood. That the first announcement of the ceasefire came from Trump was entirely avoidable. However, even these questions can wait.
The government took a commendable initiative by sending out all-party delegations to various countries to present India’s position. Its decision to appoint Congress leader Shashi Tharoor as the head of the delegation to the most important country, the United States of America, was a masterstroke.
Shockingly, the Congress had not included Tharoor’s name among the party leaders nominated for the all-party delegations — despite the fact that he is one of the most articulate and incisive leaders the party has. His exclusion smacked of insecurity among the top leadership.
True to expectations, Tharoor did a commendable job in conveying India’s views. Another Congress leader, Salman Khurshid, too, impressed everyone with his articulation of the country’s stand.
It’s worth recalling that the Congress itself had sent all-party delegations during times of crisis and had chosen the best opposition leaders to head them.
First, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent her most powerful challenger, Jayaprakash Narayan, to Western capitals in 1971 to present India’s stand on the East Pakistan crisis, prior to the Bangladesh Liberation War. Narayan, as is well known, later led a movement that culminated in the imposition of the Emergency and his own arrest.
Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao also sent Atal Bihari Vajpayee — the most articulate and sharp leader of the opposition — to represent India at the United Nations. Merit must be the sole criterion in such situations, and Shashi Tharoor was undoubtedly the best choice in the present circumstances.
However, leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Jairam Ramesh seem to think it is a good time to corner the government and are demanding a special session of Parliament, in addition to raising questions in public.
Even though Parliament represents the will of the people and the government is answerable to it, there are certain issues which cannot be debated in Parliament or in other open forums in the national interest.
This does not absolve the government of its responsibility to inform. It must reach out to opposition parties and hold detailed discussions — without compromising on national interest. 
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Also Read:
When Patriotism Depends on Your Surname
HAWA HAWAI: Diplomacy in the Dark
Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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