Rahul's Parliamentary Decorum, Directionless Rage, and the Future of the Congress
1. The Devaluation of Words and Rahul Turning into 'Rahu'
In the history of Indian democracy, despite ideological differences, there has been a glorious tradition of mutual respect and linguistic purity among top leaders. From Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Jawaharlal Nehru to contemporary politics, even the bitterest opposition has been expressed within the boundaries of parliamentary decorum. However, the decline in the linguistic standard of Indian politics in recent years has shaken this glorious history. Looking at the current scenario, it appears that the uncontrolled rhetoric and aggressive style of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is playing the role of a political 'Rahu' (a malevolent astrological planet causing obstacles) for the Congress party and the Gandhi family itself.
Criticism is welcome in politics, and a strong opposition is an essential necessity for democracy. However, when criticism is replaced by personal frustration, abusive language, and mudslinging, it ceases to be a discourse and becomes a suicidal step. Rahul Gandhi's recent statements and gestures have once again proven that he is still miles away from the basic principles of political maturity and parliamentary etiquette.
2. The Stage of Amethi and Rae Bareli: Leadership Transgressing All Limits of Decorum
Recently, while addressing the 'Bahujan Swabhimaan Jansabha' organized in his parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli, the manner in which Rahul Gandhi made highly derogatory and indecorous remarks against the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has pushed democratic dialogue to a new low. Inciting the public present at the rally, he stated from the public platform:
"When you reach your home and people from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) come to you and talk about Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the BJP, tell them clearly that your Prime Minister is a traitor (Gaddar), your Home Minister is a traitor, and your organization is a traitor. They have done the malicious work of selling the country and destroying the Constitution."
The use of a serious word like 'traitor' (Gaddar) for the country's Prime Minister and Home Minister from the mouth of a top leader of a responsible national party and a person occupying a constitutional post (Leader of the Opposition) is not only shocking but also strikes a blow to the country's democratic system. Following this, in his former parliamentary constituency Amethi—where he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Smriti Irani in the year 2019—repeating the same sharp tone, aggressive gestures, and stubbornness, he said that these people have betrayed the country's great personalities and the public, which is why he will continue to call them 'traitors' and will not apologize for it at any cost.
Not only this, making highly superficial and personal remarks on the Prime Minister's foreign trips, he said that while there is a crisis of gas, petrol, and employment in the country, the Prime Minister is eating 'Melodi' with Meloni in Italy. Using street-level language like "Modi will cry," "will be beaten," and "will beg" for a thrice-elected Prime Minister of the country, who is nearly two decades older than him in age and experience, cannot be justified from any perspective. Such language cannot be expected even from a high school dropout. This behavior reminiscent of the spoiled children of big landlords or influential households of yesteryears, who forget to respect elders in the frustration of their own failure. In today's modern environment, even an illiterate person hesitates to speak such language publicly, but Rahul Gandhi, by repeating these derogatory remarks time and again, displays as if he is performing some great and brave historical deed.
3. A History of Repeated Strategic Blunders
Such 'baseless' and suicidal rhetoric is nothing new for Rahul Gandhi. If one observes his two decades of political life, it is clearly visible that he has never been able to understand the fine line between 'criticism' and 'cheap abuse.' Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he floated the slogan "Chowkidar Chor Hai" (The watchman is a thief) across the country. The people of the country viewed this as personal malice towards the Prime Minister, and ultimately, this slogan became the main reason for the historic and crushing defeat of the Congress. His attitude on sensitive issues of national sovereignty and security has also been highly irresponsible. Questioning the cowardly terror attack in Pulwama and the subsequent brave surgical strike by the Indian Air Force, he leveled serious allegations against the Prime Minister of brokering the "blood of soldiers" (Khoon ki Dalali). This statement not only hurt the morale of the country's military but also handed an issue to India's adversaries at a global level. Standing on the floor of the Lok Sabha, he had stated in highly unparliamentary language that "the youth will beat Narendra Modi with sticks." The use of such violent and unparliamentary language inside a democratic parliament is recorded in the dark pages of independent India's parliamentary history.
This undemocratic and stubborn mindset of Rahul Gandhi was visible not only while being in the opposition; even during the UPA regime from 2004 to 2014, his conduct was always surrounded by controversies and violations of constitutional decorum. No one can forget that dark day in Indian parliamentary history when the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was on a foreign tour, and an ordinance unanimously passed by his cabinet was publicly torn apart and thrown into the dustbin by Rahul Gandhi during a press conference. This act was not only an insult to the Prime Minister and Cabinet of his own government but was also a resounding slap in the face of the country's democratic and constitutional institutions.
4. The Epoch-Making Change of 2014 and the Frustration of Congress
The decade from 2004 to 2014 is known in Indian history for unprecedented corruption (2G, Coal, Commonwealth scams), nepotism, policy paralysis, extremist appeasement, and neglect of the majority society. As a result of this public anger, in the year 2014, the people of the country handed over the keys of power to the Bhartiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi by giving them a massive and absolute majority.
This was an epoch-making change in Indian politics. The BJP formed a majority government in the country after a long gap of 30 years—a milestone that the Congress party itself could never achieve on its own strength after the massive wave of sympathy generated following the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.
It is true that no government can 100% live up to public expectations, and the BJP government too might have had its limitations, but it did not disappoint the people of the country. This is the reason why the BJP is continuously expanding on the political map of the country. In a state like West Bengal, where the BJP's existence was once negligible, the emergence of the BJP as a powerful alternative and the complete elimination of the Congress, which ruled for decades, is the freshest and most burning example of this.
Now, circumstances have become such that there seems to be no possibility, even far and wide, of the Congress returning to power at the Center on its own strength. Due to this historic failure, defeat, and marginalization, Rahul Gandhi has become surrounded by deep depression, frustration, and despair. However, his own policies and immature leadership are most responsible for bringing the Congress to this pathetic state. If Rahul Gandhi thinks that he can diminish the skyrocketing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by abusing, slinging mud, or using derogatory language, then it is his massive political blunder and misconception. The wise and aware public of India never accepts such foolish and indecorous language; instead, it increases the sympathy and popularity towards the victim leader even more.
5. Political Stature and the Refuge of Appeasement
Due to this politics of arrogance and immaturity, Rahul Gandhi even had to lose his traditional family seat of Amethi. Look at the irony that even then he did not realize his actual political stature and the power of the Modi wave. After being completely rejected from North India, he had to turn towards Wayanad, a Muslim-majority seat in Kerala in the far south of the country, to reach Parliament. He could reach the Lok Sabha from Wayanad only because he had the one-sided and full support of the 'Muslim League' and its cadre there. The dependence of a top leader of a national party on the crutches of regional and communal forces to reach Parliament narrates his political helplessness.
Furthermore, because of this absurd and distracting rhetoric of Rahul Gandhi, serious discussion on real economic issues arising before India amidst the current global scenario (Iran-Israel tensions, Russia-Ukraine war, and economic challenges of America) becomes secondary. Leveling absurd allegations of selling the country's economic system, he says that "Modi has handed over the entire economic system of Hindustan to Adani, Ambani, and America."
He is trying to create a fear of an artificial 'economic storm' and recession before the country, claiming that in the coming months, the prices of petrol, diesel, pulses, and rice will increase to such an extent that the country will shudder with a major shock. He views every economic policy through the prism of crony capitalism. From every platform, he keeps chanting the old tunes of GST, demonetization, and the COVID lockdown, which the public of the country has already rejected through elections. He does not have any alternative vision or solid blueprint for the development of the country; instead, he has the same worn-out issues which he repeats even during his sponsored foreign trips, and many times in this process, he unknowingly appears to speak the language of anti-India forces.
6. The Mystery of Foreign Trips and Sambit Patra's Big Disclosure
While on one hand Rahul Gandhi questions the official and strategic foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the public of the country knows very well that PM Modi's trips are not for personal entertainment or tourism. The purpose of his visits is to enhance India's economy, bilateral trade, defense deals, and India's geopolitical importance on the global stage.
In contrast, Bhartiya Janata Party's National Spokesperson Sambit Patra, through a press conference in New Delhi, has released a sensational and detailed account stating that Rahul Gandhi has undertaken 54 declared foreign trips in his past 22 years of political life, which cost more than 60 crore rupees. However, these trips were neither funded by the party, nor is Rahul Gandhi's personal income that high. This straightforwardly means that Rahul Gandhi's foreign trips are sponsored, and the involvement of anti-national forces in them cannot be ruled out. These visits mainly include Italy, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (USA), Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Bahrain, Maldives, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
7. Internal Strife and Electoral Equations of States
It is a bitter truth that the wise public of India does not accept Rahul Gandhi as a serious politician, and there is no public reaction to any so-called 'crisis' raised by him. Even within the Congress party itself, a very large section of experienced and senior leaders disagrees with his immature statements and feels uncomfortable. However, Rahul Gandhi, with the help of a 'close coterie' of some flatterers and non-political advisors around him, always tries to remain in the headlines, which ultimately causes massive harm to the Congress party itself.
In the recently concluded assembly elections of five states, the performance of the Congress was disappointing. Their only notable achievement was the victory of their alliance in Kerala. Political pundits and local Congress leaders of Kerala internally believe that UDF and LDF governments change alternately in Kerala. By rule, this victory should have been achieved in the previous election itself.
Political analysts are of the clear opinion that if Rahul Gandhi himself had not been the MP from Wayanad, Kerala in the previous elections, the Congress government would have been formed much earlier by taking advantage of the anti-incumbency wave in the state. But his presence there increased communal polarization and gave the Leftists a chance to come back. Now, when he has left the Wayanad seat and become the MP from the Rae Bareli seat of Uttar Pradesh, and his sister Priyanka Vadra has reached Parliament by contesting the election on the Wayanad seat, only then has it become possible for the Congress to regain its lost ground in the state of Kerala. This clearly shows that Rahul Gandhi's electoral influence is proving to be detrimental rather than beneficial for the party.
8. Conclusion: The Need for Introspection
In the final analysis, it is clear that for the smooth functioning of democracy, the presence of a strong, ideological, and policy-based opposition is indispensable. Opposition to the wrong policies of the government should be done within data, logic, and parliamentary decorum. Calling individuals sitting in dignified positions like the Prime Minister and Home Minister 'traitors' or making indecorous remarks regarding their physical harm cannot be a part of any healthy democracy.
If Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party want to save their relevance in the mainstream of Indian politics, they will have to abandon this politics of negativity, personal malice, and suicidal discourse. This practice of abusing and tarnishing the country's image on foreign soil will not reduce Narendra Modi's popularity, but it will certainly wipe out the remaining credibility of the Congress among the people of the country. The time has come for the Congress to come out of this 'Rahu Kaal' (dark phase) and present a positive and constructive vision before the country instead of abuse.
~~~Shiv Mishra ~~~~
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