A resolute Opposition demonstrated its anger and might in equal measure on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being their main target. For the first time in recent parliament history, the BJP-led Government and the treasury benches were majorly on the defensive, signifying a resurgence of the opposition might. The Government was on the defensive since Monday, after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi quoted from the “unreleased memoir” of former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane’s book, Four Stars of Destiny. It cited allegedly the unbecoming conduct of the PM and his defence aides in the face of the Chinese offensive in Galwan Valley, Ladakh, in June 2020. This is no small matter. But Rahul Gandhi was denied permission by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to raise the matter in the House. To attempt to silence the Leader of the Opposition in such a sensitive matter is unacceptable. The argument from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that no discussion be allowed on an “unpublished” book showed how desperate he has become, as the needle of suspicion was principally on him, the Prime Minister and national security adviser Ajit Doval.
The book, it appears, made some explosive comments – that the then army chief desperately waited for a response for hours after he alerted Defence Minister Singh and others over the menacing advancement of Chinese PLA towards Galwan Valley. Finally, he says, when the response came from Singh, it meant little; that he was advised to take his own decision. The biggest Chinese offensive on India in a span of decades, in which several Indian soldiers were killed, met with an allegedly irresponsible response from the highest level. Naturally, in a democracy, the executive has to take a stand, issue orders, which the military is bound to obey and implement. The military on its own cannot, and should not, act. This is abdication of responsibility. The question arises as to where was the leadership? This is a pity. On the other hand, if the book sought to spread falsehood – which is unimaginable from an individual of such a high stature – facts should have been laid before the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi was within his rights to raise the matter in Parliament, and the Government should not have cited rules to avoid an exposure. It should have given a reply in a responsible manner. Notably, the Pahalgam militant attack on a CRPF convoy in 2019 also raised similar eyebrows. The Jammu and Kashmir governor blamed the Centre for its failure to heed his advice to guard against such a targeting of CRPF convoys and transport them by air.
Narendra Modi as Prime Minister is a creation of the RSS. He has acquitted himself fairly well in several scenarios in the last 11 years. Modi provided both political and economic stability to the nation. The Opposition too acted responsibly in recent years. It respected the people’s will and avoided being in confrontation mode both inside and outside Parliament. These, thus, were unusual times in a nation that is often described as a noisy democracy. But the Government should not take the Opposition for granted. It must own up its mistakes. National interests should not be compromised.
