Rahul does it again

For all intents and purposes, Rahul Gandhi never fails to attract controversy; either by choice or default, because of which he is a newsmaker but often for the wrong reasons. After the culmination of the party’s much hyped Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30,2023 at Kashmir gate, it was not long before Rahul was again at his old habit of going off on a holiday either at home or abroad. After the Yatra, he first went to Gulmarg on January 31 to spend a few days there. Then the former Congress chief addressed a public rally in Shillong on February 22 then attended the Congress’ 85th plenary session in Raipur from February 24 to February 26 before doing his now famous ‘vanishing act’. Rahul flew to London where he was invited by Cambridge University his alma mater to speak with students from February 28 to March 4. From March 5 onwards, Rahul Gandhi interacted London with business community members, political class members, the Indian diaspora and members of the Indian Overseas Congress. What Rahul spoke at various lectures was on the political situation in India where he alleged, that the spirit of cooperative federalism between the centre and states have been under severe attack and threat from the BJP government at the Centre. He also alleged that many opposition leaders were being spied upon by the Pegasus software,developed by Israel. As is with his style of speaking Rahul claimed he was called over phone by some unnamed intelligence officers who pleaded with him to be careful on what he was saying on phone as they were being recorded. If Rahul claimed that some intelligence officers called him to admit they were spying on him through Pegasus then he should name them and take them to court, if he is so concerned; otherwise his allegations are a figment of his imagination. Rahul’s conversations abroad, before and recently, appear to have come at a wrong time for the Congress and opposition parties since it has given the BJP the excuse to target and denounce Rahul for defaming the country in foreign soil. Rahul and the Congress may be responding to the vitriolic attacks against the Nehru-Gandhi family by prime minister Modi during his foreign trips. Rahul’s recent remarks on the state of the Indian democracy under the BJP, may or may not be cent percent true, but it has come at an inopportune time for all opposition parties. The opposition including Congress has been demanding that the government discuss the Adani issue and also constitute the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into one of India’s biggest every financial scams that has resulted causing investors in Adani stocks to lose Rs 10 lakh crore in seven days as market cap halves on first week of February. However, neither has the government reacted nor have the central probe agencies bothered to take suo moto notice. Rahul attacked Modi and Adani while TMC firebrand Mahua Moitra did a better job at it but the BJP chose to shout them down. The only way out is for the BJP allow parliament to function by agreeing to have debates on issues raised by the opposition instead of using the Speaker or chairman to deny such demands. It is the duty of the government and not the opposition to ensure parliament is functioning and upon which rests the entire speech of Rahul.