Modi's pep talk to BJP contradicts his sermon as an Opposition- Modi described the Opposition’s protests in Parliament as an “insult to the Constitution, democracy and the people”.

The saffron camp, as the principal Opposition during 2004-2014, had stymied Parliament like never before and justified the actions as a 'form of democracy'

Modi arrives to attend the BJP parliamentary party meeting in the Parliament complex: PTI

J.P. Yadav   |   TT  |  New Delhi   |   04.08.21: If forgetfulness was Rishi Durvasa’s curse for King Dushyant, it has turned out to be a blessing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Little else explains a purported sermon by Modi on Tuesday in which he described the Opposition’s protests in Parliament as an “insult to the Constitution, democracy and the people”.

The content of Modi’s pep talk to BJP parliamentarians stood in sharp contrast with what his own party had done when it was in Opposition.

The BJP, as the principal Opposition party during the UPA’s 2004-2014 decade, had stymied Parliament like never before and justified the actions as a “form of democracy, like any other form”.

If the Prime Minister needs the equivalent of a royal ring, which was retrieved from the belly of a fish so that Dushyant could remember Shakuntala, he needs to look up research by PRS Legislative Research.  The non-profit found that the productivity of the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009-14 was the worst in the past 50 years.

Session after session had been completely or partially washed out as the BJP, especially during the UPA II innings, held uproarious protests over corruption allegations against the government.

Appearing oblivious to or unmindful of such behaviour, Modi on Tuesday lashed out at the Opposition for protesting and trying to stall Parliament. The Opposition has been demanding discussions on the Pegasus snooping allegations, the farm protests and other pressing issues but the government has so far not displayed any appetite for such debates.

“The conduct of the Opposition in both Houses is an insult to the Constitution, democracy and the people,” the Prime Minister was quoted as telling BJP parliamentarians at a closed-door meeting.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said Modi expressed anger at the instances of snatching and tearing papers in Parliament.

In 2012, the BJP had forced the washout of the monsoon session of Parliament over charges of corruption in allocation of coal blocks. Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had termed BJP’s actions as a “negation of democracy”.

Responding to this, the then leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, had justified the protests by saying: “Not allowing Parliament to function is also a form of democracy, like any other form.”

The then leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, had described the stalling of Parliament as a legitimate act to “hold the government accountable”.

Many now feel the BJP is getting a taste of its own medicine.

The BJP’s focus then had been demanding investigations into allegations of corruption and calling for the resignation of ministers, including the Prime Minister.

In contrast, the present Opposition has been protesting only to demand a discussion in both Houses of Parliament on the Pegasus snooping, exposed by a global investigation, and the government has been firmly denying it.

At a time several countries have ordered inquiries into the alleged surveillance using the Israeli spyware Pegasus, the Indian government has dismissed it as a “non-issue”.

The Opposition has been demanding an immediate discussion since the spyware is sold only to governments. The Modi government so far has neither accepted nor denied having bought the spyware.

On Tuesday, the Opposition protested for the 11th straight day in both Houses of Parliament, demanding an immediate discussion to seek answers from the government over the snooping charges.

The Prime Minister has so far not spoken a word on Pegasus but has been repeatedly slamming the Opposition for obstructing Parliament.