The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday slammed the Congress party for not allowing the Parliament to function during the last two sessions.
A day after the end of the Winter Session—widely seen as a washout, Jaitley said in a social media post that the Congress party leadership must realise that its “disproportionate and irrational approach” in dealing with Parliament was hurting institutions..
“If Pandit Nehru can be credited in the initial years of our democracy of having laid down of healthy precedents being established, the current generation in control of the Congress Party will find a place in history of having weakened what their ancestors established”, Jaitley said.
Jaitley also highlighted that most of the Congress leaders, in private, have expressed helplessness over the decision of their leadership that Parliament must be disturbed continuously.
The Finance Minister posed several questions that could put Congress Party in a corner and uncomfortable position politically.
“Has the country not lost out by delaying the GST since the last year’s Budget Session? How far is it desirable to pass important legislations on the last day without discussion? Statistically, we have passed a law. But has Parliament applied its mind to the law?” Jaitley asked.
VULGARITY & VOTES
Jaitley also came down heavily on the functionaries of the Delhi Government and its supporters for lowering the level of political discourse.
“What about the statements made by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi about the Prime Minister and others, both inside and outside Delhi Assembly? If any functionary of the Government of India were to use such language, it would witness a nationwide outrage”.
Jaitley said that people in positions are expected to act with restraint. They cannot be outlandish. Vulgarity is not a right available to them. The political discourse cannot be couched in vulgar language.
“Falsehood delivered with vulgar overtones is not a substitute of truth. Lumpenisation of public discourse can never be high point of politics”, Jaitley added.
Jaitley expressed hope that vulgarity does not become the new norm of Indian politics.
He highlighted as to how the BJP Party President’s caution on few members –who made statements that were not appreciated even by the Party—had visible results in their refraining from making more such statements.
Jaitley slammed the functionaries of the Delhi Government for relying heavily on general falsehood without ever stating the specifics.
“The Aam Aadmi Party’s success in Delhi seems to have misled the Congress Party that vulgarity brings votes. Indian public opinion has a sense of fairness. It is time that public opinion expresses its outrage against the lowering of the level of public discourse”, Jaitley said in his social media post.