You mentioned Uniform Civil Code. The question is, with whom was this issue discussed? The previous Law Commission on this has clearly said that there is no need for it. After that, the new Law Commission has started a debate on this again. You say that the opposition criticizes, but did you try to build a consensus on this issue? Leave the opposition, you didn’t even understand the need to discuss this issue with the civil society. The UPA government had come out with a pre-legislative consultative policy, where before making any law, discussions were held with the general public. How many laws have you tried to discuss with the general public in the last nine years? How many bills have you sent to the Standing Committee of Parliament for review? On one hand you are trying to bulldoze everything on the basis of numbers in the house and on the other hand you expect cooperation from the opposition. These two things cannot go together.
For the last several sessions, there has been a continuous deadlock in the Parliament. The ruling party and the opposition blame each other. Who do you hold responsible for this?
For the last almost three decades, deadlock in Parliament has become a trend. The main reason for this is that ever since the anti-defection law was enacted, democracy has almost disappeared from the Parliament. It is a paradox that the parliamentarian is elected by the people and sent to the parliament, but his parliamentary life is run by the political party. According to me, the anti-defection law needs to be abolished. This law was brought to stop ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’, but today the truth is that it has made the retail business of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ a wholesale business. Regarding the deadlock, I had once suggested to the speaker that you should conduct question hour from 11 am to 12 am, zero hour from 12 pm to 1 pm, government business from 2 pm to 6 pm, and the issues that the collective opposition should raise from 6 pm to 9 pm. Wants, you get them discussed under Rule 193. With this, the opposition will also get a chance to present their views in the House. Deadlock occurs in the House only when the opposition does not get a chance to speak.
These days the exercise of opposition unity is going on. Will so many opposition parties with their ideological differences be able to provide a strong alternative to BJP or Narendra Modi in the coming times?
The basic values of Indian democracy, which were enshrined in the constitution by our constitution makers, have been assaulted in the last nine years, the opposition unity can be realized by resting on those values. For example, we believe in a democratic system rather than a dictatorship. We will not use government agencies motivated by political animosity. We will respect freedom of expression. Will re-establish the country as a secular republic. Everyone can come together on issues like these. But before making a consensus on all these issues, we also have to ensure that whichever regional party is ruling the state, it will follow these values. It cannot be that we keep one standard at the Center and treat our political opponents differently in the States.
The interests of the Congress are clashing with those of several parties in the opposition unity. For example, with AAP in Delhi and Punjab, which is saying that Congress should not contest elections in these two states. How do you see it?
I believe that the basis of opposition unity will be democratic values and not the personal interests of political parties. You can build a consensus on these democratic values, you can never build a consensus on strategies. Once there is mutual agreement on core values and ideology, then strategic coordination is not difficult. For example, who will fight on how many seats or who will fight from where.
What to say about the situation in Punjab?
Punjab needs to be handled very delicately as security in this border province is itself a sensitive issue due to Pakistan’s interference. In view of this, there is a need to maintain peace and tranquility in Punjab. Apart from this, there is a need to unite and fight against such forces, who try to weaken the unity of Punjab, that is, what we call Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat. I believe that if you create political animosity or create bitterness, then its negative impact on the border states will be of a different kind. Manipur is the latest example of this, where the situation is very sensitive. If such mutual differences are visible in the border state, then the external forces which want to weaken India will take advantage of it.
At one point of time you were a member of the dissident group in the party. You have also made some demands of the people. Are you satisfied with the changes that have taken place within the party in the last one year?
It is not a matter of dissatisfaction. We had put some suggestions before the Congress leadership for the betterment and strength of the party. Even if we had written a letter, it was written to the president of our party, but not to the president of any other party. It is our right to speak our mind to our leadership. After that, in the election of the party president, we all supported Mallikarjun Kharge. This election was done in a democratic manner. Some of us even contested elections, it is another matter that they did not get success. But now everyone has accepted the leadership of Kharge and decided to work unitedly in the interest of the party. After that you will not find any contradiction in the party.