Congress scion Rahul Gandhi created a flutter when
he announced that he had information of personal
corruption against the Prime Minister. The unofficial
leader of the opposition had on Wednesday said that
he has information of personal corruption by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
“That information is personal information about Narendra
Modi which I want to place in Lok Sabha. It is personal corruption
of the Prime Minister... the PM is not allowing us to
speak,” Gandhi said at a press conference. While he is yet to
make good on that promise, it did raise a few eyebrows coming
as it did from Rahul at a time when such utterances are
more common from Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Predictably, it
set in motion a slanging match between the ruling and the opposition,
with the BJP accusing him of losing his ‘mental stability’.
Lost in the din is an actual debate on the government’s
demonetisation decision, with the opposition failing to have
a coherent response. Real questions
about the government’smotives,
the cost of the exercise, the
unpreparedness leading to a cash
crunch, whether the government
does actually have a plan, etc, have
not been articulated in the country’s house of representatives.
The fact that former PM Manmohan Singh’s speech in the Rajya
Sabha garnered so much traction is only a reflection of how
much eagerness there is to hear the political opposition reflect
popular bemusement at the move.
If Gandhi does not make good on his promise and reveal what
he claims he knows, as Kejriwal has asked him to do, if not in
the House then outside of it, he is risking his own personal
credibility and the chances of emerging as a serious political
entity that can lead the opposition to the 2019 polls against a
powerful political leader.
Rahul is scheduled to embark upon a campaign trail, but the
question is whether he can capitalise on the demonetisation
opportunity. With Rahul scheduled to address a meeting in
South Goa on Friday, the intensity he brings with him will be
there for all to see. It will also be a reflection on how seriously
the Congress high command takes a ‘small state’ like Goa.
Sure it may be only one of five states going to polls, but one
that has a capacity to make national headlines and punch far
above its weight. A loss in Goa for the BJP may not seem like
much, especially if the results are announced on the same day.
The Congress could play its part to displace the BJP in a State
overseen by two senior BJP ministers in the form of Manohar
Parrikar and Nitin Gadkari who are undoubtedly confident of
winning, and one that is has unparalleled potential to embarrass
the BJP. It will also be an acid test for a divided Goa Congress
to put up a show of strength to make a statement that it
is still a force to reckon with.
