The Lok Sabha isn’t the same as public rallies on the eve of elections. While the public can be subjected to rabble-rousing and emotional issues, the Lok Sabha is a more rarified and discerning forum. Furthermore, the Lok Sabha speeches and interventions catch infinitely a greater number of eyeballs, broadcasted as is, by a dedicated channel. Ranting about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the alleged communal nature of the right-wing BJP at every opportunity has diminishing marginal returns.
Anurag Bhadouria of the Samajwadi Party (SP), for example, talks robotically about price rise and inflation on every TV panel discussion, blissfully ignoring what the topic is. Rahul Gandhi cannot afford to be another Anurag Bhadouria, especially now that he occupies the exalted chair of the Leader of Opposition (LoP).
George Fernandes, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Murli Manohar Joshi, Madhu Limaye and Madhu Dandavate—to just name a few—were hailed as excellent parliamentarians not for their rabble-rousing speeches but for their ability to seize the moment and hold the treasury to account. To be sure, not all possess such instinctive genius. But even lacking such talent, members of the party think tank must aid their leader by putting together relevant material with cogent facts and figures to corner the government. However, it is important to note that the issues flagged by such think tanks for public rallies need not always pass muster for the more rarified Lok Sabha.
This is budget time, and what was presented on February 1 was merely a vote on account. Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders must seize this moment to present proactive budget proposals. Otherwise, the government and its finance minister, buoyed by the success of the GST, might persist with it as the main revenue-raising tool for the exchequer. Merely lamenting income and wealth disparities—with 1 per cent of the population owning or controlling 40 per cent of the national wealth—is not enough. The sentiment that “the ‘Billionaire Raj’ headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces” resonates with a significant portion of the population.
Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of the Opposition, seems to believe his role primarily involves challenging and countering Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, his responsibilities extend far beyond that. In the lead-up to the upcoming full-fledged budget and thereafter, he must strongly urge the government and its finance minister to prioritise comprehensive direct tax reforms. While Sam Pitroda might have been reinstated as head of the Congress party’s overseas cell, more crucial is revisiting his pre-election insights, for which he faced criticism and dismissal.
In a country marked by the huge and yawning gulf between the haves and have-nots, there is always room and scope for the full range of direct taxes. Pitroda advocated for reinstating the estate duty, which was abolished in India in 1985. Rahul Gandhi should champion this and other progressive tax measures within the Lok Sabha. A well-structured wealth tax, far from harming affluent citizens, could significantly benefit the nation’s finances. Welfare schemes should not be bankrolled by indirect taxes such as fuel taxes and GST, but by the full battery of direct taxes.
Agniveer, with its four-year horizon, is a shortsighted move. Instead of attacking the government with generalities, Rahul Gandhi should boldly propose a scheme guaranteeing employment for new recruits in the armed forces for a minimum of ten years, as opposed to the current four years.
In short, going for the government’s jugular isn’t such a bad ploy. But pinning it down with facts and figures, along with solutions and counter-proposals, is what distinguishes a demagogue from a good parliamentarian. Misplaced triumphalism—the moral mandate is for the INDI alliance, even though the NDA has greater numbers—smacks of puerile assertion.
The author is a senior columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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