New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said that five years as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha has been a great learning experience for me. Being in Opposition is an experience by itself. You have to be vigilant and well informed. A lot of informants come to you with information.
There are opportunities to put the government on the mat. Being in Opposition also gives you sufficient time to be well informed and well-prepared. You get opportunities to improve your articulation and plan attacks on the government. There are also opportunities where you have to rise to the occasion to display statesmanship.
He further said opposition itself has a powerful role in Indian democracy. There is a spread of political power in a democratic system. Governments no longer are the sole repository of all powers. Opposition, media, judiciary, bureaucracy. Civil society are co-sharers in the power. Opposition has a powerful role to safeguard public interest. Vigilance, regulation and protection of public interest are the principal objects of the Opposition.
According to Jaitley, All political parties need to be well trained to sit in Opposition. Why is then the Congress scared of sitting in the Opposition ? It is clear that the popular mandate is not with the Congress. The Congress is likely to be a two digit party. It cannot wildly dream of being a part of the ruling combination. The idea of getting out of power is making the Congressmen bitter and desperate.
The Prime Minister has become cynical. He complains to people he meets that he has been unfairly targeted. The Gandhis believe that they were God’s gifts to India and were meant only to rule. They frown at the very idea of a Tea vendor defeating them at the polls and ruling India. Others believe that till 16th May they have unlimited power. The Shah Alams are failing to realize the limits of their jurisdiction.
The Congressmen will do well if they reconcile to their seats in the Opposition. A stint in the Opposition does a lot of god to you when you introspect and plan for the future. Political positions are not permanent. If the Congressmen on the eve of their departure are laying down an agenda of confrontation with the current Opposition,they are only laying down an agenda for the future. Nobody will accept the argument that what the Congressmen are doing is justice and when the same is reciprocated it is vindictiveness.
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