Comparisons are odious but often become unavoidable. The context of the comment is the issues of corruption and demand for resignations of ministers facing varying charges during the two conglomerates regimes. The ardent advocates of public morality, corruption-free governance and BJP’s ideological mentors are maintaining self-serving silence.

During the UPA-II rule the BJP did not allow functioning of the Parliament session over session resulting in the failure of the House to discuss and transact important legislations. Its repeated disruptions were in protest against the mega corruption that marked the functioning of the UPA-II government and to demand dismissal of the ministers facing corruption charges. It had also insisted that the Manmohan Singh-led government should resign for “failing” not only to check corruption but also for its “non-performance”.

The NDA’s anti-corruption campaign led to the resignations by the then Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar (both Congress). Among some others who had to step down on corruption charges included the Communication and Information and Technology Minister A. Raja of the DMK involved in alleged scam in allocation of 2G spectrum which a report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said cost huge loss to the public exchequer.

While the BJP-led NDA succeeded in exposing some mega corruption cases under the UPA-II rule leading to the resignations of a number of its ministers, the people also punished the latter by voting it out of power in the 2014 LokSabha elections with the Congress suffering humiliating defeat, worst in its history.

As the saying goes, as you sow, so shall you reap. Now it is the turn of the Congress-led conglomerate comprising most of the opposition parties in power in the states to turn the tables on the Modi-led NDA government. (Punjab’s Badals-led ruling Akali Dal, which nurses grouse against the Modi government for not fulfilling its promise of granting special economic package to help the almost bankrupt state government is the main exception which has not joined hands with the other regional parties in their protests). During the Parliament’s on-going monsoon session, the Congress-led opposition has not allowed enactment of important legislative business demanding resignations of External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Vijay Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan respectively.

Sushma faces the charge of facilitating the absconder IPL czar LalitModi’s entry into India and Raje and his son for entering into financial deals with Modi. Chouhan finds himself in the dock for the unprecedented Vyapam scam involving alleged irregularities committed in the conduct of recruitment and admission tests undertaken by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board which has destroyed careers of thousands of young girls and boys. Huge amounts allegedly changed hands in the scam in which names of some close confidants of the chief minister and his family members also figure. Besides, an FIR was also registered against the Governor Ram NareshYadav. Nearly four dozen persons linked with the scam mysteriously lost their lives.

Sushma has put up an emotional defence of her action in the LokSabha claiming that she had only helped Modi’s wife on humanitarian ground by facilitating Modi’s visit to India to take care of his cancer-stricken wife. What, however, she did not mention was that her step also involved conflict of interest as her husband and daughter have reportedly been working as Modi’s legal advisers. One would wish she also extends help on “humanitarian ground” to others who face cases of committing serious illegalities and whose wives or dear ones are suffering from life-threatening ailments!

After losing elections, political parties usually need breathing space for resuming normal functioning. After a gap of over a year of its worst 2014 electoral debacle the Congress is now in an offensive mode making use of the controversies involving some of the BJP ministers. Another issue which would deserve the entire Opposition’s attention is the divisive utterances of the hotheaded Hindutva hardliners which are communally polarising the multi-religious Indian society leading to sharp increase in communal tension. According to the latest data collated by the Union home ministry, communal violence in India has registered a jump with incidents rising by 24 per cent –from 232 to 287 – and related deaths too up by 65 percent in the first five months of 2015 as compared to the corresponding period of last year when the UPA government was in the saddle.

The disruptions of the functioning of the two Houses by the Congress-led Opposition have resulted in a complete washout of the Parliament’s monsoon session. The LokSabha Speaker’s action in expelling the 25 Congress MPs coupled with the BJP-led NDA’s offensives against the Congress has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Opposition. It has forged unity between the Congress and most of the regional parties who constantly demonstrated outside Parliament in the outgoing week.

The most intriguing feature of the Modi government’s 15 months functioning has been what Sonia Gandhi called the “maunvrat” the otherwise ‘voluminous’ public speaker Prime Minister NarendraModi has so far observed on crucial issues. Political pundits describe his attitude as a trait of arrogance and authoritarian.

Introspection helps overcome shortcomings. It is time for Modi and his government to undertake the exercise. (IPA Service)