Overstretching ‘bugging controversy’ in Parliament shows Congress running out of issues

It seems that the Congress has run out of issues in the Parliament to counter the ruling NDA. At a time when there are other serious matters like price rise and law and order to be addressed, the party is consistently demanding a judicial probe and a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the bugging issue.

What is the bugging issue?

As per some media reports, some ‘high-powered listening devices' were allegedly discovered in Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence. The Government immediately rejected these reports and termed all such reports as "baseless". The ruling party has also accused the opposition of raising a "non-issue" in the Parliament.

Government's clarification:

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh issued a clarification after Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour on Wednesday and said, "Newspaper reports about high-powered listening devices being found inside the bedroom of a minister's residence are entirely without any basis".

Referring to Gadkari's earlier tweets dismissing media reports in this regard as "highly speculative," Singh said, "Even the person in whose bedroom the alleged devices were found has denied it."

Congress's pointless demand:

Comparing the issue with the issue of phone tapping case of then leader of the opposition and now leader of the House, Arun Jaitley, when the issue was discussed in the house, Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, said it is a serious matter and must be discussed as well.

To Sharma's demands Jaitley said there was a vast difference between fiction and realty and the Home Minister will soon make a statement.

Congress leaders have failed to substantiate the bugging issue

But, the protesting Congress MPs, who had no other issues to raise, couldn't substantiate their demands with any proof but still stuck to their demands and continued agitating.

Even the Deputy Chairman of Upper House PJ Kurien rejected their claims and said, "I am unable to find any substantial material to prove that (bugging). Therefore, I cannot allow the question of privilege. The Chair cannot go by newspaper reports. It has to go by facts."

Failing to raise important issues:

Modi Government has been in office for nearly two months now and if the Congress "really" wanted to surround the government it could have easily done that by raising the matters of public interest in the Parliament. Raising the problems of price rise and law and order situation in the country were some of the issues on which the opposition could have cornered the government. But instead, the Opposition consumed the important time of the House on matters like Leader of Opposition and bugging.

Party is adamant on LoP issue:

Ironically, for over four decades the Congress didn't recognize any party's leader as a leader of opposition. Neither the party, while being in power, took any initiatives to make amendments in its own laws. And now, when the party has been decimated to less than ten per cent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha is adamant on getting Leader of Opposition status.

Time for introspection:

What Congress leadership needs to understand is that in order to up the ante against the government, the party itself should show some seriousness for course correction and rather than raising such issues, should raise the matters of public interest in the house.