Shame, Shame Mr Rahul Gandhi
Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi
I am shocked at the speech you gave in Parliament today, you have no right to be a leader of the masses if your speech reflects your thinking. I am left with no choice but to educate people by dissecting your speech in detail:
You have said:
“I have been deeply distressed at the developments of the last few days. Many aspects of the situation have caused me anguish.”
Are you speaking the truth? With a surname like Gandhi, that’s the least expected of you. Where were you for the last few days? The entire nation awaited your intervention to resolve the impasse but you were absent. Various TV channels and eminent people in the Media tried to get your comment, there was none. Everyone in India gave their comments, from the general public to attention seekers like Shobha De, Arundhati Roy & Rakhi Sawant. Where were you?
“We are all aware that corruption is pervasive. It operates at every level.”
Oh, Oh. You are the General Secretary of the Congress party, that has lead the nation for almost 60 years of it’s Independence. Aren’t you responsible for the State as it exists today? Thereby, aren’t you responsible for creating this ever so pervasive corruption at every level?
“we cannot wish away corruption by the mere desire to see it removed from our lives. This requires a comprehensive framework of action and a concerted political program supported by all levels of the state from the highest to the lowest. Most importantly, it requires firm political will.”
That’s exactly what the Congress Party lacks, firm political will. In case you are not aware, your party is running the government currently, if you had political will, you should have prepared the comprehensive framework of action by now.
“in the past few years I have travelled the length and breadth of our country. I have met scores of countrymen, rich and poor, old and young, privileged and disempowered who have expressed their disillusionment to me.”
Thank you so much for informing the public that you have travelled extensively around the country, I assume it was done at the cost of taxpayers. What is the outcome of all your travels? That people are disillusioned by the way the country has been run by your party? Good, so now you’ve heard it. What have you done about it? Do you even intend to do anything about it? Lets hear the plan then.
“Witnessing the events of the last few days it would appear that the enactment of a single Bill will usher in a corruption-free society. I have serious doubts about this belief.”
If you have any belief (a.ka. plan), please express it. Sure the enactment of a single bill will not usher in a corruption-free society but how will not allowing any bill to pass ensure a corruption-free society? A combination of bills such as the RTI Act, RTE Act, The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, Lokpal Bill, Women’s Reservation Bill together can surely reduce corruption, why do you prevent or subvert these bills from being passed?
“An effective Lok Pal law is only one element in the legal framework to combat corruption. The Lok Pal institution alone cannot be a substitute for a comprehensive anti-corruption code.”
So why has your government not worked to create an effective Lok Pal? The bill presented by your government is toothless, you’re ensuring that it does nothing to combat corruption. And where is the comprehensive anti-corruption code, what has your party done in the past 64 years to create this code?
“ Madam Speaker, why not elevate the debate and fortify the Lok Pal by making it a Constitutional body accountable to Parliament like the Election Commission of India? I feel the time has come for us to seriously consider this idea. “
Sure, why not? For the first time, you’re talking sense. So why doesn’t the bill presented by your Government have this provision? Why doesn’t it propose making the Lok Pal a constitutional body? Maybe you’ve just woken up but it’s not too late, please get this added in the bill, thank you.
“A tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected Government that seeks to undo the checks and balances created to protect the supremacy of Parliament sets a dangerous precedent for a democracy.”
Tactical incursions are made today by the people of India because the elected Governments and representatives have failed to deliver. Simple. Yes, Democracy is at stake and the current revolution and protests are to warn the leaders that unless they wake up and take action, the people will take over.
“Today the proposed law is against corruption. Tomorrow the target may be something less universally heralded. It may attack the plurality of our society and democracy.”
So Mr Gandhi, in fear of tomorrow, you will not do something right today? You will not approve a law against corruption today because the people of the country might ask for something else tomorrow? Smells fishy really.
“I believe in Government funding of our political parties.”
As the General Secretary of the Congress party, would you mind putting up details of funding received by the Congress Party on your website? It will help the nation decide if the Government should give such amounts of funding to political parties or not.
“Let us commit ourselves to truth and probity in public life. We owe it to the people of India.”
This is how you end your speech, without even addressing the key issue.
Where is your stand on the Jan Lok Pal Bill? Do you support the Jan LokPal bill as presented by the Civil Society member? No? Yes? Do you support the inclusion of the Citizens charter in the LokPal bill? Why don’t you want lower level government officials, who collect all the money on behalf of the top level leader, kept out of the LokPal jurisdiction?
To have read a speech without a stand on an issue so important clearly indicates your support to forces in your government who want corruption to flourish.
You have let the Nation down and you must make amends before a tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected Government seeks to undo the likes of you.