BJP’s spin doctors get busy

BJP leaders plan to send feelers to the Opp. as the govt apprehends a logjam in Parliament

Sensing the possibility of next month’s Budget Session of Parliament becoming another washout, BJP spin doctors and floor managers have begun hectic parleys to prevent it happening. They have sent feelers to the principal Opposition Congress as well as other parties to cooperate with it as sources indicated that the NDA government could be cornered over a host of issues, mainly the Pathankot terror attack and the Centre’s inconsistent stand on relations with Pakistan, apart from the Arunachal Pradesh crisis and the suicide of dalit student Rohith Vemula.

Top BJP leaders are planning to meet and send feelers to the Opposition parties as the government apprehends a logjam in Parliament over the aforementioned issues.

Incidentally, finance minister Arun Jaitley, while delivering a lecture in Kolkata on Saturday, indirectly attacked the Opposition for blocking the government’s reform measures, like the passage of the GST Bill. “Those who play games in Parliament must eventually realise that they are not only stalling the growth process of the country, but actually hurting India’s credibility,” said Mr Jaitley. He added that India needed to speak largely in one voice on maintaining the growth momentum so as to give out the right signal — that the country is capable of achieving the goals it has set out to achieve.

The Congress is refusing to budge from its stand on the GST Bill, and there are possibilities that it would again block the Centre’s efforts to get the bill cleared.

Regarding Arunachal Pradesh, though the Congress had raised the issue during the Winter Session of Parliament when governor J.P. Rajkhowa had controversially advanced the Winter Session of the state Assembly by a month to December, sources indicated that with the situation now turning into a constitutional crisis with President’s Rule imposed there, the Congress is likely to make it a big issue in the Budget Session.

Sources added that with the Pathankot terror attack having raised serious questions regarding the security forces’ inability to foil the infiltration and stop the terrorists from reaching the airbase, and the incident also leading to postponement of foreign secretary-level talks, the Congress may pressure the NDA government on its inconsistent policy, or lack of one, on Pakistan.

The suicide of dalit student Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad is another issue on which the government could be targeted in the Budget Session as the Congress, as well as its youth wing, the NSUI, have already held several demonstrations across the country targeting what they say is the Centre’s insensitive stand regarding dalits. The Opposition has been seeking the ouster of Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya and HRD minister Smriti Irani in connection with the incident.