BJP raises its ugly head; out to sabotage democracy

Thursday will go down in the history as one of the darkest days for our democracy. There could be nothing more shameful and deceitful than the proposal of merger of the four Rajya Sabha members of the TDP with the BJP.

The question here is not switching loyalties since 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' concept is not new. The Congress had encouraged it and it appears the BJP is taking it forward at much faster pace. The question is of ethics about which the BJP always boasts about.

Thursday's development is nothing but a clear threat to democracy and it now throws a big challenge to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu as well. Perhaps even the Chairman, though heart of hearts, may not approve such a move by the BJP, but may accept the decision of the party taking shelter under para 4 of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

Even this is debatable because there is nothing like a Parliamentary Party. It is only for notional for functional purpose. As per anti-defection law, if two third members of the main political party decide to merge with another party then it is not considered defection. For convenience' sake, ruling parties are misusing this Act.

It now remains to be seen what the Rajya Sabha Chairman who is a strong votary against such defections would do. He has been advocating disqualification of such members from the legislatures repeatedly.

When TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and TRS president K Chandrashekar Rao welcomed legislators of other parties into their fold in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively, he as Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, favoured taking a relook at anti-defection law.

He said, "Everybody has a right to change party. But, after changing the party, by evening, one should respectably quit the position that came because of the party. But that is not happening in most of the States in the country."

How much Venkaiah Naidu must be grieving in giving them a green signal being a strong advocate of disqualification of such political turncoats? But does he have any other choice even if he dislikes it? What next? Alas, everyone dubbed the general elections as the biggest festival of the country.

Is this how democracy celebrated? How many more would the party like to coerce using investigating agencies in future?

The BJP's political priorities overrule honour and decency in public life. All that matters to it, is the numbers game. And it does not have it in the Rajya Sabha to push its hidden agenda.

The BJP is not looking at 'One Nation, One Election" policy but is blatantly and outrageously pursuing a 'One Nation, One Party' theory. After all, Modi-Shah duo always insisted on 'Congress Mukt Bharat'. Now it seems to be planning 'Opposition Mukt BJP".

The duo has successfully kicked out the senior and saner voices from the party. Made a second term MP as a Speaker just to erase the senior BJP faces from Rajasthan. That is one part of the game.

Narendra Modi added 'Sab ka Vishwas' recently slightly modifying his earlier slogan of "Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas'. What he meant by the addition was managing the 'Vishwas' part of it.

The acceptance of the merger by the BJP, as announced by its working president, J P Nadda, is simply obnoxious. The diabolical game plan of the BJP is out in the open. When it planned to occupy the space of the TDP in AP, no one ever thought that it would do so, mistakenly, in such odious nature.

Just think of it. This is not even the Lok Sabha, but the Elders' House. Rajya Sabha exists to correct the omissions and commissions of the Lok Sabha and has been created to provide checks and balances.

If this continues, there will be no checks no balances. In future this will become the best precedent for any party that comes to power to get freedom from Opposition.

There was a time when Rajya Sabha had stalwarts like Piloo Modi, Indira Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee, but now it will make one agree with what the founder president of TDP and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh who abolished the Legislative Council saying that it had become a place for political employment of defeated leaders or those who cannot win direct elections.

With Thursday's development one would tend to endorse the statement of NTR that Upper Houses in States should be abolished. It now appears that same analogy should be extended to Parliament and it should be debated if Upper House is necessary.