In Danger: Democracy-Constitution or Opposition Politics?

Indian democracy is today counted among the largest, vibrant and aware democracies of the world. It is governed by the strong foundation of the Constitution, transparency of institutions and public awareness. But the irony is that the opposition of the country, especially the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly started an unnecessary and futile debate by falsely claiming a threat to democracy and the Constitution. They not only keep making baseless allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP to corner and blame them, but also try to defame them by singing the tune of the country's constitutional institutions, processes and the Constitution itself being in danger. Such leaders invoke the Constitution, but they themselves seem to be tearing the Constitution and the law to pieces. Such an attack on the soul of democracy is a big question on the role of the opposition. It is ironic and worrying that Rahul Gandhi, while opposing Modi-BJP, even in his foreign trips, starts opposing the country, which causes a huge damage to India's image abroad and foreigners feel that democracy and the Constitution are collapsing in India.

When Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his colleagues say that 'democracy has ended in the country', 'the Constitution is in danger', then it seems to be only a political gimmick, not a logical criticism. If democracy was really in danger, would they have been able to openly criticize the government from every platform? Would institutions like Parliament, media, Election Commission, and judiciary give space to their statements? In fact, democracy and the Constitution came under threat in 1975 when the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi imposed an emergency on the basis of 'internal disturbance' under Article 352 to save her government and by sidelining democracy and the Constitution, sent thousands of leaders and innocent people to jail under harsh laws. After independence, when democracy was in danger for the first and last time, the Constitution was also in danger. Instead of looking into his own self and the past of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi makes baseless, misleading and unfounded allegations against Modi-BJP of endangering democracy and the Constitution. In these tragic circumstances, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the opposition is not protecting democracy, but is trying to defame democracy to regain its lost vote base. Especially in Lok Sabha or Assembly elections, instead of raising important and public-related issues, it has become common to mislead the public by saying that democracy and the Constitution are in danger.

Illegal intruders from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar have entered the country and many states in large numbers. To increase their vote bank, these intruders are getting space with the support of these opposition parties. These intruders have not only obtained documents like Aadhaar, PAN, ration card, voter ID card etc. through fraudulent means, but have also got their names in the voter lists of many constituencies. This is a serious threat to democracy, national security and population balance. The Election Commission has taken a tough stand on this and has decided to do 'intensive revision of voter lists' in all the states. In Bihar, it has already taken the initiative to identify such people, but the opposition has objections to this and has also challenged it in the Supreme Court. The court did not stop this action of the Commission.

The opposition has been targeting the Election Commission for a long time, sometimes raising questions on fair voting and sometimes on revision of voter lists. Since elections are the ladder to power, it has become quite easy for the opposition to accuse and defame the Election Commission after losing the Lok Sabha elections and becoming irrelevant in many states. Sometimes it points fingers at the appointments and decisions of the Election Commissioners, sometimes it accuses them of working at the behest of the BJP, sometimes it tries to destroy the image of the Election Commission by raising issues of EVMs, irregularities in the voter list, delay in providing data, party bias etc. But the Supreme Court silenced the opposition by giving the green signal to the revision of the voter list in Bihar.

The role of the opposition in a democracy is to give direction to the government through constructive criticism and alternative policies. But today's opposition is neither able to present any concrete plan regarding the dangerous intentions of Pakistan-China, nor poverty, nor inflation, nor unemployment, nor communal harmony, nor the challenge of neighboring countries on the border, nor the problems of farmers, youth and women, nor is it able to raise these basic issues effectively. Their politics has become limited to opposing Modi and BJP only. When politics focuses on ‘opposition’ instead of ‘development’, it becomes a hunger for power and not public interest.

Opposition parties are constantly aggressive against Modi and BJP. Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other parties try to show by waving the copy of the constitution as if the constitution is in danger and they have to save it. But the people of India have now become mature and wise; they can see the difference between good and bad. It has become a habit of the opposition to accuse the BJP of ‘dictatorship’, ‘conspiracy to change the constitution’, ‘anti-people policies’. But every time the people have rejected these allegations outright by giving a clear majority in the elections. The people know that schemes like Operation Sindoor, Digital India, Garib Mukt Bharat, Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, women reservation, successful presidency of G-20, action against corruption, free ration for the poor, improved roads, shining railways and shining railway stations, houses, toilets and water have been made possible not just by slogans but by determination and dedication. Does Rahul Gandhi or the Indian alliance have a concrete economic policy, security strategy, or a blueprint for social harmony? Can they explain the direction they want to take India in, or have they accepted only anti-Modi as their policy? The Indian public has matured politically. They now prefer concrete achievements and vision instead of emotional and misleading slogans. In such a situation, this propaganda of the opposition is only harming their credibility. The opposition should do positive politics, present alternative policies, and earn the trust of the public, and not cover up its failures by questioning the very existence of democracy. Politics should not be just a means of opposition, but of solutions. Misleading the public has become common.

By Lalit Garg