Where other Opposition parties walked a tightrope, and Congress tied itself up in knots

Indian Express

3 days ago

The Pahalgam terrorist attack, Operation Sindoor and the highly-publicised diplomatic tour of multi-party delegations to over 30 countries have thrown up a few surprises in the Opposition ranks.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has smashed the stereotypical image his opponents had cast him into; Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has eclipsed his party, earning all-round praise for his authoritative explanation of the military action against Pakistan; while Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee have deftly walked the tightrope between 'nationalism' and their opposition to the BJP, with the nephew drawing notice for his forceful denunciation of Pakistan, as part of his all-party team abroad.
Among the predictables, the Congress ranked the highest, its actions marked by typical confusion, leaving it familiarly tied up in knots.
Having handled the days following the Pahalgam terror attack well, standing in full solidarity with the government and reining in its motormouths, the Congress has let all that flow out of the window. The most glaring example has been the party's response to the all-party delegations chosen by the government to present India's case against Pakistan abroad.
If that was a canny move by a government not known to cede space to the Opposition, the Congress – rather than recognising when it is beat – has been churlish, starting with picking at names of its leaders chosen by the government for the teams.
The Congress could have looked in its own corner, at the TMC, for cues. The party that is in as bitter a battle of survival against the BJP as the Congress, with the poll war of Bengal looming months from now, has held its own when served the same fait accompli.
Mamata too put her foot down at the government's choice of TMC leaders to be part of the all-party delegations. But when she said Yusuf Pathan would stay out, he did. This, in turn, made the government reach out to the third largest party in Parliament to make amends, giving Mamata a chance to nominate her No. 2 and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, giving the young MP a national platform he has wanted.
Granted that the Congress could not count on its own leaders toeing the party line on the issue of staying out once picked by the government – which selected names that were not just among the best of Congress talent but also leaders who felt sidelined within its ranks. Given this reality, the Congress would have done well to handle this matter in-house, rather than in full public view.
The Congress did not let the matter rest even after this, making a barely concealed attempt at graciousness by saying its leaders would 'of course, go with the delegations and make their contributions'. No sooner had the teams left though, the party denounced the exercise as an attempt to 'divert attention' from the tough questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'being called to answer'.
The most unseeming spectacle has been the sniping between the Congress's own leaders and Tharoor who, by all accounts, is the star speaker of the delegations. As this plays out publicly on social media, it is being amplified by the party's communications department, with apparently no efforts to check the same.
Many wondered why the party then allowed its leaders to be part of the all-party government exercise in the first place.
In the party's defence, Congress leaders argue that the comparison to others is misplaced as all other parties are single-leader entities. 'Sharad Pawar will never complain that his daughter was asked to head one of the delegations without consulting him. The same is the case with the DMK. M K Stalin would not have a problem with Kanimozhi leading a delegation. Owaisi need not ask anyone… Even Mamata… had the government nominated Abhishek (in the first place), she also would not have thrown a fit,' one Congress leader said.
However, the Congress is on thin ice here, as most parties – and that includes the Aam Aadmi Party, RJD, Samajwadi Party and the CPI(M), where party writ runs supreme – chose not to make an issue of the names chosen by the government. It was not a battle these parties perhaps wanted to pick.
Again, while Opposition parties other than the Congress too have been demanding convening of a special session of Parliament, most have thought it politically prudent to desist from seeming too persistent with questions on Operation Sindoor. It is an issue they have let pass at the moment, even though many believe Modi and the BJP are using Operation Sindoor politically.
For the TMC, the balancing act has been the toughest, given the elections ahead and given that Muslims are its big support base. So, Mamata has been clear in her rhetorical signal to the Muslim community that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in Bengal. Meanwhile, Abhishek, while representing the Indian government in the all-party delegations, is underlining that the TMC can be as aggressive on nationalism as the BJP. His remarks in Tokyo, saying, 'If terrorism is a rabid dog, Pakistan is its vile handler. We must first unite the world to tackle this wild handler – else it will continue to breed more rabid dogs', is being amplified by the TMC.
In Tokyo, Abhishek also made it a point to visit the memorial of Rash Behari Bose and raised its 'neglected and dilapidated state'. 'I have requested our Ambassador and the Indian Embassy in Tokyo to take up the matter with concerned authorities and ensure that this remarkable hero receives the honour he truly deserves,' he then said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, Congress sympathisers are ruing that yet again, the party's sorry state of affairs stands exposed, with those calling the shots not willing to acknowledge or accommodate leaders like Tharoor who are not in agreement with the way the party is being run, decisions and stands taken, or policies formulated.