Former finance minister P.Chidambaram, on Friday, cited the kind of language used by the prime minister in Parliament as the reason for the complete breakdown in dialogue between ruling party and the opposition.
Answering a question after the release of his book, 'Fearless in Opposition', Chidambaram referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment in Rajya Sabha [only former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh knew how to take a bath with raincoat on], and elaborated, “If he had said that at a party meeting or a remote location — even if it had been reported in the media — we would have ignored it. But to use that language in the sacred space of the Parliament, we will have to take note. There will be a breakdown in dialogue.”
Dr Manmohan Singh was sitting in the front row with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
The senior Congress leader pointed out that this kind of a breakdown in dialogue did not happen when other non-Congress leaders were prime ministers. “But this NDA government came to office talking of Congress-mukt Bharat. Has the Congress in 60 years ever said RSS-mukt Bharat or BJP-mukt barat? In democracy, there must be space for every ideology.”
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who was among the panellists discussing the book, looked into his smartphone and read out a tweet of the prime minister’s statement in Haridwar. “Congress kay logon ko kehta hoon, zubaan sambhaal ke rakho nahi toh mere paas aapki poori janmapatri padi hui hai: PM Modi in Haridwar” (I tell you leaders of the Congress, mind your tongue. Otherwise I have your entire record). "We have had scathing debates, but this kind of language..nobody has spoken like that. We have always known that a gentleman never wins in a streetfight, because he can never stoop to that level."
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also on the panel, remarked, "Someone who speaks like that definitely has a problem."
The Janata Dal (United) leader used the platform to call for unity of opposition parties in the face of the BJP's handling of the economy, thrust on their kind of nationalism and patriotism, while treating those who chose to differ as anti-nationals. His call got positive response from Yechury and Chidambaram.
