Budget Session turns battleground as govt, opposition clash in Parliament

Poonam Pandey: The first day of the second phase of the Budget Session was marred by protests and sloganeering. However, the way both the ruling party and the opposition attempted to shape the narrative, both inside and outside the House, reveals that a narrative war has already begun. Ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the opposition is trying to corner the government in Parliament on issues concerning the people, while the government is trying to capitalize on this for its own political gain.

Both the ruling party and the opposition are on the offensive.

Both the ruling party and the opposition are accusing each other of lack of business in the House. On Monday, the presiding chairman stated that every minute of Parliament's proceedings costs ₹250,000. This translates to a daily expenditure of ₹9 crore. Opposition parties are wasting public money.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also indirectly targeted the Gandhi family. The government is trying to portray the opposition as having a negative mindset. The government is claiming that the opposition is now running away from the discussion on the Lok Sabha Speaker's no-confidence motion.

Accusations of Hit-and-Run Politics by the Opposition

Ruling leaders are accusing the opposition of hit-and-run politics. They claim that the opposition is doing so because the issue is weak. However, the opposition has its own narrative. Opposition party leaders sitting at the Makar Dwar of Parliament are accusing the government of suppressing their voice and killing democracy. Opposition parties, which initially cornered the government on foreign policy, are now questioning West Asia.

Opposition leaders have consistently accused Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of preventing them from speaking. A no-confidence motion was even brought against him during the first phase of the Budget Session, and a notice was served to remove Birla from his post. The matter was scheduled for discussion on Monday. However, the opposition demanded a discussion on West Asia. The BJP cornered the opposition, claiming the motion lacked substance.

Allegations on Trade Deal

Then on Tuesday, when the discussion on the no-confidence motion against Birla began, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi echoed everything that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had wanted to raise in Parliament during the first phase of the Budget Session. Gogoi spoke about everything from the "do what you think is right" statement in former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished book to the Epstein Files.

During the discussion on the no-confidence motion, the opposition questioned the leadership, accusing the US-India trade deal. The ruling party also appeared to strengthen its narrative. The impact of this narrative war between the ruling and opposition parties will be felt outside the House. Only time will tell whom the public trusts. After the announcement of election dates in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the narrative war of Parliament will be seen in these states also.