IN PARLIAMENT:Rahul's shoot-and- scoot recoils, PM puts Congress on back foot

Non-BJP parties doubt Congress locus; CPI(M) questions ‘weakened’ GOP’s ability in its political draft.

- SHUBHABRATA BHATTACHARYA

'In one of his rare appearances in Lok Sabha (rare because he usually chooses to skip the House), Rahul Gandhi fired booming salvos at the government as the opening speaker on the Motion of Thanks to the President, an annual exercise in which the government showcases its standpoint and the opposition seeks ways to puncture it. He touched upon many issues ranging from Pegasus, Covid management, railway job seekers' agitation, unemployment and plight of small and informal industries, etcetera. Newspaper headlines next morning mentioned none of thesethey were hogged by his theory on “Two Indias and his contention that due to the present government's foreign policy China-Pakistan proximity has ensued. Neither of these two formulations was capable of gaining popular support, nor could they withstand the litmus test: the ruling circles were quick to rebut and even ridicule the de facto leader of the Grand Old Party. Though he referred to himself in his speech as the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, the parliamentary dexterity of neither Nehru nor Rahul's grandfather, Feroze Gandhi, was reflected. Feroze had excelled in expressing contrarian views even as a member of the ruling party. Rahul's discourse was nowhere near that niche. Perhaps it was the poorest start to a debate from Opposition benches ever.