Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday attacked Narendra Modi as he took charge as Prime Minister for a record third time, saying the BJP's approach to parliamentary democracy will not change as long as PM Modi is at the helm. However, he asserted the Opposition was stronger in term numbers comparing to 17th Lok Sabha.
Citing footballing term, Assam's Jorhat MP said the "wall of defenders" is now bigger and much more robust with over 230 I.N.D.I.A bloc MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Gogoi also predicted that the coalition NDA government will not last a full term. To support his argument, he said Modi's leadership style does not inspire confidence that he can complete five years successfully.
"I do see that in the 236 MPs of the INDIA bloc, we will have a Parliament where they cannot bulldoze bills, intimidate us, suspend us. They had suspended 146 MPs (last year), will they suspend 236 this time?" he added.
The deputy leader of the Congress in the previous Lok Sabha dismissed suggestions that NDA allies TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar gave in to the BJP on government formation, saying they have "extremely shrewd political minds" and should not be judged quickly as "only time will tell what their true intentions are".
"He simply does not have the flexibility to change his approach even within his own party...the PMO will direct the cabinet colleagues. Even now his allies will keep demanding special status, caste census, revoking Agnipath but I don't think his approach to allies will change," he said.
"Till the time Modi is there as PM, I don't think their approach to Parliament is going to change. They will still try to bulldoze, suspend, disqualify, poach. But yes, as in football, while there were three defenders (earlier), our wall (of defenders) is now bigger and much more robust," Gogoi said during the interaction.
He said the story of this election is that the people of India have taught a "lesson in humility" to Prime Minister Modi.
Gogoi, the son of late Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, said that with the numbers that the elections have thrown up and the prevailing circumstances, he does not think Modi has the ability to run a coalition government.
"Mr. Modi doesn't even take his cabinet into confidence. When he did demonetisation, the finance minister did not know. When he abrogated Article 370, his cabinet did not know. When he brought Agnipath, his cabinet did not know. So, someone who cannot even take his cabinet into confidence, how will he take the NDA alliance into confidence?" he said.
Gogoi said that for a coalition government to function smoothly, as it did under former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, one needs to have an open mind, an inclusive approach and the ability to listen and be flexible.
Citing the arrest of opposition parties' chief ministers and action by probe agencies in the run-up to the polls, the Jorhat MP said the country has fought back through polls.
He, however, added that the BJP is still unable to understand the lesson the people of the country wanted to teach the party.
In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP with 240 seats fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats. The Congress bagged 99 seats while the I.N.D.I.A bloc got 234 seats. Following the polls, two Independents who won have also pledged support to the Congress, taking the I.N.D.I.A bloc tally to 236.
(With PTI inputs)
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