Operation Sindoor and the Sibling Strategy: Priyanka, Rahul vs PM Modi
The much-anticipated discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' eventually occurred in Parliament, albeit with challenges. Initially, the opposition delayed the House's proceedings by insisting on a debate, and subsequently caused further disruptions by introducing a new issue at the eleventh hour when the government scheduled the debate.
On the first day of the monsoon session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned after opposition parties demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond to US President Donald Trump's statement suggesting that peace between India and Pakistan required US intervention. The House echoed with chants of 'Pradhan Mantri Jawab Do,' leading to an adjournment just twenty minutes after the session began. The government later agreed to a debate and scheduled a lengthy discussion, but the opposition shifted focus at the last minute, demanding a discussion on the SIR report concerning Bihar's voter list. This change resulted in another adjournment. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the move as a 'U-turn,' questioning why Congress and other parties were avoiding the debate they had been demanding for two months, calling it a betrayal of the country and accusing them of finding excuses to evade the discussion.
Despite the controversies and complexities, the debate took place in Parliament but it was full of drama, both before and during the discussion. Before the discussion, special attention was focused on Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tiwari, whom the party had not included in its list of chosen speakers. It is worth noting that both Tharoor and Tiwari were part of the all-party delegation formed by the government after 'Operation Sindoor' which visited various countries. This military operation was carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.
The role of these two MPs was completely different from each other. According to reports, Tharoor was requested to speak but he refused. Manish Tewari wanted to speak himself but he was not allowed. Tharoor had already made it clear that he would not follow the party line. According to him, 'Operation Sindoor' was a successful military action and it would not be appropriate to criticize it.
Despite this, Tharoor remained the center of discussion, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Congress and said - some leaders were prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha because the Congress was hurt by the stand taken in favor of India. A few years ago, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi bid farewell to the then Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in the Rajya Sabha, that scene was full of emotions. With moist eyes, the Prime Minister described Azad as a 'true friend' and said that he would continue to consult him in the future as well. Azad also praised the Prime Minister and said that he brings a 'personal touch' to every subject.
The Prime Minister's recent comment about Tharoor reminds of the same emotional tone. Interestingly, within a year of that incident, Ghulam Nabi Azad left the Congress and formed his own party, which could not make much impact. As far as Shashi Tharoor is concerned, the key word for him in this debate was - Maun Vrat. Manish Tewari also adopted a similar stance. He wrote on social media, "If you cannot understand my silence, you will never understand my words." Earlier in the day, Tewari had indicated that he would talk about India instead of the party. To prove this, he quoted a song from Manoj Kumar's patriotic film 'Purab Aur Paschim' "Bharat ka rahne wala hun, Bharat ki baat sunata hun." If we move beyond Tharoor's indifference and Tiwari's poetic response, there were certainly speeches, drama and confident statements in the Parliament debate, although they cannot be called anything special in terms of quality.
The debate was opened on behalf of the Congress by deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi but since he is a middle-level leader and not known for his oratory skills, his start was lackluster. His loud voice certainly attracted attention and he had the advantage of being the inaugural speaker but only till then. The selection of Gogoi for this role reflects the lack of energetic and effective speakers in the Congress.
Then all eyes were on Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These three were the main characters of this debate. The highlights of Prime Minister Modi's speech were that no international leader mediated in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, told US Vice President JD Vance that if Pakistan attacks, India will retaliate more fiercely, accused Pandit Nehru of giving financial assistance to Pakistan for dam construction and that people were targeted on the basis of religion in the Pahalgam attack.
Priyanka Gandhi made a significant emotional impact by addressing the last point. She recited the names of 25 Indian parliamentarians who were killed by terrorists. When she mentioned the first name, the ruling party chanted 'Hindu', to which Priyanka firmly responded with 'Indian', emphasizing her focus on the nation over religion. Despite the commotion, Priyanka Gandhi maintained a strong and sensitive message, highlighting that Congress transcends communal politics. Her speech was a blend of empathy and facts, delivered sincerely without theatrics, resonating deeply. She connected with the grief of the Pahalgam victims' families by recalling her mother's tears and her father's assassination by terrorists. Simultaneously, she was assertive, outspoken, and clear, criticizing the government for evading responsibility for the Pahalgam attack and instead harking back to the times of Nehru and Indira Gandhi. She declared in the full assembly - while you discuss history, I will address the present.
Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, expectedly returned to the past. He highlighted the achievements of Indira Gandhi and then the UPA government. Taking a direct dig at Prime Minister Modi, he said - If the Prime Minister has even 50% of the courage of Indira Gandhi, then he should stand up in Parliament and say that Donald Trump is lying. This Rahul Gandhi is no longer the one who was once ridiculed as 'Pappu', now he is emerging as a mature leader. On India's international position, Rahul said that no country condemned Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. "During the UPA government, Pakistan was cornered on global forums for terrorism," he said, and the House listened to him seriously. Although his speech included words like 'punch', 'slap', 'jhapad', which could have been removed, but this is Rahul Gandhi's style, who often brings the tone of street politics even in Parliament. On the facts of the matter, Rahul Gandhi made more solid points than Priyanka Gandhi but the fierce attack that the two together launched on the government and especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi this time has rarely been seen before. It would be wrong to compare Rahul vs Priyanka or start a 'Gandhi vs Gandhi' debate. Politically, the question can be raised as to who is better but given their mutual relationship and synergy, to say that Priyanka is outdoing her brother is just an illusion. They should not be seen as rivals but as a combined force and perhaps this is the immediate challenge facing the BJP. The brother-sister duo is ready to corner Prime Minister Modi and his team together.
Electorally, this team of the Gandhi family does not seem capable of defeating the BJP yet but in terms of political image and public perception, they have certainly come a long way but that is where it stops, because when it comes to comparing Modi vs Rahul, the victory of this septuagenarian (Modi) is considered certain. Rahul may be making headlines with his witty remark, but his ability to govern remains a big question. Most sane Indians still trust Modi, no matter how controversial he is. The bottom line is that Rahul Gandhi has come a long way, but only as an opposition leader. Replacing Narendra Modi may remain a dream for him for now.