Congress sniffs an opportunity in controversy

The Amit Shah controversy has come as a blessing in disguise for the Congress, which has found a potent weapon to counter in Parliament the Opposition’s attacks on the government.

The Congress brass met in the Capital late on Friday to discuss strategies to counterattack the BJP during Parliament’s monsoon session, which begins on Monday. The Opposition has been planning to corner the government on a host of issues such as price rise, recurring train accidents, violence in Kashmir, the recent Indo- Pak talks fiasco and Maoist insurgency.

The core group, comprising Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee, P. Chidambaram, A. K. Antony and Ahmed Patel, is learnt to have discussed the government’s floor strategy.

It met soon after the BJP snubbed the PM by refusing to accept his lunch invitation in protest against the “ misuse of the CBI”. Congress managers said the government had “ enough agenda” to puncture the unity among the Opposition ranks.

The party’s strategists claimed that the Amit Shah controversy — hyped by the BJP — has come at the most opportune time for the Congress.

They said the Opposition unity was likely to go for a toss on issues such as fake encounter killings in Gujarat and the alleged Hindu terror networks across the country.

However, some believed that the wily Narendra Modi may try to upstage the Congress by painting Shah a “ victim” of the Congress and the CBI. But a majority was of the opinion that with senior BJP leaders fighting a turf war, Modi may get isolated in the saffron party once Shah is arrested and if he spills the beans.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav as well as the Left parties are expected to demand Shah’s arrest. With Bihar set to go to the polls this October and secular parties competing to woo the minority constituency, the BJP would find itself isolated in Parliament, Congress strategists have estimated.

The government has listed controversial Bills such as the civil nuclear liability Bill and the women’s reservation Bill for consideration and passing in Parliament in this session.

The women’s Bill has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

However, Opposition cooperation is unlikely on the civil nuclear liability Bill, which is currently being studied by a parliamentary standing committee. It will be brought for consideration and passage in the upcoming session.

So, the Congress is doing all it can to ensure least opposition for the legislations. And their floor strategy is likely to be based keeping this in mind.