Being the bearer of the second-highest constitutional office in India, the Vice-President Shri Mohammed Hamid Ansari, is second only to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan to be elected to this August office twice. The Vice-President is also the ex officio Chair of the Upper house of Parliament – Rajya Sabha. In a Parliamentary Democracy like India, the office of the President and the Vice-President is apolitical and should be away from all the political dust.
With all due respect, to our Hon. VP Hamid Ansari, on being questioned if he is apolitical, after assuming the office for the first time in Aug 2007, he categorically went on record saying that no citizen should be apolitical. Perhaps, this is the reason why his unbiased credentials are always looked with suspicion. It can very well be the case of thanking the political masters – UPA & Left, under the garb of citizen, who helped him in ascending to this coveted position. Perhaps he was hinting them his support in disguise given to the era of coalition back then.
This suspicion has raised its monstrous head again, during the recent session on 8th Feb, in Rajya Sabha Chaired by Vice-President himself. When PM Modi was delivering the Motion of Thanks in the House, the Congress party motor mouths especially Renuka Choudary & Anand Sharma, kept on tut-tutting with every word of PM with utter disrespect. The Congress leaders are always wary about the oratory skills of PM Modi. No other party feels as worried as Congress because of its ever-dwindling political fortunes in the elections and who better than PM Modi to expose them tooth & nail.
The real blow to Congress was when PM Modi criticized the Magnum Cum laude and intellect of highest order who headed the UPA-1 and UPA-2. The Oxford & Cambridge University graduate, former PM Manmohan Singh was at the helm of affairs for the prolonged period of three and half decade in formulating the economic policies for India. Yet, he left the Indian economy in deep shambles in 2014. The Congress had every scam in its name during UPA 1 & UPA 2 under Manmohan Singh’s nose. He was sanctimonious and was never accused of involvement in any scams. PM Narendra Modi rightly said that who better than Manmohan Singh knows art of taking bath wearing the raincoat in the bathroom. The shower of scams never managed to dent the supposed to be impeccable honesty & integrity credentials of Manmohan Singh.
The Congress leaders who never respected him when he headed UPA-1 and UPA-2 suddenly found their new love in Manmohan Singh in the middle of the session. The ad hominem from the Congress leaders also went on unchecked from the Chairperson Hamid Ansari who displayed tokenism of just appealing and not doing much on the ground especially when Prime Minister, the leader of the country was speaking.
BJP’s senior leader – Venkaiah Naidu made an emotional appeal to the Chair Hamid Ansari for the first time and questioned why the running commentary was allowed in the house while PM Modi was speaking?
He asked the Chair to discipline the opposition leaders. Even PM Modi sarcastically passed the comment to the Chair Ansari that everything is happening under his close watch. Venkaiah Naidu really lost his cool when the opprobrium from the Opposition leaders continued unabated. He uttered these words in frustration that – “I request you to go through the records. The PM was called Hitler; the PM was called Mussolini.” The Chair went on asking which record and suggested that let the conscience guide them. At this point, Venkaiah Naidu lost his temper and remarked, “I am very sorry sir. The Chair should keep the sentiments of all sides of the House. They have insulted PM Modi”. The Chair went on questioning Naidu whether he was suggesting that he is not behaving the way he was supposed to, as a Chair. Surely, a mere tokenism was completely unbecoming of the Chair. Did the Chair ask the Congressmen – Anand Sharma, based on which record was he accusing the PM? Surely, sir, you seemed to be political in every which way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqtFxpnHj90
Manmohan Singh even went on saying the words “loot” & “plunder”. Was it not the real ad hominem? Where was the conscience of Congressmen then? Did the BJP staged a same walkout? What was even more unfortunate was the “SCAM” ster , Rahul Gandhi trying to preach Modi and said Modi likes to peeping into bathrooms. The scamster seems to have conveniently forgotten who has spread the scam dirt of that bathroom affecting the entire India.
The VP post is quite often accused as decorative position that Indian Constitution allows for. The post is limited by political power but plays an important role as and when the Constitutional crisis arises. The person holding the office should be apolitical and should not be a flag-bearer of any political party.
Reference:
https://mahtabnama.wordpress.com/…/book-review-citizen-and…/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Hamid_Ansaari
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEg8Tbfzk9g