PM finds himself on shaky ground

New Delhi: Dr Manmohan Singh completes three years as Prime Minister on Tuesday. While the country seems to love the affable economist in the blue turban, it is his own partymen and critics in the Opposition who continue to criticise him for not being a sharp politician. The underlying feeling is that the PM has not been able to wield any political authority.

That was the topic of discussion on the show Face The Nation with Bhupendra Chaubey on Monday. Has Manmohan Singh failed to make a mark politically?

On the panel to debate on the question of the day was Congress Spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan, Rajya Sabha MP and Editor-in-Chief of The Pioneer Chandan Mitra, CPI member D Raja and CNN-IBN National Affairs Editor Diptosh Majumdar.

At the beginning of the show, 78 per cent of the viewers indicated through the SMS poll that the PM had failed to make a mark politically.

Was it because he had not taken the agnipariksha (acid test) as is tradition, or in other words, faced an electorate?

“This is an unfair debate and I am appalled that I agreed to be a part of it. It is totally wrong to say that any Congress person feels he has failed to make a mark. It is just the media trying to wedge the party where none exists. He is one of the country’s finest PMs, he is held in the highest respect by the party and by the people of India. There is no question of whether he is political. Any PM has to be a political person. About Rajya Sabha, I think there have been other PMs who have been elected from the Rajya Sabha. There is no doubt that he would be elected from anywhere,” said Jayanthi Natarajan.

India’s puppet PM?

Nevertheless, Singh could also be the first PM to complete a full five-year term as a member of the Rajya Sabha. When the UPA was sworn in as the party in power, the raging debate was of twin centers of power existing, with one at 10, Janpath and the other the PM. Does that debate still exist?

“This has been debated over and over again and the unanimous verdict has been over the years that he has been a very ineffective PM. He is a good man for sure. But there is no stamp of authority on his government. He simply cannot decide on policies whether it is over the OBC or induction or dropping of ministers. He is very often by-passed by his own Cabinet and party members because they know there is a bigger power center outside the Cabinet,” said Chandan Mitra.

In the previous government, there were ministers who spoke out of turn but in this case perhaps, with the DMK making a unilateral decision, Mani Shankar Iyer speaking out of turn, isn’t his political space being denied to him?

“Absolutely. But what is scary about 78 per cent of viewers feeling so is that earlier, we used to say that the PM is not being given political space by 10, Janpath. Now after the Punjab elections, it seems the PM has got into the habit of not having any political space. There is no initiative from 7, Race course road to take away a bit of the power center from 10, Janpath,” said Diptosh Majumdar.

Congress stands by PM

The Congress Party used the PM as a star campaigner in the Punjab elections. The party lost and the Congress blamed it on price rise and that the Punjab CM should be held responsible so questions should not be posed to the Congress President.

Rate the Govt: PM report card

“This is a great leap of imagination. I don’t agree with Diptosh at all. If it had been another PM such as Mr Vajpayee we would have said the BJP is such an expert at managing coalitions and the Congress is so used to being in power on its own. But when the Congress is managing coalition well, he is accused of being weak. Secondly, between the PM and 10, Janpath, it is a unique method of functioning in which complete harmony exists,” said Jayanthi Natarajan.

But why is it that the Congress President is either looking at the CM or the PM to be responsible for electoral defeats?

“She (Sonia Gandhi) is the first target of the opposition but she has emerged stronger and better. People want to wish that the party divides on these lines but it will not happen. The party has complete faith in being led by the PM and the Congress President,” said Jayanthi Natarajan.

Power without responsibility

The Left parties have been the most vocal critiques of the PM, especially related to the economic polices. Would it be fair to say that the CPI has the biggest role in eroding his image and questioning his authority?

“No, it is not questioning his authority but questioning the polices pursued by the Government. So in a democracy, we are bound to question polices of any Government. We support the Government from outside. We are more responsible and that is why we are critical constructively, not like the BJP,” said A Raja.

Responding to A Raja’s view, Chandran Mitra said it was irresponsible of him to say that they were more responsible from outside. “Enjoying power without responsibility they have derailed almost every facet of economic policy. If we have high inflation it is because of the slowdown of the Government’s growth engine, the SEZ policies are in doldrums. The Government had inherited such a healthy economy but now it has run out of steam,” he said.

Recently, CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury made a statement that is infamous now, ‘We are not people who can bark, we can also bite,’ he said. What kind of an effect do such statements have on the people of this country?

“This is not the way a coalition should function. You are a responsible ally. Look at the Left’s way of targeting the Government. They begin with the same five words, ‘We are not happy with …’. If that is the attitude to the Government of which we are a part of, the Government cannot function,” said Diptosh Majumdar.

But looking at the scenario positively, what are the biggest assets the PM has? “The strength of the Congress Party and his own performance and integrity,” said Jayanthi Natarajan. But are comments like the ones from Mani Shankar Aiyer just exceptions or is that a common perception in the party? “Not at all. We have the utmost respect for the PM,” said Jayanthi Natarajan.

SMS Poll Results

Yes: 78 per cent

No: 22 per cent

Rate the Govt: PM report card

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