NEW DELHI: INDIA should appear to be a “bloc and not un-bloc” itself in the manner that it does in the public domain, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has said as he batted for a formal structure for the opposition alliance with spokespersons to represent its views. In an interview with PTI, Sibal said the INDIA parties need to have a cohesive policy, ideological framework and programme for the future.
Asked about the recent run-ins among INDIA bloc partners in state polls and if it was bad optics, the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said, “I think it (INDIA) should appear to be a bloc and not un-bloc itself in the manner that it does in the public domain.”
“They (the INDIA parties) need to have a cohesive policy, a cohesive ideological framework and a cohesive programme for the future,” he said.
“I am not talking about the state level or the national level. There has to be cohesiveness in the way in which it thinks on issues that are of great national importance and unless that mechanism is put in place and unless there are spokespersons of the bloc who represent its views, I do not think that this can move forward very effectively,” Sibal told PTI.
On whether there should be a formal political structure in place for the bloc, Sibal said he has been batting for it for long.
“Obviously, either it is not something that is palatable to somebody or the other, or they feel that this is not the appropriate time, but I cannot possibly talk on behalf of the bloc,” he said.
Sibal, however, exuded confidence about the opposition’s future.
“I see a future for the opposition, what form it takes, what structure it takes, we will see,” the former Congress leader said.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of opposition parties came together ahead of last year’s Lok Sabha polls to counter the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
INDIA bloc constituents, particularly the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), were involved in sharp exchanges and traded barbs, especially in the run-up to last month’s Delhi Assembly polls. Several political commentators cited a lack of cohesiveness in the opposition bloc for the BJP gaining ground after the Lok Sabha polls and winning the elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi.
Asked about the Waqf (Amendment) Bill that could be tabled during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament and the options for the opposition, Sibal said one must see what the NDA constituents are willing to do in this matter because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not have a majority.
“Let us see what their position is. There are elections coming in Bihar. I think that if they introduce the Bill, they may be worried what impact that might have in the election process in Bihar,” he said.
“So I do not know what the fallout of that is going to be. Let us wait and see. Of course, if the Bill is passed, there are options available to those who wish to challenge it,” Sibal said.
On the contentious delimitation issue, he said it has very serious implications for the country’s polity and that is why Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin called a meeting and a lot of representatives, including those of the Congress, took part in it.
“It has an impact on the future of our polity but in any case, the condition is that unless a new census is done, the delimitation will not take place. We have not done a new census, as in 2021 also, it was not done. First the census and then the delimitation. So ‘abhi Dilli door ast’,” the senior advocate said.
On the three-language formula recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP), the former Union human resource development minister said the issue has evoked about a million opinions.
“Anywhere you go in the country, you would have someone having an opinion on the three-language formula. There are states where Hindi is really not spoken as a language which is understood by the people,” he said.
“These are highly-contentious issues. My request to the government is to give up contentious issues, which do not deal with the problems with which we are going to be confronted in the 21st century.
“There are far greater issues, which impact the future of our people than the three-language issue,” Sibal said. Sibal, who was a Union minister in the UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments, quit the Congress in May 2022 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party’s support.
