Parliament is dysfunctional, and there’s a bid to capture judiciary: Kapil Sibal

Nine months after he quit the Congress, veteran parliamentarian Kapil Sibal has launched a new platform–Insaaf–on which he hopes all the Opposition parties will come together to take on the BJP in 2024. Speaking to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya, he expressed fear that democracy may not survive for long in India.

The Opposition has accused the government of putting parliament on ‘mute’, of moving the camera away from them at times…

Parliament as an institution has atrophied. It is dysfunctional today. Institutional mechanisms only work in collaboration, and within parliament, that means dialogue, on the basis of accepted parliamentary conventions and norms. This government has forgotten all that. They only believe that because they are the dominant party, they are, as a matter of right, entitled to do what they want. So, parliament is on mute, or they move a privilege motion, or go to the well of the house, or refuse the Opposition its say, or refuse to include issues that should be debated in the list of business. I don’t think that this democracy, the way it is functioning, will survive for too long.

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What do you intend to do through your new platform, Insaaf?

Insaaf is about justice, which lies at the heart of our Constitution. The Preamble talks about securing for the people of this country justice – economic, social and political, and protecting the dignity of the individual. These are central to our republic. I don’t see that happening today. People are wantonly attacked, verbally, physically or institutionally. The ED or CBI is unleashed against Opposition leaders, and they work on the lines of the government’s wishes. If anyone says anything against the government, they are put in jail.

It is in this context that I thought if we could have a platform across party lines. If justice is the bedrock of our democracy, then it must inform every aspect of the lives of citizens. So, when a person who belongs to the TMC or Congress or Shiv Sena or NCP, or any other party, believes that securing justice is central to life, and if enough insaaf ke sipaahi (soldiers of justice) join this platform, then we can create a national fervour, and fight the next election on that basis.

Secondly, over the years, the RSS has become a potent force to take this country in a direction that everyone may not agree with. So, you need a counterpoint to that so that every state, district, locality has enough insaaf ke sipaahi at the ground level to take on the RSS.

Speaking of justice, the government and the judiciary are at loggerheads over issues. How do you see that playing out by 2024?

The government is trying hard to capture our institutions, and that includes the judiciary, too, because as long as the appointment of the judiciary is in the hands of the higher judiciary, there will be a fair number of judges who will stand up to the government. But if you give that power or final say to the government, then we will have a committed judiciary. And that will be the end of our republic. Having said that, I think this country and its citizens are a force to reckon with, and I don’t think any government can destroy what we have been able to achieve – fighting the might of the colonial power. The energy and the desire of this country to be free is unbreakable.

Also Read: Parliament stalled for 6th consecutive day amid BJP-Opposition slugfest over Rahul, Adani row

This session has been washed out because the government has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his comments in the UK. Do you agree with Gandhi’s comments?

There’s nothing wrong with what he said. Does this government consider itself the nation? It cannot. The government is only an institution or mechanism to execute laws made by parliament. I can criticise the government anytime I want, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love my country. If Rahul Gandhi said that we need to settle this issue internally, and it impacts the rest of the world, it is a perfectly valid statement. It is one of those rare occasions where the treasury benches themselves are not allowing parliament to run and are disrupting proceedings. One might not agree with government policies, but that doesn’t mean you’re anti-national.

You were among the first to seek reforms in Congress. Since then, Mallikarjun Kharge has been elected its president, and Rahul Gandhi has done the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Is Congress reforming?

I am nobody to comment on the Congress party, and I do not wish to. Whatever they have done, all power to them, I have nothing to say about that. But I think that the need of the hour is for Opposition parties to get together. And Congress being the only other national party with a foothold around the country, it needs to realise that it is not everywhere. Where it is not present, it needs to collaborate with forces who are dominant in their regions. And other political parties need to collaborate with the Congress in states where it is dominant. Unless this is done, we will not meet the challenge of 2024. I sincerely hope that all Opposition parties move in that direction. I think there is a mood within political parties to do that, but what is required is reaching out, and a common platform. Insaaf ke sipaahi, hopefully, will be such a platform.

What’s next for you? Do you see yourself in a political party?

Before I became an MP this term, I said that I will never join any other political party. I remain committed to that. That doesn’t mean I will not be in politics. I will be in active politics, and I will take this movement forward. I hope that political parties join in and embrace this platform. That’s the way forward for me.