
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor acknowledged the growing rift between the government and opposition and expressed dissatisfaction with the declining quality of parliamentary debate and proceedings at the 13th ThinkEdu Conclave in Chennai on January 27, 2025. Speaking on ‘India’s parliamentary proceedings: some reflections’ during a conversation with senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai, Tharoor remarked that he found engaging with people more rewarding than participating in Parliament.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led NDA government gives a sense that the opposition’s views don’t matter, leading to a “complete breakdown of trust and communication” between the government and the opposition. He compared this to the UPA era, where opposition voices were considered even while passing important bills.
Highlighting the strained relationship between the ruling party and the opposition, Tharoor said that the opposition is increasingly being viewed as enemies rather than adversaries. “Words like ‘anti-national’ and ‘treason’ are being used for opposition MPs. They are being seen as enemies, not adversaries,” he said.
Bamzai questioned if BJP MPs privately expressed views over such issues. In response, Tharoor shared examples of how BJP MPs and ministers now avoid socialising with opposition colleagues, a departure from the camaraderie during the UPA regime.
On the question of disruptions by the opposition, Tharoor said that BJP leaders when sitting in the opposition benches argued that it was a legitimate tactic. But the same party after coming to power was condemning disruptions. He also acknowledged accusations of opposition MPs’ microphones being turned off and a growing animosity with the presiding officers of both Houses. “The Chairs should view themselves as a presiding officer and shed their political prejudices,” Tharoor said but admitted that it may be difficult as they probably received instructions from the government.
While acknowledging Parliament's shortcomings, Tharoor stressed its importance by citing two pivotal events. He referred to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s speech labelling the BJP government a “suit-boot ki sarkar,” which prompted the ruling party to change its image. He also mentioned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s expulsion as evidence of the impact her speeches had in the House.
Responding to questions from the audience, Tharoor sought suggestions on how to resolve the issue of disruptions of Parliament. He proposed allowing one day a week for the opposition to set the agenda, with an agreement to avoid disruptions on other days. However, he noted the unlikelihood of this being implemented under the current government. “But this was unlikely to happen as the current government was unwilling to accept suggestions from the Opposition,” remarked Tharoor.
He noted that this had made the Parliament a “disappointing” place to sit and work, given the quality of debate and frequent disruptions, he said. “It fails to give a sense that it is a temple of democracy,” said Tharoor. At the outset of his conversation with Bamzai, Tharoor remarked that he found interacting with people more rewarding than participating in parliamentary proceedings.
Tharoor claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seldom attends Parliament and that questions posed to ministries he oversees are answered by the Minister of State (Jitendra Singh). Responding to a question from Bamzai about the new Parliament building, Tharoor described it as a “soulless convention hall”, lacking the character and charm of its predecessor.