Let the Dog Bite

07.16.04 | 3 Comments | Filed Under Commentary, Indian Politics

Sitaram Yechuri–whiner and ardent Leftist and a key player in the current UPA government has sent out a clear warning to the Congress: do as we say or fall.

We will not be responsible for the fall of the government, but the government has to ensure that they themselves are not responsible for their fall. If they are not sincere about implementing what they themselves have agreed in the Common Minimum Programme, yes, that situation will arise… Unfortunately, I hope they won’t learn it the hard way because when we bite, we bite very strongly.

The Left is today in a position to hold the entire nation to ransom and it is doing this task admirably. All it has to do is issue a threat of this nature and the Congress will rush to implement whatever the Left wants. It is no secret that the Congress bends itself backwards to appease them because it needs to remain in power at all costs; it cannot afford to lose power this time around.
I regret that I missed the episode of BBC’s Hardtalk where Yechuri spoke to Karan Thapar. When Yechuri says,
And that is something I hope this government does not want to learn the hard way,
and
He described the relationship of the Left with the government as being ?the watchdog of the government and not its lapdog

it shows his confidence in understanding the true nature of Congressmen. Indeed, in retrospect, I feel the Left has made a very wise (calculated?) decision to support the government from the outside, not to seek ministerial berths: they’re having a greater say now.
There’s nothing new in what I say: the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) is particularly insidious in that it seeks to undo whatever progress India has made in the recent past. Just two “programmes to ensure social justice and equality” are enough to tell the tale: private sector reservations, and the Communist-style food-for-work (aka quotas).
That’s the reason I say, Let the Dog bite.
Update: Here is a “spirited” reaction from a Congress “leader” (never heard his name so far) to the Left’s threat:
We are not bothered about Yechury’s threat. Let the Marxists withdraw support the day they want to. The Congress has not formed the Government at their mercy.

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