The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) endeavored to contain the overthrow of what is arguably the largest “political gaffe” by its only lawmaker O. Rajagopal in the assembly on Thursday.
Mr Rajagopal appeared to put the BJP in a difficult position by apparently letting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Congress-led opposition of the United Democratic Front vote on the resolution condemning the controversial agrarian laws (UDF) joined Parliament.
Mr Rajagopal expressed his reservations about the wording of the motion but did not register his objection during the vote. He said the laws put an end to the exploitation of farmers in one fell swoop and defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dedication to farmers in the face of violent attacks against the central government from both sides of the Ganges.
At a press conference shortly thereafter, Mr Rajagopal appeared to be contradicting himself. He appeared to be agreeing to the “consensus” in the assembly that the Center should repeal the laws that had put farmers on the warpath against the Modi government. He said “compromise and consensus” and not stubborn democracy. “I support the resolution. I saw no problem,” he said.
The Treasury and Opposition benches attacked Mr Modi for working through the laws in both parliament buildings without care or discussion.
However, in the vote that opened the curtains on the extraordinary one-day session, Mr. Rajagopal did not vote against the resolution. Spokesman P. Sreeramakrishnan said the House unanimously approved the motion.
Surendran at a loss
BJP President K. Surendran was unable to explain Mr. Rajagopal’s legislative behavior when journalists urged him in Thodupuzha. Mr Rajagopal’s position seemed to have taken other BJP leaders by surprise.
Mr. Rajagopal later made it clear that he was not speaking out against the “central law or the central government”. He had spoken out vehemently against the resolution of the state government. The spokesman broke the custom by not asking if anyone was against the motion, the MLA said.
The LDF presented the “unanimous passage” of the resolution condemning the central laws as a moral victory. However, Mr. Surendran said the government’s claim was hollow and Mr. Rajagopal kept the party’s line in the assembly.
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