The line between the real and the absurd has been breached, yet again. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — the Union home minister specifically — has taken care of this stupendous feat. Addressing a virtual rally in Odisha, Amit Shah, somewhat uncharacteristically, conceded that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre may have committed errors or, on some occasions, fallen short when it came to the management of the coronavirus crisis and its consequences on human lives and the economy. But in yet another instance of the kind of whataboutery that Mr Shah and his party indulge in, the home minister quickly added that the Opposition had, unlike the government, done nothing. It appears that the burden of his responsibilities is taking a toll on Mr Shah. That is because he seems to have forgotten one of the fundamental, foundational elements of a parliamentary democracy. The Opposition is not responsible for running the country’s affairs. That is what an elected government — the dispensation that Mr Shah is part of — is supposed to do. So what the BJP has done — or undone — in the course of the pandemic, be it the ineffective economic boosters, running special trains for migrants or feeding an army of unemployed, vulnerable people, cannot really be seen through the lens of benevolence. Mr Shah’s party had been elected by the people of India to guide the nation. The alarming surge of the virus in as many as 24 states — Delhi may be witnessing a community spread — the crippling of the economy — there are fears of a severe economic contraction on the horizon — the sufferings of India’s migrant labourers — each phenomenon bears evidence of the Centre’s unprecedented failure in coping with the Covid-19 crisis.
Mr Shah must be reminded of something else. The Opposition reserves the right to be critical of the failings of the government of the day. It must be said that given the scale of the crisis and the nature of the Centre’s bunglings, the Opposition has been rather charitable with Mr Shah and his party. Mr Shah’s risible comments expose another failure. The spirit of cooperative federalism has evaporated in India. A predatory, opportunistic, inept government is now busy blaming the Opposition parties to deflect attention from its own failures. That, however, can only mean one thing in New India. Polls are round the corner in some states.