If PM wants to be his own man, his time is now

Sonia Gandhi appears to say the right things. In her address to the Congress party’s plenary session held on the outskirts of Delhi the other day, she called for a war on corruption.

She focused on the right issues: removal of discretionary powers in the allotment of land, transparency in the award of public sector contracts, open and competitive bidding systems, and fast-tracking of corruption cases.

As a statement of intent for future reforms, this is unexceptionable. But if she really meant what she said, she needs to apply the same yardsticks to all contracts entered into during UPA-1 and UPA-2.

She also needs to apply these rules to herself. For, the failure of UPA-1 to rein in A Raja at the telecom ministry, where spectrum was allocated in an arbitrary manner, relates primarily to the DMK’s refusal to listen to the prime minister. In a coalition arrangement, getting the DMK to toe the line was Sonia Gandhi’s job. So Manmohan’s failure to enforce cabinet discipline is essentially Sonia’s failure.

The reason why Sonia is making such a fuss about the opposition’s efforts to put Singh in the dock is obvious: she is protecting herself, for she is the one who failed. This is why she has repeatedly talked of not allowing the PM’s office to be denigrated. At the plenary, she excoriated the BJP for targeting Singh. But as columnist Bhanu Pratap Singh pointed out last week in The Indian Express, if anyone has denigrated the office of prime minister, it is Sonia. The PM can no longer take the important calls relating to governance. Put another way, Sonia’s spirited defence of Singh is a plain and simple effort to hide behind the PM’s obvious decency and remove herself from the line of fire.

If this sounds far-fetched, consider the Congress party’s mulish opposition to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the spectrum scandal. Now why would the Congress oppose a JPC in the guise of protecting the PM when the latter has gone on record to say that he was willing to be questioned by the public accounts committee (PAC) headed by the BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi? A JPC would have been headed by a Congressman.

Singh clearly has nothing to hide. Does Sonia? The real worry, obviously, is that if a JPC examines Singh and he tells the truth — that the cabinet had to stand by Raja’s dubious policy due to coalition dharma — he would indirectly be pointing a finger at Sonia, who is managing the coalition. As an MP herself, she can be called by the JPC to answer questions — something which the PAC cannot do. Sonia is exercising her right to self-preservation, not fighting Singh’s battles. The sharp attack on the Sangh Parivar is to protect her other flank — Rahul. The crown prince’s immature statements to the US ambassador are an embarrassment the Congress wants to avoid before the Bengal election.

The ball is in Singh’s court, not Sonia’s. The problem is the latter has used his decency and loyalty to serve her family’s political interests while tying his hands down on things he would have liked to do. Like more economic reforms. Like more transparency in public life. Like having fewer dubious characters running sensitive portfolios. Like avoiding excessive spending on pork-barrel projects that Sonia and Rahul want to claim credit for. Left to themselves, it is doubtful if either Manmohan or Chidambaram would have written off farm loans on such a scale and destroyed the climate for repayments.

On the other hand, Singh has looked the other way when Sonia’s pal Ottavio Quattrochi got his money unfrozen at Barclays Bank. The Bofors case is now well and truly buried and Sonia — the only spectator who could have thrown light on her late husband’s involvement in Bofors — has gone completely unquestioned so far. The unremitting stand against JPC is intended to ensure that no one ever questions Sonia on anything anytime. This is truly power without a shred of responsibility.

It is time for Singh to introspect. He knows that over the next three years he will have to make way for the heir apparent. He will either be kicked upstairs to the presidency or ushered out after the next Lok Sabha elections, with sweet nothings and praise from Sonia and Rahul.

The key point to reflect on is this: Sonia needs him more than he does Sonia for the next couple of years. He has to politely tell her where to get off. If she truly believes the office of PM must not be denigrated, he should take her at her word and assert himself to put this country on the road to transparent governance and clean growth.

Manmohan can be his own man if he is willing to take a small risk — of being unceremoniously ousted as PM by the dynasty for trying to be independent. But it’s unlikely that push will come to shove. For Manmohan has more credibility than the dynasty. They can play games with him only at the cost damaging themselves. Singh stands between dynasty and nasty. His time is now.