Rajya Sabha to Debate Centre’s White Paper Amidst Political Turbulence

The Rajya Sabha, in its final session of the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, is set to engage in a short-duration discussion on Saturday. The focus of the discussion will be on the White Paper released by the Centre, as well as the Pran Pratistha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla.

BJP parliamentarians Sushil Kumar Modi and Prakash Javadekar are slated to lead the discussion on the White Paper. They aim to shed light on its implications for the lives of the people of India. The White Paper, spanning nearly 60 pages, was presented in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.

The document alleges that the banking crisis is one of the most significant legacies of the previous UPA government. It asserts that after assuming power in 2004, the UPA government abandoned crucial reforms and failed to capitalize on the groundwork laid by the preceding BJP-led NDA government.

According to the White Paper, India experienced rapid economic growth between 2004 and 2008, primarily due to the reforms initiated by the NDA government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, the subsequent UPA government allegedly squandered the opportunity to build upon this momentum.

The paper accuses the UPA government of political interference in the lending decisions of public sector banks and cites scandals like the 2G spectrum scam, the coal gate scam, and the Commonwealth Games (CWG) debacle as tarnishing India’s reputation as an investment destination.

In response to the debate in the Lok Sabha, Congress parliamentarian Manish Tewari dismissed the White Paper as a “political manifesto” of the ruling party. He criticized it as a biased portrayal of history, terming it a “black wash” instead of a genuine White Paper.

With the looming general elections expected to take place in April-May this year, this session marks the last opportunity for discussions in the current Lok Sabha. Originally scheduled to conclude on February 9, the Budget Session has been extended by a day to accommodate the pertinent deliberations.