Any self-respecting person would have resigned in Jayanthi Natarajan’s place, and the fourth-generation Congress leader, who was a minister in the last government at the Centre, has. Her explosive letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi last November, which appeared in the media on Friday, raises a host of pertinent questions that have been alluded to over a period of time by many. But Ms Natarajan’s communication is in a different bracket.
It brings together a number of issues in a telling manner. It also cannot be overlooked that over the years she had emerged as a leadership loyalist par excellence, but couldn’t take things beyond a point. Even if
Ms Natarajan speaks from the standpoint of personal slight, the points she raises do not go away. In the event, badmouthing her by present party spokespersons is a bad strategy.
If it can be shown that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi or his office was routinely sending Ms Natarajan instructions regarding environment clearance to specific projects, including those of the Vedanta and Adani groups, it would amount to extra-constitutional pressure.
But this would have to be established. Equally, if the former environment minister was routinely obedient on this score, she will also be called upon to answer questions.
From Ms Natarajan’s letter, Mr Gandhi appears to be speaking in two voices. He had become quite well known for espousing the rights of tribals in relation to mega projects and even made a trip to Niyamgiri in Orissa where he projected himself as a “sipahi”, or protector, of the rights of the tribal poor.
On the other hand, from the Ficci forum, he did say, as Ms Natarajan has pointed out, that holding up of projects by the environment ministry had slowed down economic activity. Why did he do that? A public explanation will be in order.
Apart from this key question, which concerns government and the issue of the interface between a ruling party and the government it provides, for the Congress there is the important matter of the style of functioning of its top bosses, notably the Gandhis.
The present lot unlike their predecessors have not just been known to be reticent and aloof (that’s regrettable in politics, but that’s fine), they have been downright discourteous if the stories doing the rounds are to be believed over the years in dealing with senior Congress functionaries by withholding an “audience”.
Ms Natarajan too found her repeated requests seeking an appointment went unheeded. This just won’t do in the democratic age. Jawaharlal Nehru wouldn’t have tolerated such an approach for a minute.
