National Herald case: Sonia, Rahul will go down kicking and screaming

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on December 8 after Congress members created ruckus over the National Herald cheating and misappropriation of funds case involving party president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi. They raised slogans like “tanashahi nahi chalegi (dictatorship will not be tolerated)" and “badle ke rajniti nahi chalegi (politics of revenge will not be tolerated)".

It is highly unlikely that the Congress would allow smooth functioning of Parliament till the rest of the winter session or at least till December 19, when the trial court has asked Sonia and Rahul to appear before it. The biggest loser of Congress' obstructionist attitude in Parliament would certainly be the nation as the crucial Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill would not be passed and would fail to be implemented from April 1, 2016.

For the politicians, and particularly the Congress, personal issues have certainly taken precedence over national ones. Instead of fighting the battle in the court or even on the street, the party has unfortunately made Parliament a battleground. This betrays desperation, frustration and even fear on the part of the Congress leaders. The main Opposition party seems to be committing blunders which may only prove to be counter-productive in the long run.

After the trial court asked Sonia, Rahul and five other accused to appear before it on December 19, the Congress president, while speaking with mediapersons outside Parliament, invoked former prime minister Indira Gandhi. While trying to appear unscathed and a fighter, she said, "Why should I be scared of anyone? I am Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law, I am not scared of anyone."

However, it only showed the sense of fear which has gripped the Congress president. Sonia is no Indira. In spite of having lost the 1977 Lok Sabha elections, Congress under Indira had still managed to bag 153 seats as against 44 - the lowest ever for the party - in 2014 under Sonia.

Secondly, Indira was fighting against a highly-splintered Janata Party, while the BJP is in majority on its own. Indira went to jail on charges that could not be proved in the court of law. Indira gained sympathy owing to a long trial and her imprisonment. But it is too premature to say whether Sonia and Rahul will go to jail or if the charges against them can be proved. Chances are also that they may be convicted like RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and barred from contesting elections, which may be the biggest blow to the Congress in the recent times.

Rahul's response to the situation also smacks of panic and immaturity. "I absolutely see a political vendetta. I will answer them in Parliament," he told mediapersons after visiting flood-affected areas in Puducherry. Rahul may land in trouble for his remarks which may be viewed as contempt of court because the summons have been issued by the trial court and not by any central agency like the CBI, income-tax department or enforcement directorate.

Thirdly, Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal insinuate that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose petition Sonia and Rahul have been summoned by the trial court, is acting at the behest of the ruling party's leadership. However, the charge is misplaced because Swamy had filed a complaint in the matter before the trial court in 2012, much before he had joined the BJP. He was the president of Janata Party then.

The most interesting part of the manner in which Rahul is responding now can be viewed in the remarks he had made on November 19, coincidentally on Indira's birth anniversary. He had dared not only the Centre but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing Youth Congress members in the capital on the occasion, the Nehru-Gandhi scion said: "Modiji, RSS, sunn lo! Mujhe itna bhi darr nahi hai aapse... Modiji ab aap Hindustan ke pradhan mantri ho, Opposition mein nahi ho. Chhappan-inch ki chhati nikaalo. Aapki sarkar hai. Sare agencies laga lo, investigation karo chhey mahine mein. Aapko kuchh mile to, band karo mujhe. Par ye kachra apne chamcho se hum par fikwate ho, mere parivar par fikwate ho... ye band karo." (Hear this, Modiji, RSS, I am not the least bit scared of you... Modiji, now you are India's prime minister, not in the Opposition. Show your 56-inch chest. It is your government, deploy all agencies. Investigate in six months and put me in jail if you find something. But stop using your cronies to throw mud on me and my family.)

Rahul had dared Modi then but is crying foul now, even though he and his mother have been summoned not by any central agencies but the courts. It was an overreaction then and a panicked response now by him and Sonia. And it is unlikely to work in their favour.