Is the Congress party now being called the ‘friendly opposition’ in Uttarakhand? Discussions intensify after the farmer suicide incident

The Uttarakhand Congress is repeatedly accused of being a “friendly opposition,” meaning an opposition that provides relief to the government instead of holding it accountable. The recent case of farmer suicide in Udham Singh Nagar seems to further strengthen this accusation.

Congress shows laxity in the Kashipur farmer suicide case
On Saturday night, a farmer named Sukhwant Singh committed suicide in Haldwani, Kashipur. Following this, his family took to the streets, demanding justice from the government and action against those responsible. The situation escalated to the point where the family refused to perform the last rites until their demands were met.

Instead of going to Kashipur, they protested in Dehradun on the wrong issue
This was the moment when the opposition should have gone directly to Kashipur and stood with the farmer’s family. But at that time, our main opposition party, the Congress, was creating a ruckus in Dehradun over a statement made by Minister Rekha Arya’s husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, in Almora. In this statement, Girdhari Lal Sahu had made objectionable remarks about women from Bihar.

There is no doubt that Girdhari Lal’s statement was wrong. But the question is, why did the Congress party remember Girdhari Lal on the same day that the farmer’s family was on the streets in Kashipur? The question is, why didn’t the Congress party raise this issue when the comment was made? And now, after so many days, when it was time to go to Kashipur and put pressure on the government, the Congress party started creating a fuss about this issue.

Congress is not addressing the right issues
Now questions are being raised: Was this part of a well-thought-out strategy by the Congress party? Because the Congress knew very well that their protest in Kashipur would hinder the ruling party’s efforts to resolve the situation, and this is precisely where the Congress cleared the way for the government to take action. And now, when the deceased farmer’s family is satisfied with the administration’s actions and farmer Sukhwant Singh’s last rites have been performed, Congress leaders are arriving there. What would you call this?

Learn when the opposition played the role of a friend
This is not the first time this has happened. Earlier, the UKSSSC paper leak case had created an uproar throughout the state. The opposition only woke up and held protest marches after the government canceled the examination. Take the Ankita Bhandari murder case, for example. What did Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal do after the name of the alleged VIP came to light? He held a press conference in Delhi and gave the government 10 days to take action. The government took advantage of this. Chief Minister Dhami cleverly announced a CBI inquiry, and the matter was settled.

The situation hasn’t changed even after Ganesh Godiyal became the state president
It makes one wonder, is this the opposition or a support system for the government? Call it fear of the ED or perhaps good relations with mining and contractors, because the way the Congress party backs down on crucial issues confirms that the leaders probably prioritize their businesses and peace of mind over raising their voices against the government. There was a time when the BJP was in the opposition. If the price of a gas cylinder increased by even one rupee, the roads would be blocked, and the government would be shaken. The job of the opposition is to question the government and put pressure on it. But in Uttarakhand, Congress is playing friendly with the opposition. All in all, today in the state, Congress is nothing more than a theatrical opposition. And Ganesh Godiyal’s arrival hasn’t made any significant difference.