In the UPA government, Sonia was the ‘super PM over Manmohan’! How can anyone deny these evidences?

New Delhi: When the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement for recruitment to 45 posts in the Central Secretariat through lateral entry, the opposition created a ruckus. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called it an anti-reservation move. Finally, Personnel Minister Jitendra Singh wrote a letter to UPSC Chairperson Preeti Sudan and directed her to withdraw the advertisement. In the same letter, Jitendra Singh also said that lateral entry was recommended by a parliamentary committee formed during the Congress-led UPA government, whose chairman was Congress leader Veerappa Moily. In the letter, the Union Minister also mentioned the opaqueness in the recruitments to high-level posts during the UPA regime from 2004 to 2014 and said that not only the country but the world knows how the dignity of the post of Prime Minister was tampered with under the guise of the National Advisory Council (NAC).

Questions are still being raised on the intention of forming NAC

It is believed that as a strategy Sonia Gandhi The UPA government made Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister but kept the real power in its own hands. The proof of this are some important documents in which many such things about the NAC have come to light which prove that Manmohan Singh used to work on the instructions of Sonia Gandhi. As soon as the UPA government was formed in 2004, the NAC was formed under the chairmanship of Sonia Gandhi which used to advise the Prime Minister’s Office on national issues and policy matters. Even today many serious questions are raised on the methods of the NAC and Sonia Gandhi is called the ‘Super PM’ of the UPA era. In fact, the Modi government has made hundreds of files related to the decisions of the NAC public. These files tell how the post of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was belittled and his/her powers were limited.

Why was the National Advisory Council formed?

The National Advisory Council was first constituted from 2004 to 2008 (NAC-1) and then from 2010 to 2014 (NAC-2). Its purpose was to ensure the smooth implementation of the government’s National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), monitor its process and make suggestions on social sector reforms. The NAC was to function as an advisory body to make legislative and policy suggestions to the Prime Minister. It held wide-ranging discussions and consultations on a variety of subjects, including education, health, food security, and social justice.

For example, in its 14 August 2004 meeting, the NAC finalised the draft Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill. It recommended that the Acts be amended to make government operations more open. Similarly, in its 25 May 2011 meeting, the NAC recommended a single comprehensive law on land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement to discourage forced displacement and protect the rights of affected people. Additionally, it recommended reform of child development services, abolition of manual scavenging and legislation for street vendors. However, over time, the NAC grew in influence and assumed the form of a ‘super cabinet’, interfering with the functioning of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Sonia Gandhi’s control through NAC

Sonia Gandhi directly intervened in policy decisions by chairing the NAC. The NAC gave directions to various ministries and ensured that its suggestions were implemented. For example, during a meeting it was decided that the process of implementation of the recommendations of various agencies and institutions of the government should be monitored and evaluated mandatorily. Additionally, NAC members had the freedom to have direct contact with top officials of the government. Ministers and bureaucrats were called to NAC meetings and reports were sought from them. The NAC recommended to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a special system be created that would work as a high-level committee for the manufacturing sector, which the Prime Minister eventually implemented.

PM Manmohan Singh continues to be undermined

Many files scream how Manmohan Singh had to follow Sonia Gandhi’s instructions. In 2005, Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to Manmohan Singh through NAC and instructed him/her to bring about reforms in the energy sector. In the letter, Sonia Gandhi also wrote that the Planning Commission is overburdened with work and is unable to formulate policies for the energy sector. This makes it clear that Sonia Gandhi was giving instructions to Manmohan Singh in formulating the country’s energy policy.

Similarly, under the NAC, steps were taken to revise policies in crucial sectors such as agriculture, power, coal and education and to remove obstacles in their implementation, which directly interfered with the functions of the Prime Minister’s Office. In another instance, NAC chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to rural development minister Jairam Ramesh with recommendations to strengthen natural resource management, which the minister agreed to. This reflected the NAC’s authority which went beyond traditional government processes.

NAC does not trust Manmohan Singh?

The documents also revealed that Sonia Gandhi did not trust Manmohan Singh. She believed that Manmohan Singh was not able to formulate the necessary policies for the poor. In a letter of NAC in 2005, it was said that just spending money for development is not enough, but to make the development plans effective, their proper implementation is necessary. It was also written in this letter that the government should formulate good policies to eradicate poverty, and it should also be given the necessary resources. It is clear from this letter that Sonia Gandhi did not trust Manmohan Singh’s poverty eradication policy.

Dissatisfaction in bureaucracy due to control of NAC

The files left no room for doubt that the NAC also maintained its control over government ministries and officials. For example, the NAC had sent a report to Manmohan Singh about imposing a 2% cess for education. In this report, the NAC also wrote that to improve the education sector, the government should make good policies and implement these policies properly. The documents also reveal that government officials did not like the NAC. They believed that the interference of the NAC was a hindrance to the work of the government.

Violation of RTI law brought by itself in NAC!

The NAC was also criticised for promoting opaqueness in passing policies and their implementation. The documents also revealed that the NAC continued to avoid transparency even after the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The NAC had decided in 2005 that its records would be made available for viewing only to NAC members and that too on demand. This proves that Sonia Gandhi wanted to keep the functioning of the NAC secret and she did keep it so.

These achievements of NAC are worth noting

One of the main objectives of the establishment of the NAC was to act as a bridge between civil society and the government to advise the Prime Minister on social sector reforms. Its functions included promoting a rights-based approach and ensuring social justice in accordance with constitutional provisions. The NAC conceptualised and implemented several laws.

Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005: It was on the recommendations of the NAC that the UPA government passed the Right to Information Act, which promoted transparency and accountability in government work. The NAC adopted the principle of maximum disclosure of information and minimum exceptions under this Act. Under this, access of citizens to all public documents was ensured.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005: Under this Act, every family in rural areas was guaranteed at least 100 days of employment per year. As per the recommendations of the NAC, unemployment allowance was also provided in case of failure to provide employment. This Act played an important role in the field of poverty alleviation and livelihood security in rural India.

Food Security Act (FSA), 2013: On the recommendations of the NAC, the UPA government passed the Food Security Act, which aimed to provide food grains to poor families at subsidized rates. Through this Act, food security was ensured to people living below the poverty line (BPL).

Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act: The NAC proposed a comprehensive law, focused on discouraging forced displacement and minimising adverse impacts on people, habitats, environment, food security and biodiversity. It recommended to ensure that agricultural land is acquired only when other options are not available, and that affected individuals/families are provided with a fair compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement package.

Sonia Gandhi’s argument in defense and the truth

Sonia Gandhi herself defended the role of the NAC and said that the purpose of the NAC was only to advise the Prime Minister and the final decision to implement its suggestions was at the discretion of the Union Government. She also said that the NAC was wrongly portrayed as a ‘separate power centre’ while its function was limited to an advisory role only. While it is true that Sonia Gandhi played an important role in formulating government policies through the NAC, it is also true that her main goal was political gain for the Congress. Her goal was not to give the benefits of development to the poor but to brighten the image of the Congress.

However, the files prove that Sonia Gandhi was indeed the ‘Super PM’ and Manmohan Singh was just a Prime Minister who followed her instructions. It can be said that Sonia Gandhi interfered a lot in the policies of the government through the NAC and forced Manmohan Singh to follow her instructions. It can also be said that Sonia Gandhi used Manmohan Singh to brighten her political image.