The TMC was instead represented by a lightweight MP Ratna Nag from Hooghly.
The UPA-II’s efforts to work out a peace deal with its allies have run into rough weather. Mamata Bannerjee, chief of its indispensable alliance partner the Trinamool Congress, has directed all its ministers to stay away from a dinner hosted by prime minister Manmohan Singh for the allies on Tuesday.
The TMC was instead represented by a lightweight MP Ratna Nag from Hooghly. However, ministers Mukul Roy and Sultan Ahmed would be attending the swearing-in ceremonies of non-Congress chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Akhilesh Yadav.
By a stroke of chance, the elder statesman among sugar barons and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar fainted in Parliament’s lobby due to low sugar, and would also be keeping away from this event. Far above the strength of the 9 NCP MPs, Pawar’s presence would have added a lot of political weight to the event. The NCP was represented by union heavy industries minister Praful Patel.
These symbolic gestures actually translate into big political embarrassments, as in an encore of its behaviour during the Lokpal debate, the TMC has moved amendments to the motion of thanks for President’s address to Parliament. “In the recent past, there is a great resentment in our country in respect of various laws, including this NCTC.
The debate is on why the Central Government is trying to encroach upon the field of state legislation. Until such a debate is answered in a positive manner, the NCTC Bill should not have been brought or any such step should have been taken,” said Kalyan Banerjee in Lok Sabha.
Thus, the Trinamool Congress continues to play hide and seek with the Congress-led government.
After shooting down government’s ambitious plan on FDI in retail sector and now opposing the NCTC, it is playing hard-to-get game for the Rajya Sabha elections from West Bengal. It refuses lend it extra first preference votes to the Congress candidate.
The TMC’s stand on these issues is also ominous for the ruling alliance as this is in alignment with the main opposition’s BJP position on the contentious issue of federalism.
With the BJP’s senior leader Rajnath Singh taking a strident position during his speech on the motion of thanks for President’s address and demanding that the government withdraw the executive orders on it as these interfere with the federal structure and infringe on state’s rights.
The clash between the TMC and the government on this issue is expected to sharpen during the course of the next two days. In fact, it is learnt that over 2,600 amendments have been moved by political parties in the Presidential Address covering several issues.
This has already pushed union home minister P Chidambaram on the backfoot who has asserted that the government will continue to hold consultations while observing that NCTC does not violate the federal structure or the rights of the states.
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