New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress will move six amendments in what is set to be a turbulent parliamentary debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on Monday. On January 31, President Ram Nath Kovind, in his speech at the joint session of the parliament, had praised the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the government’s decision to read down Article 370, laying the ground for a fierce debate between the opposition and treasury benches.
The opposition members showed a rare show of solidarity to hit out at the president’s speech, which reflected the Union government’s defence of most controversial decisions taken in the last six months.
Even as the opposition members prepare to take on the government during the Motion of Thanks debate, the Trinamool Congress, in a surprise move, decided to move amendments against the president’s speech for the first time in its parliamentary history since 1992. Its leaders never availed of this parliamentary tool, citing respect to the First Citizen.
Two of the six amendments it will move are related to the president’s references to CAA. One of them will refer to the fears regarding the updation of the National Population Register and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens.
“That at the end of the Motion, the following be added, namely: but regret that the Address fails to acknowledge the hardships of peaceful protesters including students who were illegally detained, denied medical care, lathi-charged, fired at and subjected to other forms of torture…But regret that the Address fails to acknowledge the hardships of peaceful protesters including students who were illegally detained, denied medical care, lathi-charged, fired at and subjected to other forms of torture,” Deccan Herald quoted the amendments as saying.
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TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien and Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy, according to sources, have submitted their notices to move these amendments.
Other opposition parties – Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League and some others – are also planning to move multiple amendments against Kovind’s speech in both the houses. All the amendments will register their dissent against the CAA-NPR and a possible NRC.
For the Congress, either Rahul Gandhi or its parliamentary party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will open its debate, followed by Shashi Tharoor. For the TMC, Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra will lead in the lower house, while its chief whip Sukhendu Sekhar Ray will flag the debate in the Rajya Sabha.
One of the CPI(M) amendments that refer to CAA-NPR-NRC say, “…regret that there is no mention in the address about the attack on the heart of India.” The CPI(M) amendments will be moved by P.R. Natarajan (Lok Sabha) and T.K. Rangarajan, Elamarom Kareem and K.K. Ragesh.
TMC and the National Conference amendments will also mention the continuing detention of Jammu and Kashmir leaders.
The BJP, on the other hand, intends to launch a strong defence of the CAA and updation of the NPR, keeping in mind the upcoming elections. It has indicated that its Delhi MP Parvesh Verma, who was banned for 96 hours from campaigning and removed from star campaigners list by the Election Commission of India for making starkly communal statements against protestors at Shaheen Bagh, may move the motion and open the debate for the party.