KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and the Trinamool Congress Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, is scheduled to hold an important virtual meeting with her party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on August 4.
The meeting assumes political significance for several reasons, as it coincides with the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.
Since the beginning of the monsoon session on July 21, the Trinamool Congress has been particularly vocal about the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, both inside and outside of the Parliament.
A section of the Opposition parties considers the SIR process as a ‘conspiracy’ to exclude names of Opposition voters from the voter lists.
In Monday's meeting, Banerjee is expected to give instructions to her party MPs to intensify protests in the Parliament over the issue.
According to sources, the ‘attack’ on Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal in various States will also be discussed in the meeting.
The Trinamool Congress has raised its voice against the BJP-led Central Government on this issue, especially after allegations of atrocities on Bengali migrant workers came to light in several areas in North India.
“Didi may advise how to raise these issues in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well outside of the Parliament in the meeting,” a Trinamool Congress insider said.
Discussions related to floor coordination with the anti-BJP political parties in the Parliament are also likely to get prominence in the virtual meet.
The Trinamool Congress believes that it is impossible to put pressure on the Centre on an important issue like SIR in Parliament if the Opposition is not united.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, and on August 2, Bihar's opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that his own name has been left out of the voter lists. However, a different explanation has been given by the ECI.
Political observers believe that the SIR issue is likely to create an uproar in the Parliament next week.
Besides, Banerjee’s meeting with the Trinamool Congress MPs may also discuss the incident that took place in the Rajya Sabha last Friday. Several MPs from the Trinamool Congress, AAP and DMK were escorted out of the Rajya Sabha by the marshal, allegedly.
The Trinamool Congress is alleging that the Central Government has an authoritarian attitude behind this incident. According to the Trinamool Congress sources, the party wants to use this session of the Parliament to build public opinion against the Centre.
In addition, on Banerjee’s advice, the opposition is also going to gherao the ECI office in Delhi on Friday, August 8. The partners of the Opposition alliance ‘India’ are also going to meet in the national capital on August 7.
The Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will also attend the meeting, according to sources close to him.
