The Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution demanding the repeal of the controversial farm laws of the BJP-led Centre as chief minister Mamata Banerjee demanded resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah should they fail to give in to the demands of the agitating farmers.
Amid aggressive “Jai Sri Ram” slogans and ruckus by the BJP in the House, Mamata lambasted the saffron camp over apparent attempts to discredit the agitators.
“If there is any good intention towards the greater interests of the people, I ask the Prime Minister to rescind the three legislations. You must. Either repeal the laws or step down,” said Mamata in the House, before demanding an immediate all-party meeting at the Centre.
Comparing the farm laws with the notorious indigo cultivation during the British Raj, Mamata said the Centre was trying to push the country into a famine.
“You deliberately had the bills passed when people couldn’t even go to Parliament because of Covid-19…. You didn’t even allow proper voting,” she added.
Parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee moved a government resolution, urging the Centre that the three laws be repealed. The Left and the Congress suggested some amendments, but did not oppose the resolution.
After failing to prevent Mamata from addressing the House during the discussion, the BJP MLAs staged a walkout — while raising “Jai Sri Ram” slogans — and claimed the resolution was “unconstitutional”.
Amid a controversy later in the day over the slogan being raised in the Assembly — Trinamul, the Congress and the Left were critical — the BJP aggressively defended the act.
Mamata threw her weight behind the agitating farmers and brought up the incidents in Delhi on Republic Day.
“If there is something they don’t like, they will go about maligning them, branding them as terrorists, is it correct?” she asked.
“If 20 lakh farmers went to Delhi together, in a pre-announced programme, took due permission, a couple of small incidents took place, nothing major…. These are all lies. They are leveling such allegations that should never be levelled,” she added.
Later in the day, during a Trinamul event, Mamata accused the BJP of trying to burn the nation.
“Amit Shah had said in public, I have documentary evidence, that they have 50 lakh WhatsApp groups… and if they want, they can make even wrong information go viral. If the Union home minister says this, this is what happens. Farmers, bechara, without fault… terrorism and whatnot now, simply to discredit them,” she said.
“BJP ka chamcha (the BJP’s acolyte)… that flag-bearer (actor Deep Sidhu). He was part of photo ops with Modi and Shah…. The Prime Minister and the Union home minister should resign,” she added.
Mamata said at the event that she has seen many central governments from close proximity, since Raji Gandhi’s time. “Such audacity this one has…. These two (Modi and Shah, apparently)… such deliberate use of force, I never saw. Anybody you don’t like, goli maro (shoot them)…. You should go,” she said.
Budget session
The Assembly would reconvene for the budget session on February 5, with the vote-on-account likely to be passed on February 8.
Sources in the treasury benches said there might be no gubernatorial address at the start, as the ongoing session is in continuation of a session from 2020, closed prematurely because of Covid-19.
