Stop issuing advisories, will co-operate: Trinamool to govt

Participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to the joint session of Parliament, TMC's Saugata Roy said if the government stops issuing advisories to the state, the party will co-operate with Centre.

"Many people ask me why AITC is not attending the dinner called by the Prime Minister and why we are not attending the meeting on one nation one election. If the Home Minister keeps sending advisories and expects us to attend their meetings, it will never happen," he said in Lok Sabha.

He also said if the government stops sending advisories, the party will co-operate with it.

"Sending advisories is against federalism and they are violating the principle of cooperative federalism," Roy said.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of violating the basic spirit of the Constitution, he said the word 'secularism' does not find a mention in the Presidential speech and neither does the name of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the country.

"That is because of RSS. The RSS did not take part in the freedom movement. They did not unfurl the Indian tricolour on January 26 for 30 years. They did not take part in the Quit India Movement in 1942. This organisation was banned after Gandhiji's assassination. Today I am sad because a former pracharak of RSS is country's Prime Minister," he said.

The senior TMC member accused the BJP of creating mayhem in West Bengal but it found no mention in President's address.

"The Prime Minister went 18 times to West Bengal during elections. He even came to my constituency where the BJP was defeated. His party people are creating mayhem in West Bengal, burning our offices, killing our people, killing TMC workers. They have let loose violence. President does not mention this and the Home Minister sends us advisory. That is his temerity, his arrogance," he said.

Referring to US State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report, he said there were several attempts to undermine minority institutions and change the names of the cities that reminded of one of the pluralistic nature of India.

Opposing the motion, Roy said the President's address didn't reflect the condition of the country instead it just gave some "biased platitudes" and repeated all the programs of the government.

"There is no mention of demonetisation, farmer's suicide, Rafale deal etc. Nothing of this is mentioned in the President's speech. Freedom is curtailed in this country," he said.

Slamming the government on the way it handled the Kashmir situation, Roy claimed that this year, 88 civilians died there but found no mention in the President's address.

He alleged that the government by bringing the triple talaq bill was trying to divide the country.

"How can you convert a civil offence to a criminal offence? The whole Muslim community is opposed to it. But they will bring it because they have to divide the society," he said.

The Trinamool leader slammed the government's economic policies and said it was in the doldrums.

"This government talks big. The rate of growth has fallen to 5.8 per cent which is the lowest in many years and the government has no policy on how to improve the rate of growth. It has no policy at all," he said.