TMC, Cong, Left to bring joint resolution on NRC in Assembly

The ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Congress and Left Front has decided to bring a joint resolution in the West Bengal Assembly opposing the NRC in Assam in order to corner the BJP.

The resolution would be placed in the House in the second half of Friday.

"For the last two days, the Trinamool Congress was hesitant to allow us (Congress and Left Front) to bring a resolution against the NRC in Assam. They have agreed today. Now it has been decided that the ruling TMC and the opposition Congress and Left Front will bring the resolution jointly on Friday. There will be a discussion on it," Leader of the opposition Abdul Mannan of the Congress said.

Since the beginning of the special session of the Assembly on August 26, the Congress and the Left Front have been demanding discussions over various issues such as price rise and implementation of pay commission. But their demands were rejected.

After the publication of the final NRC list on August 31 leaving out over 19 lakh applicants, the Congress and the Left Front are demanding a discussion on it.

"But this demand too was not accepted for the last two days. So we felt that TMC is not bothered about the sufferings of the people who have been excluded in the final NRC. But today they said they too want a joint resolution," Left Front Legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

It is need of the hour to oppose this "draconian exercise", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

BJP legislative party leader Manoj Tigga said his party will oppose the resolution.

"The NRC has been done keeping in mind national security to drive out infiltrators. If they are opposing it, they are working against the interest of the country," Tigga said.

The Trinamool Congress on Monday decided to hold mass protests across West Bengal on September 7 and 8 opposing the NRC in neighbouring Assam.