PARLIAMENT DIARY
PRESIDENT KOVIND’S SPEECH CREATES SPECULATION ON NRC
In his address to the joint session of Parliament on Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind did not mention about creating a National Register of Citizens (NRC) throughout the country. In his last address of the joint session of Parliament in 2019, the President had mentioned about the NRC. Many MPs were of the view that as Mr Kovind did not mention about countrywide NRC as many Opposition parties were articulating earlier, the Centre has perhaps shelved the idea for the time being. The President, in his address, categorically mentioned about the atrocities in Pakistan but did not talk of Bangladesh and Afghanistan which also triggers many speculations. The Citizenship Amendment Act which was passed in the last session mentioned about granting citizenship to the religiously persecuted minorities in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. But sources in the government made it clear that there will be no dilution of the CAA. They don’t want to read too much into the address of the President.
TRINAMUL CONGRESS MAINTAINS DISTANCE FROM REST OF OPPOSITION
On Friday, 14 Opposition parties led by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi held a demonstration inside the Parliament. But one of the main Opposition parties, Trinamul Congress, was not present in the protest. A TMC leader explained that they were not invited for the protest which is denied by others. Therefore, they had a separate protest on the issue of CAA and
NRC. Actually, before the Assembly polls in West Bengal, TMC is trying to keep a distance from the Congress party at the national level. They are of the view that Congress will have an adjustment with the Left parties in Bengal. For this reason, TMC parliamentary party will also maintain a safe distance from Congress-led Opposition.
BJP DISTANCING ITSELF FROM ALLIANCE PARTNER AKALI DAL?
Like every year, Union minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat
Kaur Badal holds annual luncheon in the new year. This year also, it was organised on Friday at her official residence. But no senior BJP minister attended the get-together.
It created flutter among the journalists present there whether BJP has started showing cold feet towards
Akali Dal. Akali leaders had also joined the Opposition in Thursday’s all-party meeting to oppose the CAA in the present form. One of the leaders present in the all-party meeting said that the parties which supported CAA in the Parliament are now expressing concern about the act as passed.