PM must speak on Covid in Parl, not anywhere else: TMC

KOLKATA: Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not make any presentation on the Covid pandemic before the MPs, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Derek O' Brien on Monday demanded that the former should address the House on the same issue.

While addressing the press in New Delhi, O' Brien demanded that the Prime Minister should make any statement on Covid pandemic on the floor of the Parliament. "We demand that the Prime Minister should make any statement on Covid on the floor of the House and not in any of the halls where some MPs would be present."

He said earlier it was decided that the Prime Minister would make a statement on the pandemic in any of the halls, but later he dropped the matter and the MPs had been informed that he was not going to make any statement on the issue.

He said Trinamool Congress had given notices demanding discussion on key issues like rise in the prices of petroleum products and cooking gas, failure to provide adequate vaccine, slashing down of MPLAD funds and onslaught on the federal structure of India.

To protest against the sharp rise in the price of petrol and diesel which is affecting the pockets of common people, nine Trinamool MPs went to the Parliament House on bicycles. Derek said Trinamool Congress would put up a giant screen outside its party office in New Delhi on July 21 when party chairperson Mamata Banerjee would address the Martyr's Day meeting virtually and invite some of the leaders of the Opposition parties to listen to it.

Party MPs are there in New Delhi and its all India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will visit the national capital on July 22. TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee is likely to make a four-day visit to New Delhi on July 26, when she is likely to meet the President and the Prime Minister.