‘Saviours of govt’ trip lone ranger Mamata
23 Nov 2012 7:39 AM IST
Despite a valiant attempt by Trinamool Congress to bring down the UPA government on Thursday, the Congress managed to keep its flock together in the Lok Sabha with Speaker Meira Kumar refusing to admit the no-confidence motion ‘for want of numbers’. Overcome by their desire to ‘snub’ West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the Left and the BJP decided to give the government a walkover in the House on day one of the winter session.
With 55 MPs needed to support a motion to be admitted for discussion, Trinamool could garner support of just 21 including three from the Biju Janata Dal. The motion, first in the current Lok Sabha, was moved by Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay. The motion said, ‘This House expresses want of confidence in the Council of Ministers over its decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail as it is going to harm millions of small businesses.’
Following the moving of the motion, Speaker Meira Kumar asked all such members supporting the motion to stand up. Despite heckling from the Congress benches, TMC members stood their ground to be told by the Speaker that the motion ‘does not have leave of the House (due to lack of numbers).’
Later in the day, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee posted on her Facebook page that she had managed to ‘expose the saviours of the government’. She wrote, ‘We thought that other members who are so vociferous against FDI in retail and other sectors, and various other anti-people decisions of the UPA government, would join the no-trust move against the government. Unfortunately, they did not come forward for the cause of the people, citing various excuses. No trust against the UPA government is not rejected by the people of the country. The saviours of the government are exposed.’
The proceeding of the day was otherwise marred with disruptions as SP and BSP members rushed to the well protesting against the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and SC/ST reservation issues, refusing to go along with the rest of the Opposition.
At the end of the day, the government convened an all-party meeting on Monday to break the deadlock as BJP and the Left parties insisted on a discussion in Parliament on FDI issue under voting provisions.
With 55 MPs needed to support a motion to be admitted for discussion, Trinamool could garner support of just 21 including three from the Biju Janata Dal. The motion, first in the current Lok Sabha, was moved by Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay. The motion said, ‘This House expresses want of confidence in the Council of Ministers over its decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail as it is going to harm millions of small businesses.’
Following the moving of the motion, Speaker Meira Kumar asked all such members supporting the motion to stand up. Despite heckling from the Congress benches, TMC members stood their ground to be told by the Speaker that the motion ‘does not have leave of the House (due to lack of numbers).’
Later in the day, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee posted on her Facebook page that she had managed to ‘expose the saviours of the government’. She wrote, ‘We thought that other members who are so vociferous against FDI in retail and other sectors, and various other anti-people decisions of the UPA government, would join the no-trust move against the government. Unfortunately, they did not come forward for the cause of the people, citing various excuses. No trust against the UPA government is not rejected by the people of the country. The saviours of the government are exposed.’
The proceeding of the day was otherwise marred with disruptions as SP and BSP members rushed to the well protesting against the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and SC/ST reservation issues, refusing to go along with the rest of the Opposition.
At the end of the day, the government convened an all-party meeting on Monday to break the deadlock as BJP and the Left parties insisted on a discussion in Parliament on FDI issue under voting provisions.
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