Trinamool seeks amendments on NCTC

TMC also submitted notices seeking amendments to the motion of thanks,a move that is normally associated with Opposition members. Similar notices were given by BJD members. The amendments are expected to be carried when they are taken up after conclusion of the debate.

Amendments to the motion of thanks to the President’s address have been carried thrice in the past — in 1980,1989 and 2001. In 1989,as many as six amendments were carried to the motion of thanks. Political circles asserted that this time too,a number of amendments could be carried on issues like Telengana,Sri Lanka and price rise.

“Since the NCTC in the proposed version would jeopardise the sanctity of the federal structure of the governance and would be repugnant to the existing laws of the country and may be susceptible of judicial scrutiny,I would request the government… that NCTC should be withdrawn immediately,” Banerjee said.

BJP members did not lose the opportunity to highlight the differences within the UPA on the issue. Rajnath Singh said instead of developing a consensus,the UPA was adopting an attitude of “confrontation” towards the states.

Several chief ministers have opposed the move,he said,and wondered how the President’s Address could have a reference to NCTC when the state governments had not yet been taken into confidence. Singh also charged that the Centre had not taken any serious steps to counter terrorism.

He also accused the UPA of bias towards BJP-ruled states,listing out pending legislations. He rued that the President’s Address had no mention of Telangana.

Congress leader Girija Vyas,who moved the motion of thanks,said the UPA government was determined to table the Lokpal Bill and other related legislations to fight corruption but blamed the Opposition for not supporting the government’s initiatives. The Samajwadi Party maintained it would not allow the government to fall midway. “The people have elected us for five years. Please be patient,” SP member Shailendra Kumar told the BJP. He,however,criticised the government’s NCTC proposal.