TMC MPs tear up bill copies; Abhishek cites Bengal’s strength
Times of India | 21 August 2025
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MPs on Wednesday protested inside and outside Parliament against the introduction of the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The MPs tore copies of the bill and threw bits of paper towards treasury benches in the Lower House. Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee tried to tug at the microphone in front of home minister Amit Shah and shout slogans. Banerjee's colleague Mitali Bag said Lok Sabha marshals pushed her during the melee.
While other opposition members were speaking against the constitutional amendment bill and two other bills tabled during the day, Banerjee and some of his party colleagues marched in the U-shaped Well of the House, raising slogans against the govt, tearing up copies of the bills and throwing the pieces of paper all around. Mahua Moitra, too, was in the Well, raising slogans.
Later, speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, "You have seen the performance of our MPs today. Everyone recorded a dissent, but we opposed right at the introduction (of the bill). Recording a dissent statement means you are giving an opportunity for the Bill to be introduced. That is why we discussed with our Lok Sabha MPs and our party leader (Mamata Banerjee) this morning and decided that whenever the bill was tabled, we would oppose it outright.
"Banerjee, also Trinamool's Lok Sabha leader, said, "Look at the role of our MPs when they went down into the Well. Other opposition parties also protested, but not like the AITC MPs, who led the way. The House started at 2pm and was adjourned by 2.10-2.12pm. Like a coward, the home minister had to sit in the fourth row of Lok Sabha and call 20 marshals for protection. Today, they have seen Bengal's strength.
"Referring to a recent comment by the Chief Justice of India while hearing a case, Banerjee said, "The current CJI himself has said, ‘Even if they are never convicted, ED has been successful in punishing people without trial for years'.
"He cited the case of AAP leader Satyendar Jain, who had to spend three years in jail in a corruption case though no evidence was found against him. "Who will return those years? Anil Deshmukh was kept in jail for six months before getting bail. Who will return those months? Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Raut — they were all forcibly arrested. Our own Sudip Bandopadhyay was arrested in the Rose Valley case forcibly. Prove they are guilty, we will stand with you. But if you can't, then you cannot keep them behind bars. The doctrine of law says, ‘innocent until proven guilty.' In BJP's India, it has become the opposite.