TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee meets Birla, seeks disqualification of 20 ‘rebels’

NEW DELHI, June 19: Seeking strong action against its rebels, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Friday urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 of its MPs for revolting against the party and trying to “merge” with a lesser-known political party.
TMC general secretary and its Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee placed the demand before Birla by submitting 20 separate petitions against the 20 rebels seeking their disqualification after the breakaway faction sought recognition as a separate block in the Lower House and announced their plans to merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a registered unrecognised political party headquartered in Howrah in West Bengal.
Banerjee was called by the Speaker after the 20 TMC rebel MPs met him and conveyed their decision of forming a separate block.
Altogether, 29 MPs got elected to the Lok Sabha on TMC tickets in the 2024 general elections. One MP passed away sometime ago and the seat remains vacant.
In a show of strength, Banerjee came to meet the Speaker accompanied by three Lok Sabha members — Saugata Roy, Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra and Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien.
Talking to the media after the meeting, Abhishek Banerjee said the rebel MPs, who have claimed to join the NCPI, should be disqualified from the membership of the House on the ground of leaving the party.
He also said their claims of ‘merger’ are not valid, and according to law, two-thirds of the entire party must merge with another party, not just individual legislators.
“Twenty people met the speaker and claimed they should be treated as a separate group. Later, we got to know those MPs claimed to have joined another party, NCPI; nobody has heard the name of this group. Even they had not heard the name of this party,” Banerjee said, flanked by Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Moitra, and O’Brien.
He said the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution is clear: if a member voluntarily gives up membership of a party, he or she is disqualified as an MP. Lashing out at the MPs who switched sides, Banerjee said, “They sold their self-respect.” “Someone has to escape ED, CBI… Some are getting money, or being threatened…” he said adding that he has “concrete proof,” and those who have objections with the claims can approach a court.
“They are joining hands with the BJP because they can’t fight; there is no space for such people in Bengal politics,” he said.
“In the last seven days, I have received five summons… There have been two raids at my house, two raids at Mamata ji’s house. They took Mamata ji’s security. We don’t want it either. What can one expect from the government that unleashed bulldozers on the poor?” he said. (PTI)