Kolkata, Jan 1 (IANS) Stating that the Congress was playing with fire by ignoring it, the Trinamool Congress Sunday said it will not compromise with the central government over the Lokayukta clause in the Lokpal bill as it hurts the independence of states.
‘If I am not wrong we have brought 37 amendments and all revolving around the Lokayukta provision in the Lokpal bill. The government has to agree on all the amendments otherwise we will not be a party to the Lokpal bill,’ said Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray.
‘It is bound to hurt the independence of the states which we cannot allow. It cannot bulldoze everything just like that. We were kept in the dark,’ said Ray.
‘The Congress is playing with fire if such things continue they will have to face consequences,’ said Roy.
A top Trinamool leader, on the condition of anonymity, agreed that the party supported the bill in Lok Sabha as some of the Trinamool MPs in Lok Sabha failed to understand the nitty-gritty of the bill.
Party leader and West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee later pointed out the provisions and directed the Rajya Sabha MPs to oppose the bill tooth and nail.
The Trinamool leaders said that the Congress was playing with fire and it will have to face the consequences if such kind of ignorance towards major ally Trinamool continued hence forth.
‘We are always with the government. But the Congress should not forget that they are entirely dependent on us. Whether it’s Teesta water treaty with Bangladesh, foreign direct investment in retail or Lokayukta provision we have been kept in the dark on all the issues. Such things cannot go on for a long time,’ said Roy.
