Kolkata, Feb 29 (IANS) Intensifying pressure on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), coalition partner Trinamool Congress Wednesday said it would oppose “tooth and nail” every “anti-people” policy and bill that the central government may bring in the coming parliament session.
“If the government tries to bring in any anti-people policy or bill, then the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party will oppose it tooth and nail. We have earlier also opposed the anti-people policies of the centre,” senior Trinamool Congress leader and MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said.
He is also union minister of state for health.
“We had opposed the Lokayukta clause in the Lokpal bill. We had opposed FDI in retail. It was Trinamool which opposed price rise. We are a party which is pro-people,” he said about West Bengal’s ruling party.
Bandopadhyay mocked Left backed trade unions for trying to cripple the state by calling a shutdown Feb 28.
“They had called a strike yesterday. But they called the strike on those issues which was earlier taken up by the Trinamool. I would request these trade unions to meet (Chief Minister Mamata) Banerjee and place their demands. The demands will be placed to the central government and it will bear results.”
Trinamool, the second largest ally of UPA with 20 MPs in the Lok Sabha and six in Rajya Sabha, has often joined the opposition BJP both in and out of the parliament against the the UPA government’s key legislations and policies. These include the Lokpal Bill, FDI in retail trade, the Teesta water sharing treaty with Bangladesh and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
