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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Bengal opposes riot bill by Archis Mohan and Arnab Ganguly

Bengal opposes riot bill by Archis Mohan and Arnab Ganguly

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published Published on Sep 10, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 10, 2011

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress today expressed “serious objections” to the proposed bill against communal violence, saying the current draft undermined the country’s federal structure.

The BJP said it would intensify its campaign against the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Regulations) Bill, 2011, emboldened by the objections of other non-Congress parties, although none backed its pet “bias against Hindus” line. ( )

Mamata did not attend the National Integration Council meeting in Delhi, but Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra — who represented her — criticised the Centre for not going in for “greater consultation” with the states before mooting a discussion on the draft, which has a provision for central intervention to tackle communal violence.

Government sources in Bengal said Mamata, a key UPA ally, couldn’t attend the deliberations as she had two crucial meetings at Writers’ Buildings. “The meetings were important for investment and development of industry in the state and she couldn’t give them a miss,” said a close aide of the chief minister.

Trinamul sources, however, said Mamata decided to stay away from the NIC meeting since her party’s differences with the Centre would come out in the open.

Just a week back, she had called off a trip to Dhaka with the Prime Minister over her dissatisfaction at the now-aborted Teesta water agreement.

“There may be differences on some issues but we are still allies,” a Trinamul MP said. “After the Teesta episode, about which Manmohan Singh is quite upset, Mamata Banerjee did not want to be personally present and oppose the bill.”

A senior Trinamul leader said Mamata was unhappy with the provision for promulgation of Article 355, which allows the Centre the right to intervene in any area during “internal disturbance”.

The Prime Minister, however, sought to assure the gathering that the bill would not take off without approval from the states.

“Let me assure you that the central government is equally committed to preserving and strengthening the federal framework which has served this country well,” Singh said.

Mitra went so far as to “urge” the gathering at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan “not to discuss” even the “approach to communal violence bill” as the meeting’s agenda had listed the item.

“Discussion on such a bill will create confusion and generate controversy among the people,” he said.

Mitra said the “contemplated” bill would “amount to a direct intervention in the constitutional and functional powers” of state governments, “undermining the very principle of federalism”.

“Our government has serious objections to the introduction of such a bill in Parliament,” he said.

The written text that Bengal officials circulated later had the above sentence printed in bold.

The Telegraph, 11 September, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110911/jsp/frontpage/story_14493172.jsp


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