The Trinamool Congress Wednesday joined other parties in the Rajya Sabha in giving notice of an amendment on a mention of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the president’s address on the opening day of parliament’s budget session.
The Trinamool’s decision came a day after it was cautioned, along with other United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies, by the Congress to withdraw amendments to the president’s address.
The notice of amendment was moved after start of debate on the motion of thanks to the president’s address in the Rajya Sabha.
The Trinamool Congress said that the speech did not mention that National Intelligence Grid and the NCTC “have been constituted without consultations with the chief ministers of the states that these bodies encroach upon the federal structure of the country and dilute the rights of the states”.
The notice of amendment has been given by Shivanand Tiwari of the Janata Dal-United, Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena, V. Maitreyan of the AIADMK, M. Venkaiah Naidu of Bharatiya Janata Party, Pyarimohan Mohapatra of the Biju Janata Dal, Mahendra Mohan of the Samajwadi Party, Naresh Gujral of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday requested the UPA allies to withdraw amendments moved by some of them, saying that the opposition could latch on to them to press a vote that could endanger the government.