Non-BJP allies will have to join forces, says Derek O’Brien

December 03, 2017 10:27 pm | Updated December 03, 2021 10:45 am IST - Chennai

Derek O’Brien.

Derek O’Brien.

The Rajya Sabha member and author of the recently released book Inside Parliament , Derek O’Brien, said a united Opposition can stall the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) juggernaut in the 2019 general elections.

In the city to promote his book Mr. O’Brien, who represents the Trinamool Congress, said of the India of today, “On the one hand, you have institutions being destroyed and, on the other hand, there is the basic fabric of India being messed with. In the book, I have mentioned how I grew up in Calcutta in a Hindu neighbourhood, lived on a street named after a Muslim [Jamir Lane] and we are a Christian family. That is the India I know and it is under threat now.”

“If you look at the States where the BJP juggernaut was stopped in 2014, and later, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, it provides the way forward for uniting in 2019,” said Mr. O’Brien told The Hindu . “In the book, I have talked about how the crumbling of the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) has strengthened M.K. Stalin’s prospects and the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). I predict they will sweep the next Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, non-BJP allies will have to join forces. The ongoing Gujarat election is only a Ranji trophy match, 2019 is the test cricket.”

Speaking of the reduction in the number of days of Parliament affecting legislative deliberation, which he mentions in his book, Mr. O’Brien said, “This year, Parliament only functioned for 48 days. My suggestion is that Parliaments should have a parliamentary calendar, just as schools have a calendar.”

He added, “The Rajya Sabha is right now being treated like an obstructionist body, delaying law-making. I have quoted Arun Jaitley saying this in the book. Actually, unlike the U.K.’s House of Lords, the Rajya Sabha here [in India] is like a Council of States and an important element in the agenda of cooperative federalism. To have constitutional experts such as Mr. Jaitley undermining the Upper House is disappointing indeed. I have mentioned how Article 110 of the Constitution has been grossly misused by this government on the Money Bill ”

Of the TMC’s work in West Bengal, Mr. O’Brien said, “The Kanyashree Prakalpa project has benefitted 42 lakh girl children. The project to stem girl child marriage and keep them in school longer was chosen by the U.N. for a public service award this year. .We have also distributed 45 lakh bicycles to make commuting to school easier for children. Similarly, MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) lending, too, has increased in West Bengal to ₹1 lakh crore now. This is reviving small scale industries and boosting manufacturing jobs. But we find the Goods and Service Tax (GST) to be problematic, and demonetisation too has hurt the sector.”

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