The opposition parties going to boycott the presidential address in Parliament demanded an impartial inquiry into January 26 clashes in the National Capital as they suspected the ‘central government’s role’ in orchestrating it.
New Delhi: A total of 16 opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, will boycott the presidential address in Parliament on Friday. An official statement said today that the decision to boycott the address has been to register their protest against newly-enacted farm laws and show solidarity towards farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders for more than two months.
The official release states the parties which have agreed to boycott the address are Indian National Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kerala Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).
The parties demanded an impartial inquiry into January 26 clashes in the National Capital as they suspected the ‘central government’s role’ in orchestrating it.
Republic Day in Delhi was marred with clashes between protesting farmers and Delhi police over a tractor parade resulting in injuries to scores of civilians and policemen and loss of one life. The opposition parties said.”We also express our sadness over the injuries sustained by Delhi police personnel while handling the difficult situation.”
The parties alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have remained insensitive to the issue. “The Prime Minister and the BJP government remain arrogant, adamant, and undemocratic in their response,” the statement said.
They reminded the Centre that over 155 farmers have lost their lives while protesting at the borders in biting cold weather from the last 64 days. The parties reasserted that the newly-enacted farm laws are an ‘assault’ on the rights of states and ‘violate’ the federal spirit of the Constitution.
The three laws, passed by Parliament during the monsoon session, are seen by growers as pro-corporate and anti-farmers as they allow private players in the agricultural trade.