After mounting a united protest against the government over students’ issues, Opposition parties have to calibrate their position in Parliament as a section is keen to participate in a debate on the FCRA (expand ) amendment bill while Samajwadi Party, the second-largest constituent of the group, wants to continue protests over the alleged theft of Ram Mandir donations.
Event Context
The Opposition is set to finalize its strategy on two raging issues on Monday, when the leaders will meet to chalk out the plan for the next week.
Team Analysis
At the Opposition’s meeting on Thursday to chalk out floor strategy, some leaders from parties such as the Congress, the Left parties and TMC favoured participating in a debate on the FCRA amendment bill, leaders said. The government has not said if it will take up the bill for consideration– it was introduced in March, but debate was deferred after protests. However, an opposition leader told HT on Wednesday that it would be taken up on Monday.
The controversial amendments in the Bill include creation of a designated body to manage assets of an organization, if it ceases to have an FCRA certificate. The body can use the assets for public purposes or transfer such assets to ministries, departments, authorities or agencies of the central or state government.
Samajwadi MP from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad told media outside Parliament building that a discussion on the temple donation case was a priority.
“We want a discussion on the Ram Mandir chanda chori. The government is trying to shy away from the debate. It is an issue related to the faith of millions of people,” he saiod.
Match Outlook
Another Left leader said that a calibrated strategy is needed as they can’t afford to isolate the SP. “The SP stood by us. We can’t bulldoze our strategy through and ask the SP to defer their issue. After all, Samajwadi Party will be fighting the assembly election against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh early next year,” the leader said.
A second Congress leader said the Opposition has to find a perfect balance between the need to participate in the FCRA debate and raising the Ram Mandir issue. “Pls don’t think Ram Mandir donation theft is not an issue for us. The Congress is equally keen to demand accountability from the government over the theft.”
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“This bill is important for us. We can’t allow the government to pass the bill without us putting up any resistance. We have to register our objections and we must participate in the debate,” according to a CPIM leader,
A senior Congress leader said, “The bill has far-reaching consequences for NGOs and civil society. We must protest against the bill as far as possible.”
