Sukhendu Sekhar Ray speaks on The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019

FULL TRANSCRIPT

The first point is that this is a potentially dangerous Amendment Bill which empowers officials of the Union Government to brand a person as terrorist without following the due process of law. Now the name of such a person will be included in the Fourth Schedule as has been mentioned in this Bill, proposed to be added in the parent Act.

The only statutory remedy available to that person whose name will be included into the Fourth Schedule is that he will be able to appeal before the Central Government, but that committee is a drawing room committee of the Central Government and if he is not happy with the findings of the Appellate Committee, he can go for a further representation review application before the Reviewing Committee and that reviewing authority is also this same committee, a drawing room committee of the Government because as already mentioned by Kapil Sibal, this UAPA Act has in fact become redundant because in 75 per cent of the cases, people have either acquited or released.

I am giving you a recent example. Last week, a gentleman was acquitted after spending 23 years in jail on the charge of terrorist activities, because they could find no evidence against him.

Sir, his was a very pathetic situation. The ordeal began with his arrest by the Gujarat ATS in 1996 and ended with his release after 23 years from the Jaipur Central Jail last week. After his release, he said,“I was falsely implicated in case after case and prolonged trials had ruined my life. I could not meet my mother who died in hospital as I could not get parole even from the Supreme Court. So this is the ugliest situation under which a person will undergo an ordeal if this Fourth Schedule is included in the parent Act. The funny thing is that this fourth schedule, this fourth schedule does not prescribe for any per say, conviction or punishment as such. Then what is the need for the inclusion of this fourth schedule in the parent Act?”

Then what is the need for inclusion of this Fourth Schedule in the parent Act because ab hamre mathe pe yeh tilak laga diya jayega, ke mai terrorist hu, Fourth Schedule me law diya jaiga. And I will be vulnerable to mob lynching and other elements who are now playing a very dominant role in our society. Jaisa Amitabh Bacchan ka film dekha tha, hath me likh diya tha “mera baap chor hai”, waise hi mere mathe pe ek tika laga dega ki mai terrorist hu, kyu ki mei sarkar ka birodhi hu, koi bi birodhi ho urban-naxal, jo log tribal rights k liye lar rahe hai, jo log environment protection ke liye lar rahe hai, usko bhi koi Urban Naxal bolke, Maoist bolke fourth schedule mei naam utha dega terrorist hai, terrorist ke liye aapka section 124A IPC act hai uspe sedition ka charge aap kisike khilaf la shakte ho, current act bohut sare prabdhan hai, NIA mei hai, aur sedition and anti-national activities, uske bare mei ek-do ullekh karna chahta hu.

August 1 se July 30 1900 Vande Mataram Patrika mei Aurobinda Ghosh ne kuch likha tha, 124 A sedition charge British ne lagaya aur kachhare mei khara kar diya, aur uske paksh mei Barrister Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das ne fight kiya, unone kya bola tha, kanuniwala jo hua o hua, CR Das ne jo bola who quote karna chahta hu, “Man like this who is been charged with the offence imputed to him stands not only before the bar of the court but stands before the bar of the Hight Court of history that long after the controversy is hushed in silence long after this turmoil. This agitation sieges long after he is dead and gone, he will be looked upon as the poet of patriotism, as the prophet of nationalism and lover of humanity.”

So aj jisko aap urban naxal kehte hai, maoist kehte hai, ho chahe nah ho, kyu ki bichar ka usko jaroorat nehi hai, inspector ke pas abhi power de diya gaya jo Assistant commissioner ke pas tha, DSP ke pas tha, Abhi Inspector ke pas vi de diya gaya, wo kisi ko vi pakar ke suparish karega iska nam fourth schedule mei karo, ye atankwadi hai, Yeh ‘atankwadi’ shabd vi British logo ka paida huy hai.

Hamare shahid Bhagat Singh ke khilaf, Khudiram Bose ke khilaf terrorist takma diya jata tha, Chandresekhar Azar ke khilaf. Sir, unko terrorist kitne banaya tha, Biritish government. Lekin aaj, unka murti kahin 6000 crore rupaya khoroch karke banaye yea na banaye, lekin har Hindustani ke dil me uyo base huye hain.

Aaj jisko hum Maoist terrorist kahte hain, aisa na ho ki 50 saal, 100 saal bad, uska tasveer ghar ghar me koyi lagaye. Sir, Gandhiji, uske khilaf bhi sedition charge lagaya gaya tha. Unhone, ‘Young India’, bolke jo magazine nikal te the, unme 1929 me unhe likha that, to unke naam mei sedition law ke – the Section 124A, uyo abhibhi hain, usme Gandhiji ne bola tha, ki sedition constituted ‘a rape of the word l”law” ‘.

Sir is tarah agar Sarkar ne chahte hain ke birodhi logoko hum tang kare, mere kheyal se yeh kanoon bhi ekdin wapas lena parega kyunki jaise Kapil Sibbalji ne bataya, yeh unconstitutional thayraha jayga, wahi PIL hoga, wahi court me jayga. Hamara pass bahut saare judgement hain, mein kah sakta tha, lekin Sir, itne kam samay me ek sirf judgment aapke saamne pesh karna chahta hu. Balbant Singh vs State of Punjab aur Anoop Bhuiyan vs State of Assam. Isme free speech ke liye jo position hona chahiye, Supreme Court has gave it pretty clear aur ant me kyonki mera time khatam hona hain, Sarkar job hi kuch karna chahte hain kar le, bahut din ke baad bhari bahumat mein, so they can follow the politics of majoretarian rule. Let them do that Sir, Hitler, Mussolini aur Stalin bhi kiya tha. Main itihas ka pyramid nehi kholna chahta hu lekin chetavani deta hu, kahi aisa na ho inko bhi yeh face karna parega. Edmund Burke 250 saal pehle kaha tha- “People crushed by law have no hopes but from power, if the laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to law”.

And finally, hamare mahakabi Haribans Rai Bachchan ji ka tin line

Tu na thakega kabhi,
Tu na rukega kabhi,
Tu na mudega kabhi,
Kar shapath! Kar shapath! Kar shapath!
Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!

Hamare Didi ne is Agneepath me chalne ke liye shapath dilaye hain, aur hum chalet rahenge is Agneepath por.

Jodi tor daak shune keu na ashe, tobe ekla cholo re.

Sukhendu Sekhar Ray makes Zero Hour mention on the tragic death of the renowned founder of a chain of coffee outlets

FULL TRANSCRIPT 

Sir, the recent tragic death of the renowned entrepreneur who had set up a chain of very popular outlets all over the country has brought shock and agony to Indian corporates in particular and to the people in general. The Honourable Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Karnataka, and other leaders, including corporate leaders, have expressed their concern in the matter.

A letter was reportedly written by the deceased one day before his death to the board of directors of his company, from which it appears that he was under tremendous pressure from other stakeholders of the company as well as a particular senior officer of the Income Tax Department, whom he named. I am not in a blame game but the matter is very serious. The Government has announced and taken up so many measures for the ‘ease of doing business’; according to reports, about 5,000 million years, they have left this country last year only. If we fail to regenerate confidence among industrialists and investors, the growth rate will decrease alarmingly and the unemployment rate will also increase alarmingly. This is the position.

Therefore, my suggestion to the Government, through you, Sir, would be, let it introspect as to why an environment of despair is looming large among the industrialists and investors, including the person I mentioned here. Why did he have to commit suicide? The Government has to introspect and take adequate measures so that the confidence of the corporates and investors is re-established. This is my humble submission. Thank you.

 

Sukhendu Sekhar Ray speaks on the delay by Centre in renaming West Bengal as Bangla

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, after the partition of Bengal in 1947, following the Act passed by the Boundary Commission, commonly known as the Radcliffe Commission, the eastern districts of Bengal formed the parts of East Pakistan, which is now the independent country known as Bangladesh, whereas the western parts stretching from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal in the south was named as West Bengal, although no geographical territory ever existed officially known as East Bengal. 

The word Bangla is believed to have been derived from ‘Banga’, a Dravidian tribe that settled in the region around 1000 BCE. Everybody knows that in our national anthem that Gurudev Tagore wrote Dravida Utkala Banga. So in July 2018, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed a resolution in fulfillment of a long standing demand of the people of West Bengal that the state should be renamed as ‘Bangla’ and it is still pending for the consideration of the Central Government.

Sir, the Central Government is sending advisories frequently. Within months three advisories have been sent on different issues but the Resolution which have been passed by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is still pending for the renaming of the state. This is a question of our identity, the question of the identity of Bengali people. Why should we be called as people of West Bengal as there was no East Bengal ever in the history of India? Therefore, I would urge upon the Government of India through you Sir, to consider the Resolution of the State Legislature and to give effect to the same at the earliest possible time to restore the actual identity of Bengali people.

স্যার, এই ব্যাপারে আমি বাংলায় এক লাইন বলতে চাই আপনার অনুমতি নিয়ে যাতে আমার রাজ্যের লোকেরা অন্তত বুঝতে পারে সংসদে আমরা এই বিষয়টি তুলছি। এই নিয়ে বাঙালি জনসমাজে অনেক অসন্তোষ আছে যে কেন এখনও বাংলাকে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ হিসেবে চিহ্নিত করা হচ্ছে, কারণ পুর্ববঙ্গের কোনও অস্তিত্ব কোনও কালে ছিল না, যেটা পূর্ব পাকিস্তান ছিল আজ তা বাংলাদেশ হয়ে গেছে।

তাই স্যার, আপনার মাধ্যমে আমার সরকারের কাছে নিবেদন যে আমাদের পশ্চিমবঙ্গ বিধানসভার এই প্রস্তাবটাকে যত দ্রুত সম্ভব স্বীকার করে এই নামটা পরিবর্তন করা হোক। ধন্যবাদ স্যার। 

Sukhendu Sekhar Ray demands voting on The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013

FULL TRANSCRIPT

I have asked for division. No voting process can be held in the din. The lobby has to be cleared. Without clearing the lobby, or stopping the din, no voting exercise can be done. I repeat, I have asked for division.

SS Roy urges GOI to not to phase out Bengal Chemicals, the first Swadeshi company of India

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, the Government of India has decided to sell Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited. During the partition of Bengal, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray established Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited. It was the first Swadeshi company in India. It has been operating for more than a century. But unfortunately the Government has decided to sell the company.

Sir, I would like to place before you that this company’s factories are located in Mumbai, Kanpur, Panihati and Maniktala, and its sales offices in Patna, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi. This is the only company in Asia to manufacture anti-venom serum in the country. It has earned a profit of more than Rs 1 crore last year. In spite of this, the Government has decided on the strategic sale of this company

Apart from Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited, the Government has decided on the strategic sale of another public sector company, Bridge and Roof, which is a Mini-Ratna company. They have hundreds of orders with them – still the Government has decided for the strategic sale of this company. In this way, the public sector companies are being sold out and thousands of labourers are being rendered jobless, not only in Bengal but in different parts of the country.
Therefore, I would urge upon the Government through you, Sir, to review the decision for sale so that these companies are saved. Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals is the first Swadeshi company of the country, which was established during the Swadeshi Movement when the anti-Partition movement was going on, in 1905. Therefore, Sir, I would urge upon the Government that the Government should restrain themselves from selling out Bengal Chemicals and Bridge and Roof forthwith. Thank you, Sir.

 

Trinamool stages dharna outside Parliament, protest in the House after three months of demonetisation

Trinamool Congress MPs from both the Houses of the Parliament staged a dharna today outside the Parliament protesting against demonetisation, which completed three months today.

In the Parliament, the party gave notices in both the Upper and the Lower Houses to discuss on the issue that had led millions of poor people in great distress.

In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy demanded Suspension of Rules in order to discuss forthwith the limits on cash withdrawal even after 3 months of demonetisation. He pointed out that in November, the PM had asked for 50 days which eded on December 30.  Now three months have passed. Deposit and withdrawal limits after the announcement are still being imposed, causing hardship and inconvenience to common man. People are unable to withdraw one’s own hard earned money, he pointed out. He said that Trinamool Congress is against the restrictions on cash withdrawal and the Government must immediately remove these restrictions.

The Trinamool MP pointed out that over 120 lives have been lost due to demonetisation and many daily wage workers, labourers and farmers have lost their livelihoods. The down trodden and poor continue to suffer.

Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee was the first person to react against this ‘Draconian Policy’ of the Centre back in November 8, 2016, the day it was announced. Today, in a series of tweet, Mamata Banerjee said that “Demonetisation-Remonetisation” has derailed the nation and the step was “visionless, missionless and directionless”. Here is her full statement.

 

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy speaks on demonetisation deaths in Rajya Sabha

Thirty days have passed since the demonetisation announcement was made. More than 90 people have died while standing in queues in front of banks and ATMs. Their deaths should be mourned.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy’s intervention after Minister’s reply on Mamata Banerjee’s flight snag | FULL TRANSCRIPT

The Hon’ble Minister has already given the verdict before the enquiry is held. He has said nothing was wrong. He has said that everything was alright. He has already given the verdict, before the enquiry. Now the enquiry will be a farce because the Minister has already given the verdict. He has said that all rules were perfectly maintained.

SS Roy asks RS Chairman to make obituary references to army jawans and people who died due to demonetisation | FULL TRANSCRIPT

Sir, I have given a Notice under Rule 267 so that this House makes obituary references. Ever since surgical strikes were carried out, our Army personnel have been martyred at the LOC. Even yesterday, our Army jawans lost their lives.

Sir, after demonetisation, 82 innocent lives were lost standing in queues outside banks. I demand that an obituary reference be made in the House. We must pay our respects to our jawans and our fellow citizens who have lost their lives.

SS Roy speaks during a Calling Attention Motion on the impasse regarding appointment of judges

Sir, presently in the High Courts of our country there are 477 vacancies; and we all know how it has been caused. After this Parliament and the State legislatures passed the 99th Constitutional Amendment Bill, the Constitution Amendment Act and the NJAC Bill, the Supreme Court set it aside, calling it unconstitutional and void; the Minister’s statement is also on record in this regard.

Sir, over a period of time it has been held that the word ‘consultation’ in Article 366 has been understood as ‘concurrence.’ A new meaning has been imported into our Constitution. Not only under Article 366, there are several articles of our Constitution – like 124, 217, 127, 222 – where the word ‘consultation’ is there. And in all those cases, consultation is binding and the ordinary dictionary meaning is accepted. But only in the case of Article 366, ‘consultation’ has become ‘concurrence.’ So kabhi ha, kabhi na, ye dono jagah change kiya jaa raha hai. Arising out of this situation, the entire system of appointment of High Court judges has come to a standstill.

Now the Minister says in his statement, in para 6, that ‘it has been decided that the Government of India may finalise the existing MoP (Memorandum of Procedure) in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.’ So again, consultation will be interpreted as concurrence with respect to the Chief Justice of India. So it is not a consultation, it is concurrence. Hence it would have been better had the Minister used that term.

We have been reduced to that level and the Parliament has been ignored like anything. When the Parliament is in session, why isn’t the MoP discussed here? Why does the Government discuss it only with the Supreme Court and others? If suggestions have been invited from the public in general through the website of the Ministry of Law and Justice, why are the parliamentarians left in the dark? According to me this is an effort to ignore and undermine the existence of Parliament. This is why I am asking, why should the members not discuss? When the Parliament is in session, it is incumbent on the Minister to discuss the matter on the floor of the House. Otherwise, I think, as per my party’s point of view, the Government will bid goodbye to the greatest tradition of Parliament if we are kept in dark about the MoP.

This is a very serious issue, Sir. This is not a one-time affair, Sir. Once this MoP is accepted in some form or the other, this will continue to be in force for years together, nobody knows for how long.

Lastly, regarding the word ‘consultation’ – there should be an interpretation to the effect whether consultation means concurrence or not in each and every article of our Constitution. For that the Government should move a Bill defining the word ‘consultation.’

Thank you.