December 16, 2025
Leader of Party in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien’s speech on Election Reforms, mentioning the three Ds of Divide, Distract and Deflect, and the Union government’s unwillingness to discuss the other burning issues of MGNREGS
Sir,I am glad we are having a discussion on Electoral Reforms because we have been trying it from the last Session of Parliament. When I say, ‘we’, I mean, Members of the Opposition to have a discussion on Electoral Reforms or the Election Commission in the broader sense. We were told in the last Session, it could not be discussed because it cannot be discussed in Parliament.Then we produced nine reasons why it has been discussed before in Parliament. So, it is good that we are discussing this in Parliament. Parliament and India must also know what was discussed at the All-Party meeting. Yes; we wanted a discussion on Electoral Reforms. We, the Opposition, also wanted a discussion on two more very important issues. We all know our respective languages. If I speak in Bengali, they will brand me as Bangladeshi.” So, on language — you speak Bengali in other States, in some other States, you are targeted as being Bangladeshi. So that is the ‘divide’, Sir. And, then, you illegally deport them, but sometimes a pregnant woman is brought back to her country as a proud woman. Coming to ‘distract’, I am glad and I want to remind the hon. Home Minister, ‘distract’. Yes, to distract from your own failures, you come up with a whole lot of other distractions. Coming to ‘deflect’, I have one point on ‘deflect’, Sir, because the big thing is ‘infiltrators’. Simple, who is in charge of the borders? Which chief Minister? No Chief Minister! Sir, class 8 civics tells you, it is the Home Minister of this country. Now, I come to election reforms. There is one party. And, I want more parties to have this in their manifesto. Our party had this since 2009 in our manifesto, then ‘nine’ always. It is a very simple suggestion. Everything I say is on electoral reforms. Government funding of elections is the route. And I am very happy that there are other political parties, like, the Indian National Congress who included in their manifesto in 2014. But, the Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, included that in her manifesto in 2009. That is our suggestion. Sir, on elections, let us play by the rules. The rules are there. Are we following the rules? Rule one — the Model Code of Conduct. One campaign is on television, say, the Prime Minister of India is campaigning, and the neighbouring campaign is showing that television byte in the State where the voting is going on. Sir, the rules are there and the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct is crucial. Now, a lot of people are saying the ‘M’ in the Model Code of Conduct stands for…! We leave it there. When one Election Commissioner objected, he was asked to resign. And, the central agencies and central forces! I can carry on for 20 minutes, but I will give you one example because it happened in my State: So, there is no point indiscussing reforms if we are not implementing the existing rules. What are we doing to the existing rules?you one example because it happened in my State: *So, there is no point in discussing reforms if we are not implementing the existing rules. What are we doing to the existing rules?
“Sir, now let me speak a little in Bengali. They are talking big. We have won, they have lost, so you listen. Now listen to me. Who won in 2011? Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress. Who lost in 2014? BJP in Bengal. Who lost in 2016? BJP! They lost miserably. Who lost in 2019 in Bengal? BJP! In 2021, BJP fell flat on its face in Bengal. We have won, listen to our words a little. Just le cturing from this side and that side, that won’t work. Sir, the Minister is sitting there listening, I am addressing you,Sir. Let me mention my leader’s words once here… I am speaking on electoral reform only, Sir. Win or loss, we speak less. It is because we don’t win, Sir; it is the people of Bengal who win. And listen to this! The draft list, which was supposed to be out a week ago, came out today. What did my leader Mamata Banerjee say before this? If the name of even one person from Bengal is dropped from the voter’s list, there will be agitation. We will go to Delhi and agitate. Sir, these are not big words. This is reality. I have given you a few suggestions. I can give many moresuggestions, Sir. But in the end, I have to pay tribute, Sir.And I have one minute of time left and I want to pay tribute, in my time, in the Trinamool Congress’s time. I will not say anything after this. The BLOs (Booth Level Officers) who…” They were martyred. They died while doing their job.I have 30 seconds on the clock. I will not say a word more, Sir; hold on; I will complete my speech after these 20 seconds. Please, Sir, just 20 seconds. This is my time, my silence. Sir, people have died. Sir, people who have spoken before me took two, three minutes extra. I took 10 seconds to pay tribute.(In Hindi) Sir, 10 ghante debate ho gaye hai. Bande Matram, Joy Bangla.
