Mamata vs the centre: Amendments rejected for technical reasons

New Delhi:  For once, it's not the Congress that's feeling Mamata Banerjee's wrath. The Trinamool Party chief directed her ire at the Railways Minister, who is her own nominee to the union cabinet.  Ms Banerjee has rejected the nominal increase in passenger fares announced by Dinesh Trivedi.  Sources say he has been asked to either withdraw the hike, or resign. The diktat is humiliating for her minister, and embarrassing for the government.

The respite of indirect fire for Congress is sweetened by the fact that Ms Banerjee's party has tripped over its own attempts to challenge the union government on another front -the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).  Her MPs yesterday moved amendments to the President's address - the speech delivered by the President to Parliament that outlines the government's agenda.

Those amendments have been rejected for technical reasons- they were not worded correctly.  Ms Banerjee's MPs had asked for the reference to the National Counter Terrorism Centre to be deleted from the President's speech.  The opposition BJP had moved a similar amendment; if it pushed for a vote, Ms Banerjee's MPs would have been obliged to vote alongside the opposition and against the government that they are a part of.

The gaffe brings huge respite to the Congress whose relationship with Ms Banerjee has been in the danger zone for a while now.  At a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister last night, Ms Banerjee was missing - she chose to fly to Nagpur instead to attend a wedding.  The fact that she deputed a first-time MP, Ratna De Nag, and not one of her senior ministers or leaders was seen as a flat snub to the Congress.

Pointedly, Ms Banerjee deputed two of her union ministers to attend the swearing-in today of the Punjab government, a partnership between the Akalis and the BJP.  For the UPA's political rival, Ms Banerjee sent a senior delegation.  The Prime Minister's dinner, in comparison, received minimal attention.

At the dinner last night, senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee made it clear that Ms Banerjee's amendments could cost the government heavily- if a vote was held, he warned, the government could lose.

Ms Banerjee's 19 Lok Sabha MPs give her the power to call the shots with the Congress -without her support, the UPA would collapse - and she has held the government and its policies to hostage with increasing daring.  She recently forced the UPA to suspend its reforms in retail - the increased Foreign Direct Investment in shops or chains that stock different brands was a move by the Prime Minister and his team to prove wrong allegations of policy paralysis.

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Mamata strikes again, wants amendments to President Patil's address

New Delhi:  The latest panic attack for the Congress comes once again courtesy Mamata Banerjee. The West Bengal chief minister, who has made a habit of publicly challenging the policies of the UPA, has taken on the government once again over its new anti-terror agency.

Ms Banerjee has asked her MPs to move amendments to the address delivered by President Pratibha Patil to Parliament yesterday.  She wants the reference to the new National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) deleted. The President's address, which outlines the agenda of the government, formally launched the Budget session of Parliament.

Ms Banerjee has been the Group Captain for ten chief ministers who have objected to the NCTC on the grounds that its powers encroach upon those of state governments. The centre has delayed the commissioning of the NCTC till an extensive dialogue is completed with states. In the Lok Sabha today, Home Minister P Chidambaram defended the NCTC. "I believe NCTC is an absolute necessity; I do not believe it violates the federal structure," said Mr Chidambaram.

President Patil had said in para 91 of her speech , "The National Intelligence Grid and the National Counter Terrorism Centre aim to improve India's capability to counter  internal security threats." Because state governments have not lifted their objections to the NCTC, Ms Banerjee's party wants its mention to be removed.

Ms Banerjee late last year forced the government to suspend its reforms in retail just days after they were announced. With her 19 MPs, she is an indispensable partner in the UPA.  She also accused the centre of violating the principles of federalism late last year, when the centre introduced the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha. Though the bill was passed there, it has yet to be cleared by the Rajya Sabha. She also accused the centre of violating the principles of federalism late last year, when the centre introduced the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha.  Though the bill was passed there, it has yet to be cleared by the Rajya Sabha.

Though Ms Banerjee has said that she remains committed to the UPA, her recent gestures suggest she is not closed to exploring other options. She accepted invites to the swearing-in ceremonies for Akhilesh Yadav in UP and the Akali-BJP government in Punjab; the Congress took offense. Later, she said she would send representatives instead.

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