TMC MP's suspension unites Opposition parties

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen’s suspension from Rajya Sabha on Friday, for the rest of the monsoon session has become the rallying point for all the opposition parties to join hands against the government, including the Left, an arch rival of TMC in West Bengal.
The Opposition unity over issues two basic issues – the Pegasus snooping scam and the three contentious farm laws – is going to be the top priority issues for all the opposition parties, who have protested on Friday against the House order to suspend Sen. Together all the parties will be assembling at the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises every day for half an hour before the House opens at 11 am. Their demand is that Sen be reinstated in the House.
Since Sen has been suspended for snatching papers from IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was making a statement on Pegasus issue in the House, and tearing it, hence the matter is also linked to the snooping case.
The non-TMC members of the Upper House- who witnessed the row between Sen and Union minister Hardeep Puri on the floor of the House on Thursday where Sen said that he was assaulted and verbally abused by the minister – will be signing a petition and speaking to the media at a press conference soon, presenting themselves as “prosecution witnesses,” TMC leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said at a press conference here on Friday.
In Lok Sabha TMC MP Mahua Moitra has given privilege notice against the IT minister for “misleading” the House with his statement on Pegasus snooping issue.
For the first couple of days, opposition parties had been protesting in an uncoordinated manner against various issues, some of which may have been common. But from Friday, Sen’s suspension has acted as a catalyst in binding the parties together.