"Party of thieves, a family-run party": Suvendu Adhikari says TMC avoids JPC to shield ministers

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 24 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over its refusal to join the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill.
Adhikari accused TMC of being a "party of thieves, a family-run party," and alleged that TMC's decision is rooted in "fear psychosis,"
Speaking to ANI Adhikari said, "This (TMC) is a party of thieves, a family-run party. More than half of their ministers have either been to jail or are about to go. Due to fear psychosis, they know that this Bill will have a significant impact on them, so naturally, they will oppose it."
He asserted that the Bill is widely supported by the public saying, "The people of the country support this Bill. The law of this country should be equal for everyone. The Prime Minister wants to bring reforms in this direction, and the entire country is with him."
Adhikari suggested that TMC's opposition to the Bill would signal to the public that their efforts are to protect party ministers, the chief minister, and senior leaders.
"If anyone officially opposes it, the public will get the message that TMC is opposing this bill to protect its ministers, chief minister, and leaders. Elections are due in Bengal in a few months, so they are deliberately not joining (the JPC)," the BJP MP stated.
The reaction comes after All India Trinamool Congress in an official statement said that it will not send any member to the JPC committee.
TMC called the formation of the JPC that will lay down the framework for the removal of the prime minister and chief ministers a "farce."
"We oppose the 130th constitution amendment Bill at the stage of introduction, and in our view the JPC is a farce. Therefore, we are not nominating anyone from AITC," TMC said in a statement.
Meanwhile in an interview with ANI on Sunday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned the conduct of the Opposition during the discussion on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Parliament, stating that an "understanding" had been reached beforehand to maintain order in the House.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister further alleged that the Congress MPs and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs had disrupted the proceedings during the introduction of the bill on the 'directive' of the party's top leadership.
He said, "I don't want to blame the Congress MPs. They have to work as their leaders ask them to. TMC's Mamata Banerjee orders her MPs from Kolkata, then they are compelled (to create ruckus) here... They say something, but they get different orders from above, and the ruckus begins." (ANI)