TMC says ‘super emergency’ in country

New Delhi: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of unleashing “super emergency,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on Monday protested outside Parliament to voice their objections to the government’s alleged “interference” in media houses and the implementation of NRC in Assam.

TMC MP Saugata Roy later alleged in Lok Sabha that the neutrality of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has been compromised and therefore their usage should be scrapped. He called for holding of 2019 general elections through ballot paper and said that 17 opposition parties plan to raise the matter with the Election Commission.

In the morning, several TMC leaders, armed with placards, staged a ‘dharna’ outside Parliament over the aforementioned issues.

The party’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, while speaking to reporters during the protest, alleged that prominent media houses were being bought over or threatened.

They also criticised the ruling party, alleging that the government was using the CBI and the ED to “crackdown” on opposition leaders. “This super emergency has to be stopped,” he said.

Later in Lok Sabha, during Zero Hour, Mr Roy said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also called for using ballot paper for the 2019 general elections..