Prez should not have said anything in support of new farm laws during Parliament address: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Fridaysaid it was not right on the part of President Ram Nath Kovindto support the new agriculture laws, during his address to thejoint session of Parliament, despite knowing well that thefarming community had been protesting against thelegislations''.

TMC MP Saugata Roy, after a meeting of the party'score committee, stated that the ''President should have alsomentioned that the violence at the peasants' rally on RepublicDay was a manufactured one''.

''Without disrespecting the President's address, wewant to say that when the farming community in the country isup against the farm laws, it was not right on his part tosupport the laws,'' Roy said.

He added that 19 opposition parties, including theTMC, did not attend the joint session addressed by thePresident.

''That does not mean we do not have respect for theposition of the President, but he should have remembered thatthe farmers' issue is most important. The country's farmingcommunity has gone against the central government, as also theSikhs and Jats who have the highest fighting spirit,'' he said.

He said the TMC condemns the central government'srefusal to repeal the three farm laws.

Claiming that the saffron party is trying to bringdisrepute to the ongoing agitation by infiltrating people intoit, the veteran leader said ''the violence on Republic Day wasengineered by a man close to the BJP.'' Roy said TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has supported thefarmers' stir and their demands, and will continue to do so.

Members of the core committee, including ministersSubrata Mukherjee, Sujit Bose, Sashi Panja and Sadhan Pandeattended the meeting at Banerjee's Kalighat residence todiscuss the party's strategy for the upcoming assemblyelections.

''The chief minister has charted out responsibilitiesfor the party leaders,'' he said.

TMC MLAs will have to attend the budget presentationin the assembly on February 5 and February 8, Roy added.