New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s absence from Parliament for 13 days for the disruption of proceedings and asserted that Opposition MPs were continuing to raise issues of public importance.
He said he had tried to raise the issue of commemorating the 75th anniversary of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity through appropriate national and state-level programmes by the government.
“Union govt disrupting Parliament as Home Minister absent for 13 days. Oppn MPs still doing best to raise key issues,” O’Brien said in a post on X.
Sharing copies of his Zero Hour notice and a starred question listed in Parliament, O’Brien said he had sought to raise the 75th anniversary of Missionaries of Charity and issues concerning national highway projects in West Bengal.
“My Zero Hour on 75 years of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, and FCRA Bill targeting such institutions,” he wrote.
According to the Zero Hour notice shared by the TMC MP, he urged the government to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Missionaries of Charity through appropriate national and state-level programmes and recognise the “invaluable contribution” of its sisters, volunteers and caregivers.
O’Brien said the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa in Kolkata, had for seven-and-a-half decades remained dedicated to serving “the poorest of the poor”, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or nationality, embodying the highest ideals of compassion, humanity and selfless service.
He said the congregation had touched countless lives in India and across the world by caring for abandoned children, the destitute, the terminally ill, persons with disabilities and the homeless, adding that its “silent and unwavering service” had earned global recognition and brought “immense pride” to the country.
O’Brien said the occasion offered an opportunity to acknowledge the organisation’s contribution to social welfare and humanitarian service, while also inspiring greater public awareness and encouraging voluntary participation in supporting vulnerable and underprivileged sections of society.
“This landmark anniversary is an opportunity not only to honour the enduring legacy of Saint Mother Teresa but also to reaffirm our collective commitment to compassion, dignity and inclusive development, ensuring that the most vulnerable members of society are never left behind,” the notice said.
O’Brien also shared a starred question addressed to the Minister for Road Transport and Highways seeking details of ongoing national highway projects in West Bengal, including their timelines, the budget sanctioned and released project-wise, and the reasons for delays along with the expected budget escalation.
TMC sources, meanwhile, said its MPs have raised several issues through Zero Hour notices and Question Hour interventions during the first 13 days of the Monsoon session, with more than 100 questions asked in both Houses on subjects ranging from MGNREGA dues and manual scavenging to air pollution, bank frauds, the UDAN scheme and the Nirbhaya Fund.
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, the Lok Sabha has not been able to complete its Question Hour. Five bills have been passed without discussion amid opposition protests.
The opposition parties have been protesting over the NEET paper leaks and alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. They are pressing for a discussion on police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and also the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister. PTI AO RT
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