Congress, CPI(M) question TMC over walking out during voting on Kashmir issue

The Congress and the CPI(M) on Tuesday questioned TMC's sincerity in opposing Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill as Trinamool MPs staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha instead of voting against the bill.

They charged Mamata Banerjee's party with helping the BJP and alleged that the walkout proved "double standards" of the Trinamool Congress.

"If they were really opposed to the bill, they should have voted against the bill. Instead they staged a walkout during the voting. Indirectly they helped the BJP. This only proves the double standards of TMC," West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra told reporters here.

"This is not the first time such a thing has happened. In last five years, there are several examples they had done similar things to help BJP pass the bill," he said.

Mitra's comment comes in the backdrop of Trinamool Congress's opposition to the reorganisation bill but staging a walkout in Rajya Sabha during a voting on the bill on Monday. Banerjee has justified the walkout, saying it did not mean the party facilitated the passage of the bill.

Mitra's comment was echoed by senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.

"She has been doing this for last five years. We are not bothered about it. They want to support BJP but can't do it in open. So they are taking this route. This is nothing but double standard of TMC," he said.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha passed the bill to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The government also revoked provisions of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.