O'Brien joined the
Trinamool Congress in 2004, when the party was still in opposition in West Bengal. He later wrote that he was drawn to the charisma and personality of the Trinamool Congress leader (now chief minister of Bengal)
Mamata Banerjee, and felt she was the only one who could defeat the then
CPI(M)-led government in the state.
Spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress In 2015, O'Brien was appointed as the Chief National Spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress and was identified as the rare
white-collar,
English-speaking politician in the party. He came to national media attention during Mamata Banerjee's protest against the CPI(M) government's land acquisition attempt in Singur (2006) and then in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election, in which Trinamool Congress handed the CPI(M) its first defeat in West Bengal since 1977. O'Brien is frequently seen on news television shows and is a regular commentator on political and policy issues. He writes a fortnightly column for
NDTV and
Indian Express. His articles have also appeared in
Times of India, Hindustan Times, and other major publications. In 2011, following the Trinamool Congress victory in the West Bengal assembly election, O'Brien was sent to the
Rajya Sabha.
First term in Rajya Sabha He was sworn in as Member of Parliament on 19 August 2011 and is one of 16 MPs elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. In 2012, Trinamool Congress named him as its Chief
Whip in the Rajya Sabha. In 2012, O'Brien cast a vote in the
presidential election to elect the 13th
President of India. His vote is believed to be the first presidential vote cast by an elected member of the Anglo-Indian community—as members of the community have previously been
nominated to the
Lok Sabha and other assemblies and are not eligible to vote. In 2012, he addressed the
United Nations General Assembly as a member of the Indian parliamentary delegation.
Parliamentary Committees He was the Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture from September 1, 2017, to September 12, 2019. Presently, he serves as a member of the following key parliamentary committees: the General Purposes Committee, the Business Advisory Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Transport, Tourism and Culture Committee, and the Human Resource Development Committee. He served on the Railway Convention Committee on the Goods and Services Tax Constitutional Amendment Bill, the Insurance Bill, the Land Acquisition Bill, the Citizenship Act Amendment Bill. He has spoken in Parliament on a range of issues, from
demonetisation, to
net neutrality,
Jammu and Kashmir,
railways and
juvenile justice, and participated in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President of India's address to Parliament.
Second term in Rajya Sabha His second term as an MP of the Rajya Sabha began on 19 August 2017 and ended on 18 August 2023. On 20 September 2020, when the Farm Reform Bill was placed in the Rajya Sabha for passage, Derek O'Brien protested, and along with other members allegedly heckled the
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh. Media verifiable sources mention that the House was in complete chaos and unrest to protest the bill. This chaos led to the 10-minute suspension of the House.
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs sought his suspension, along with some other members, as a consequence for his actions under rule 256 of procedure and conduct of business. He along with eight other MPs were suspended for one week on account of their unruly and unparliamentary behaviour.
Parliamentary Committees He was a member of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Home Affairs. On 6 January 2022 he wrote to
Anand Sharma, head of the committee, to discuss the alleged app "
Tek Fog" that "has serious ramifications and could jeopardise national security.". He wrote, "This application is capable of penetrating encrypted messaging platforms and secure social media conversations in order to heavily manipulate and exploit narratives on said platforms." The app was later debunked as non-existent and
The Wire, which had published the news first, took down their article, fired the journalist responsible and published an apology.
Third term in Rajya Sabha His third term as an MP of the Rajya Sabha began on 19 August 2023 and will end on 18 August 2029. He has spoken on multiple issues of national importance, ranging from unemployment, Manipur violence, and GST on health insurance, to farmer welfare, and economic inequality in India. O'Brien participated in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President of India's address to Parliament, the Women's Reservation Bill, the economic situation in the country, death of students in a coaching centre in Delhi, and the special discussion on the 75th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of India. He also initiated the discussion on the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He has asked impactful questions on vacancies in the paramilitary forces, railways and aviation sector, increasing number of loan frauds, stopping of funds to Opposition-ruled states, and student and farmer suicides, among others.
Parliamentary Committees He is a member of the Committee on Home Affairs, Committee on Ethics, and the Business Advisory Committee. He has repeatedly raised the issue of violence in Manipur and the path to peace in Home Affairs Committee meetings. == Author ==