Opposition MPs walks out of all-party meet over invitation to Trinamool Rebels
PTC News Desk: Opposition parties staged a brief walkout from the customary all-party meeting held ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Sunday, protesting the inclusion of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a party that recently gained several rebel Trinamool Congress MPs.
The protest came after around 20 rebel MPs from the Trinamool Congress merged with the NCPI in June. Opposition leaders objected to the participation of the newly expanded party, arguing that the development had weakened the Trinamool's representation and affected the Opposition's voice in Parliament.
After registering their protest by walking out, the Opposition leaders returned to the meeting and resumed discussions.
The Sansad website still shows the 20-odd rebel MPs who had joined the NCPI as members of the Trinamool.
"All Opposition parties staged a walkout from the All-Party meeting for a few minutes. This was a mark of protest against the decision of the Modi Govt to invite the NCPI that is a parking place for 20 'rebel' TMC MPs when a final decision is still pending with the Speaker," said the Congress's media in-charge.
The Congress's Pramod Tiwari, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, described the walkout as a "symbolic boycott" against the NCPI being invited to the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar thanked Parliamentary Affairs Minister for allowing the NCPI to participate in the all-party meeting, which was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
When asked about the formal approval of the merger, Dastidar said the process would take time and that the party would soon submit all the required documents to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
She also welcomed the government's decision to allot separate seating arrangements for the NCPI group in Parliament, describing it as a positive step.
- With inputs from agencies
