Political Uproar Before Monsoon Session: Opposition Walks Out of All-Party Meeting
Opposition protests invitation to 20 rebel TMC MPs; political confrontation escalates ahead of the parliamentary session.
New Delhi: The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday, July 20. On Sunday—the day before the session—an all-party meeting held at the Parliament Annexe was marred by political controversy. Leaders from several opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress (TMC), and DMK, boycotted the meeting and staged a walkout.
Opposition parties allege that the government invited a group of 20 MPs—who had broken away from the TMC to join the NCPI—to the meeting, even though Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has not yet granted official recognition to this new faction. The opposition registered a strong protest, terming the move a violation of parliamentary conventions.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra stated that all major opposition parties—including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI, CPM, Kerala Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and Aam Aadmi Party—walked out of the meeting in a show of democratic solidarity.
It is worth noting that following the West Bengal Assembly elections, a rebellion occurred within the Trinamool Congress, and 20 of the party's Lok Sabha MPs joined the NCPI, a registered political party in West Bengal. Notably, the NCPI previously had no representation in Parliament or any state assembly.
The TMC has demanded action against these MPs under the anti-defection law and has appealed to the Lok Sabha Speaker to terminate their membership. Conversely, the MPs who joined the NCPI have demanded separate seating arrangements in Parliament and official recognition for their party.
This development has heated up the parliamentary political atmosphere even before the commencement of the Monsoon Session. Consequently, sharp exchanges between the government and the opposition are likely to be witnessed inside the House in the coming days.
