Opposition Walks Out Of All Party Meeting Over Rebel TMC MPs Presence

The atmosphere at the Parliament House Annexe turned tense on Sunday as the all-party meeting, convened just before the commencement of the Monsoon Session, witnessed a major showdown. The entire opposition, led by prominent parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), staged a dramatic walkout. The primary cause of this collective protest was the presence and invitation of rebel Members of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), who have recently aligned themselves with a new group called NCPI.

The Core of the Controversy

The dispute centered on the recognition of 20 rebel TMC MPs as a separate faction. According to the opposition, these members shouldn't have been invited to the meeting as a distinct group while disqualification proceedings against them are still pending. Mahua Moitra, a prominent TMC leader, voiced the opposition's concerns with significant detail. She pointed out that the list provided by the Table Office still shows the TMC's strength as 28 members. She questioned the basis on which the Parliamentary Affairs Minister invited these 20 rebels, especially since the Speaker has not yet approved their merger into the NCPI group. Moitra further emphasized that after the 91st Constitutional Amendment, there is no provision for a separate group, and 20 disqualification petitions against these members remain unresolved.

Opposition Leaders Slam the Government

Following the walkout, several opposition leaders expressed their outrage, accusing the central government of undermining the Constitution and democracy. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari stated that the walkout was a necessary step to protect constitutional values, arguing that taking such a decision without a final ruling on the status of the MPs is entirely unconstitutional. Arvind Sawant, representing Shiv Sena (UBT), questioned the legal basis of the affiliation granted to the rebel MPs, asking which law book permitted such a move. Adding to the criticism, AAP MP ND Gupta highlighted a similar situation within his party, claiming that 7 out of 10 Rajya Sabha MPs from AAP had been 'hijacked' and were allocated separate seats despite pending petitions, calling it a blatant murder of democracy.

The Rebel Faction's Defense

On the other side of the aisle, the rebel MPs, now part of the NCPI, defended their participation. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the 20 rebel TMC MPs, attended the meeting and was welcomed by Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal. Addressing the controversy regarding the allocation of separate seats by the Lok Sabha Speaker, she stated that their primary goal is the development of the country and their respective states, while she mentioned that all 20 members want their constituencies to progress properly and claimed they were previously in danger. She confirmed that they've applied for recognition, received responses, and are in the process of submitting all required documents.

Return After Symbolic Protest

Despite the initial sharp protest and the walkout, the opposition leaders eventually returned to join the all-party meeting. They clarified that their exit was a 'symbolic protest' against the government's arbitrary actions. The leaders maintained that while they strongly disagree with the inclusion of the rebel group, they chose to participate in the meeting to ensure the smooth functioning of the house and to continue raising issues of public importance during the upcoming session.