Opposition Walkout Rocks All-Party Meet as Rebel TMC Faction Joins Without Speaker's Nod

Opposition parties staged a brief walkout from the all-party meeting convened by the Centre on Sunday, protesting the presence of a breakaway Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction that claims to have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based party. The protest came ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The walkout lasted only a few minutes before the opposition returned to the meeting. TMC leader Mahua Moitra stated, “The merger of the 20 MPs with NCPI has not been approved by the Speaker. As per the information put out by the table office of Lok Sabha, TMC’s strength is 28. This merger has not been accepted. So, calling them for the meeting would not be right.”

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed similar sentiments on social media, posting, “This was a mark of protest against the decision of the Modi government to invite the NCPI, which is a parking place for 20 so-called ‘rebel’ TMC MPs, when a final decision is still pending with the Speaker.” The opposition has questioned the legitimacy of the faction's representation while the Speaker's ruling on the merger remains pending.

During the meeting, the government is expected to outline its legislative agenda for the upcoming session. Opposition leaders indicated they would raise a host of issues, including the alleged Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust donation scam, exam paper leaks, delimitation, and the role of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The all-party meeting is a routine consultation before the session, but the controversy over the rebel faction's participation has underscored the ongoing political tensions. The breakaway TMC MPs, who have aligned with the NCPI, maintain that their merger is valid, but the opposition parties argue that until the Speaker formally acknowledges the change, the faction should not be invited to official meetings.

The walkout, though brief, highlighted the opposition's determination to hold the government accountable on procedural matters. The session is expected to see heated debates on several key issues as both sides gear up for a confrontational period in Parliament.