Opposition stages symbolic walk out from all-party meet; stormy Monsoon Session ahead likely

NEW DELHI: An all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session on Sunday saw the entire opposition staging a symbolic walkout over the invitation to rebel TMC MPs and a demand for a discussion on the issues of Ram temple donation 'theft', NEET paper leak and mixing of ethanol in petrol.

Though the opposition MPs returned soon to the meeting after protesting over what they termed was the "miscarriage of justice", the walkout signalled a stormy Monsoon Session ahead.

The government on its part said it will listen to the Opposition and the opposition should also listen to it.

"People of the country want Parliament to function smoothly. We also want this. By protesting, no one is going to benefit politically. That is why I request members of all political parties to take part in the proceedings wholeheartedly," Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

"If the opposition protests and creates chaos, the country suffers a lot. That is why in the Monsoon Session, where several important legislations will come, the opposition should take part. If they want to oppose, they should oppose through debate, not by creating chaos and protests. We will cooperate and hope they will also cooperate," he said.

As the meeting started, the opposition also protested against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decisions on the rebel TMC lawmakers, allowing them separate seats in the House and merger of the rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

"Opposition decided to walk out of all-party meeting to protest the Speaker's decision on rebel MPs of TMC, Shiv Sena (UBT)," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters at Parliament House complex where the meeting is underway.

CPM leader John Brittas said the invitation to rebel TMC MPs to the all-party meet was a "miscarriage of justice".

TMC MP Mahua Moitra said the entire opposition, including the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, DMK, JMM, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, Left parties, Shiv Sena (UBT), walked out of the meeting in protest as the "so-called NCPI", which is an unrecognised party, was invited.

She said the strength of the All India Trinamool Congress in the list provided by the table office is shown to be 28 members and these "so-called rebel 20 MPs" merger has not been approved by the Speaker.

"Twenty disqualification petitions are still pending. There is no room for a separate bloc after the 91st amendment of the Constitution. So on what grounds did the Parliamentary Affairs Minister extend an invitation to these 20 rebel MPs and how are they attending this meeting? We have registered our strong symbolic protest and walked out," she said, thanking other opposition parties for extending the support to the TMC.

Asked about the TMC's stand on the NCPI, where the rebel TMC MPs have joined, Moitra said the Speaker has not yet allowed the merger.

"There has been no merger yet. Where is the merger? where is the letter of the NCPI allowing the merger? There is no letter," she said.

Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (UBT), whose six MPs joined the Shiv Sena and their merger approved by the Speaker, said they have protested against the decision and walked out of the meeting symbolically.

"The affiliation granted to them (the six rebel MPs) but where is that term in the books of law?" he asked.

ND Gupta of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose seven out of the 10 Rajya Sabha MPs joined the BJP, said the seven MPs were "hijacked" and the AAP's petition to decide whether this is valid or not was still pending.

"In spite of this fact, they have allotted independent separate seats in the Rajya Sabha. This is a mere hijack and murder of the democracy," he said.

TMC rebel MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who attended the meeting along with Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, said they were invited and hence came representing the new party with 20 MPs.

"Our stance is that the House belongs to the Opposition. This must be acknowledged. The government, too, must agree and take the initiative to ensure the House functions smoothly. Furthermore, we are committed to our party's principles: secularism, communal harmony, and national unity. These are the firm policies enshrined in the NCPI's constitution," he said.

Ghosh Dastidar asserted that the NCPI wanted to work for the development of the country and West Bengal.

"All 20 MPs want their constituency to be developed properly and not under threat because we were under threat," she claimed.

On the issues raised at the meeting, Congress leader Tiwari told reporters that the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple, NEET paper leak, mixing of ethanol in petrol were among the key issues raised.

"We demanded a discussion on all these issues," he said.

RSP MP NK Premchandran said the registration of the NCPI was also raised at the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju had on Saturday invited leader of the breakaway Trinamool Congress (TMC) group Sudip Bandyopadhyay to the customary all-party meeting ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, noting that he and 19 other MPs "have joined the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI)".

Birla had on Saturday approved separate seating for the 20 rebel TMC lawmakers, who have claimed to have joined the NCPI.

The TMC rebel group of 20 MPs will be seated separately, away from the parent party, sources had said.

No final decision has been taken on the demand of the rebel TMC MPs to be recognised as part of the NCPI, and the matter is still under consideration, they had said.

The TMC had demanded the disqualification of the rebel MPs.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on Monday and will continue till August 13