Opposition walks out of all-party meet over invite to rebel TMC MPs

The government's decision to invite rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs to an all-party meeting on the eve of the Monsoon Session backfired on Sunday, with the Opposition staging a coordinated walkout.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju convened the meeting to discuss legislative business. But the inclusion of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and 19 other TMC lawmakers who recently crossed over to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sparked immediate outrage.

Opposition calls move 'politically motivated'

Leaders from the Congress, the Left, the Samajwadi Party, and the Aam Aadmi Party rose from their seats as soon as the meeting began. They argued that recognising defectors as a separate bloc undermines the spirit of bipartisanship.

“You cannot bring turncoats to a table meant for serious legislative business. This is a deliberate attempt to polarise the meeting,” a senior Opposition leader present at the venue told reporters.

The walkout left the meeting room nearly half empty. Officials said the remaining members proceeded with the agenda, but the damage to the government's outreach effort was evident.

Rebel MPs defend their presence

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the most prominent rebels, defended the invite. Speaking to the media after the meeting, she said, “We are elected representatives of the people. We intend to work with PM Modi for the development of West Bengal. There is nothing wrong with that.”

The 20 MPs, once loyal to Mamata Banerjee, formally joined the NDA earlier this month. Their defection has weakened the TMC's numbers in the Lok Sabha and given the ruling coalition a stronger foothold in the state.

Their presence at the all-party meeting was seen by the Opposition as a provocation, especially since the government had not consulted other parties before issuing the invites.

'Govt chose to recognise traitors'

TMC MP Mahua Moitra did not hold back. She said, “The government chose to recognise traitors over the mandate of West Bengal. This is an insult to the people who voted for us.”

Moitra was among the TMC members who stayed away from the meeting. The party has maintained that the rebels have no moral authority to speak on behalf of the state.

Political observers noted that the walkout signals a rocky start to the Monsoon Session. The government had hoped the all-party meet would set a cooperative tone. Instead, it has deepened the rift between the ruling coalition and the Opposition.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on Monday. Both Houses are expected to see heated exchanges over the defection issue, with the Opposition planning to raise questions about the government's role in facilitating the floor-crossing.

All eyes will now be on how the presiding officers handle the anticipated disruptions and whether any legislative business can proceed without a boycott.