Opposition Walks Out of All-Party Meeting over NCPI Invitation, Accuses Government of Violating Democratic Norms
NEW DELHI, JULY 19: Opposition parties on Sunday staged a walkout from the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, protesting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s decision to invite representatives of the National Citizens Party of India, or NCPI, to participate in the meeting.
The opposition parties alleged that the invitation was contrary to established parliamentary and democratic conventions, arguing that the merger of rebel Trinamool Congress MPs into the so-called NCPI had not yet been formally approved by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The protest unfolded soon after the meeting began, with representatives of several opposition parties leaving the venue after registering their objection to the presence of NCPI representatives.
Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra said the entire opposition had joined the protest, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, JMM, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, Left parties and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Moitra said the official strength of the All India Trinamool Congress, as reflected in the list maintained by the parliamentary table office, continued to show 28 members.
She argued that the status of the 20 rebel MPs claiming affiliation with NCPI remained unresolved because their proposed merger had not been approved by the Speaker and disqualification petitions against them were still pending.
Questioning the basis on which the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had extended the invitation, Moitra said the opposition considered the move a serious procedural and constitutional issue.
She also referred to the 91st Constitutional Amendment and argued that the law does not provide space for a separate breakaway group outside the conditions prescribed under the anti-defection framework.
According to Moitra, the opposition walkout was intended to register a collective protest against what the parties viewed as an attempt to accord legitimacy to a grouping whose parliamentary status remains disputed.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said his party joined the walkout in defence of constitutional and democratic principles.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also supported the protest and questioned the legal basis for recognition being extended to rebel MPs before the competent parliamentary authority had taken a final decision.
Sawant argued that parliamentary affiliation cannot be granted merely through political declaration and must be backed by a valid legal and procedural process.
The controversy comes amid continuing political realignments ahead of the Monsoon Session. Six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have also reportedly aligned themselves with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, adding another layer to the wider debate over defections, mergers and recognition of parliamentary groups.
Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP N.D. Gupta alleged that a similar situation had arisen in his party’s case, claiming that questions concerning the status of several Rajya Sabha MPs remained pending.
He accused the government of weakening democratic norms by allowing separate arrangements before disputes over party affiliation and membership had been formally settled.
The opposition’s walkout has added a fresh political flashpoint ahead of the Monsoon Session, which is scheduled to begin on July 20 and continue until August 13.
The development is expected to sharpen debate over the interpretation of anti-defection provisions, the Speaker’s role in deciding merger and disqualification matters, and the extent to which parliamentary recognition can be extended to disputed political groupings before formal adjudication.
With the session beginning against an already charged political backdrop, the row over NCPI’s participation in the all-party meeting is likely to become one of the early points of confrontation between the government and the opposition.
