The INDIA bloc on Saturday walked out of an all-party meeting convened by the Centre ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, protesting the participation of leaders from the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress. The Opposition parties objected to the invitation extended to the group, calling it an unrecognised political formation and questioning its representation in parliamentary proceedings.

The all-party meeting was held at the Main Committee Room of the Parliament House Annexe on July 19, a day before the Monsoon Session of Parliament was scheduled to begin. The meeting was attended by several senior Union ministers, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with MPs from the ruling NDA.

Several Opposition leaders also participated in the discussions, including Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, JMM MP Mahua Maji and other representatives. However, tensions escalated after the presence of NCPI members became a point of disagreement between the government and Opposition parties.

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Trinamool Congress and other INDIA bloc members opposed the participation of the rebel faction, citing pending disqualification proceedings against its MPs. Speaking after the walkout, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said the Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, JMM, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, Left parties and Shiv Sena (UBT), jointly protested the invitation extended to what they described as an unrecognised party.

Moitra questioned the basis for allowing the rebel MPs to participate in the meeting, arguing that the merger process had not received approval from the Speaker and that disqualification petitions against the members were still pending. She referred to the provisions of the 91st Constitutional Amendment, stating that there was no scope for creating a separate bloc under such circumstances.

The walkout came just before the start of the Monsoon Session, signalling further political confrontation between the ruling alliance and Opposition parties. The INDIA bloc’s protest highlights ongoing disputes over parliamentary recognition, party representation and the status of rebel legislators as lawmakers prepare for discussions on key issues during the session.

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