The all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsoon Session witnessed a brief disruption on Sunday after several Opposition parties staged a symbolic walkout to protest Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to allot separate seating to 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs who have formed the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
The Opposition leaders later returned to the meeting, clarifying that the walkout was intended only to register their objection to the Speaker’s decision and not to boycott the discussions.
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TMC MP Mahua Moitra said the protest was supported by all major Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), National Conference, Left parties and Shiv Sena (UBT).
Questioning the legitimacy of the NCPI, Moitra said the newly formed group has not been recognised as a political party and alleged that the decision to provide separate seating lacked justification.
She also questioned whether there had been any formal merger or recognition process, arguing that the Speaker’s decision raised concerns about parliamentary conventions. The Opposition maintained that its protest was symbolic and reaffirmed its commitment to participating in the Monsoon Session proceedings.
