Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy questioned the government’s move, saying the NCPI has not been recognised by the Lok Sabha Speaker and its name does not appear on the official Parliament website.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi: Major opposition parties boycotted the customary all-party meeting convened by the Centre ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Saturday after the government invited leaders of the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a breakaway group of Trinamool Congress MPs.
The meeting, held a day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session, was called to discuss the government’s legislative agenda and seek cooperation from political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses. However, the participation of the NCPI, whose parliamentary status has yet to receive formal recognition, sparked sharp objections from the opposition.
The NCPI was formed recently after around 20 MPs split from the Trinamool Congress following internal differences. Although the rebel legislators have announced their new political outfit, they have not yet been formally recognised as a separate parliamentary party by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader and MP Saugata Roy questioned the government’s decision to invite the rebel group, arguing that it amounted to granting legitimacy to a party that has not been officially recognised.
“The concern is that a party not recognised by the Speaker and whose name does not appear on the Parliament website has been called to the meeting,” Roy told NDTV.
He noted that the official Parliament website continues to list the rebel MPs as members of the Trinamool Congress, making the government’s decision to invite them under the NCPI banner legally and procedurally questionable.
On the other hand, NCPI leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar welcomed the invitation and thanked the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs for including her party in the discussions. She described the move as an acknowledgment of the new political reality following the split in the Trinamool Congress.
“On what grounds did the Parliamentary Affairs Minister invite the unrecognised NCPI to the all party meeting when it has not yet been approved by the Speaker?”
– TMC MP Mahua Moitra on walkout pic.twitter.com/ApSDptyvua
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The controversy has further heightened tensions ahead of what is expected to be a stormy Monsoon Session. Opposition parties contend that extending recognition to an unrecognised parliamentary group undermines established conventions and could create an undesirable precedent. The government, however, has maintained that its objective is to engage with all elected representatives to facilitate constructive parliamentary business.
The Monsoon Session is expected to witness heated debates, with the opposition preparing to confront the government on a range of issues, including inflation, unemployment, internal security, governance, and state-specific concerns. The boycott of the all-party meeting underscores the widening trust deficit between the government and the opposition even before Parliament convenes.
The dispute has also brought renewed attention to the fallout of the Trinamool Congress split. Whether the NCPI is eventually granted formal recognition as a separate parliamentary party will depend on a decision by the Speaker, making the issue one of the early procedural flashpoints of the session.
