Winter Session: Congress, TMC Leaders Respond To Latter Deciding To Skip Oppn Meet Called By Kharge

The cordial relationship between Congress and TMC turned sour with several prominent Congress leaders joining the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

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New Delhi: Congress and Trinamool Congress leaders on Sunday shared their views on TMC deciding to not attend the meeting of opposition party leaders convened by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

As per tradition, the Leader of Opposition holds the meeting to discuss key issues to be taken up during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

“They agree with us on the common issues of public welfare. Since they have a meeting of their own tomorrow, they won’t attend this meeting,” Mallikarjun Kharge said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Commenting on the issue, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it is a party tradition that the leader of opposition calls everyone ahead of every session. However, if anyone feels that by joining hands with the Congress they will be seen as opposing the government, they need not do so, he remarked.

“Anyone who wishes to come (to the meeting) can come. If one does not want (to come), it is their wish. There is no compulsion. It is a tradition of Parliament and the Congress goes by that tradition,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

“It is our duty to call opposition parties to discuss the issues before (the) Parliament (session), but if they feel that by joining hands with us they will be seen as opposing the government, they need not do so. Those who do not want to fight the government may not attend,” he responded when asked about the TMC’s decision. “It is up to the TMC to attend or not,” he added.

The Congress leader stated that in the last session, too, the TMC had participated in such discussions and as a gesture of sobriety and courtesy, it has been invited again this time, he said. 

Meanwhile, asked about TMC’s decision, Mallikarjun Kharge told PTI, “We have talked to Derek O'Brien, who said they have a working committee meeting tomorrow (Monday) and most of their MPs would be busy there.”

“Mr Sharad Pawar will also not be attending the opposition meeting tomorrow as he is busy with the wedding of a Shiv Sena MP's daughter,” he informed.

Common Issues Will Unite Opposition: TMC Leader Derek O’Brien

Amid the cold war, TMC parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said, “Common issues will unite opposition”.

“Yes there will be Opposition unity in #Parliament. Common ISSUES will unite Opposition. RJD, DMK, CPIM are all electoral allies of Congress. NCP, Shiv Sena, JMM run a govt with them. Congress is not our electoral ally nor are we running a govt with them. That’s the distinction,” he tweeted, addressing the questions over TMC distancing itself from Congress.

With respect to the all-party meeting held ahead of the Parliament’s Winter session, Derek O'Brien wrote: “At both all party meetings today, strong message conveyed to Government by many Opposition parties: ALLOW MEDIA BACK INSIDE PARLIAMENT”.

The cordial relationship between Congress and TMC turned sour with several prominent Congress leaders joining the Mamata Banerjee-led party. In a major jolt to Congress, 12 of its 17 MLAs in Meghalaya joined TMC.

Meanwhile, TMC has stated that it will emphasise on the issues like women’s reservation Bill, disinvestment of profitable PSUs, unemployment, price rise of essential commodities and fuel, and COVID situation

TMC MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Kalyan Banerjee from Lok Sabha will participate in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Monday. A meeting of the BAC of Rajya Sabha is scheduled to be held ahead of the winter session of Parliament.

(With Inputs From Agencies)