In a first, TMC joins opposition meeting in Parliament

On Monday, the opposition parties met in the LoP Rajya Sabha chamber and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament building to plan their strategy for the day.

The conference was attended by the DMK, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), Bharat Rashtra Samithi, CPI(M), RJD, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI, IUML, MDMK, Kerala Congress, TMC, RSP, AAP, J-K NC, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction). Trinamool Congress MPs also attended the conference, which came as a significant development following Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion as a Lok Sabha MP.

As per sources, TMC MPs Jawhar Sircar and Prasun Banerjee are present in the meeting called by Congress chief and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge today. TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been a critic of the BJP, supported Rahul Gandhi.

“In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of the BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” the TMC Supremo had earlier said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed TMC’s move to participate in the meeting stating that anyone who comes forward to “protect democracy” is welcome.

“I thank everyone who supported this. That is why, I thanked everyone yesterday and I thank them today as well. We welcome anyone who comes forward to protect democracy and Constitution and safeguard the people. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the people who support us,” Kharge said.