An invitation extended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to a breakaway Trinamool Congress group prompted Opposition parties to stage a walkout from the all-party meeting held on Sunday (July 19, 2026), ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The protest brought together parties that have often been at odds, including the DMK; the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which skipped the INDIA bloc meeting on June 8; and the Left parties, which are ideologically opposed to the Trinamool. They objected to the government’s decision to invite the rebel Trinamool MPs, stating that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had not yet recognised the group’s claim that it had merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
The Opposition’s walkout lasted for a brief while before leaders returned to the meeting and pressed for discussions on a range of issues, including the alleged theft of Ram temple donations, the NEET paper leak controversy, ethanol-blended petrol (E20), the Delhi Police’s action at Jantar Mantar to shift protesting activist Sonam Wangchuk, the continuing hunger strike by students demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, and the situation in Manipur.
#WATCH | Delhi: All-party meeting underway at the Parliament Annexe building ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament that begins tomorrow, 20th July. pic.twitter.com/oZwogND8bU
Mr. Rijiju later said that the walkout “should not be viewed as a boycott of the entire day’s proceedings; it was symbolic”.
In his opening remarks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, lauded the BJP government for its handling of the ongoing crisis triggered by the U.S.-Iran stand off.
All Opposition parties staged a walkout from the All-Party meeting for a few minutes. This was a mark of protest against the decision of the Modi Govt to invite the NCPI that is a parking place for 20 so-called 'rebel' TMC MPs when a final decision is still pending with the…
Several Opposition leaders sought clarity on reports that the government could revive the Delimitation Bill in view of changes in the Lok Sabha’s composition following split in the Trinamool and the Shiv Sena (UBT).
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva reiterated that his party supported women’s reservation but wanted clarity on delimitation. He said the DMK favoured implementing the 33% reservation for women within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha, and maintained that any delimitation exercise should not adversely affect southern States. “If it affects the southern states, it should be put in abeyance for 25 years,” he said.
Mr. Rijiju did not clearly say if the government would bring back the Delimitation Bill during the session, but said the matter would be discussed at the Business Advisory Committee meeting. He urged all parties to participate constructively in parliamentary discussions and support legislative business. Smooth functioning of Parliament, he said, was in the national interest, while disruptions and sloganeering ultimately harmed both Parliament and the Opposition.
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra questioned the basis for inviting the 20 rebel MPs. Stating that the disqualification petitions against the rebels were pending, she said there was no constitutional basis for a separate bloc.
Defending the invitation, Mr. Rijiju said the breakway group of the Trinamool had sought recognition from the Speaker and could not be ignored by the government. He said it was the government’s responsibility to invite all stakeholders.
Among other demands, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav sought discussion on the alleged theft of Ram temple donations and Mr. Wangchuk’s hunger strike. CPI(M) leader John Brittas criticised what he described as BJP-engineered split in Opposition parties, arguing that they weakened democratic representation. Referring to Mr. Singh’s opening remarks, where he had spoken about the strength of democracy, Mr. Brittas said, “If the government believes in democracy, I would suggest that the Defence Minister visit the protesting students at Jantar Mantar. They are not our enemies,” he added.
CPI Rajya Sabha Leader P. Sandosh Kumar also sought discussion on “large-scale deletions” of voters’ names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the “growing menace” of political defections, price rise, and the restoration of full Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
A total of 58 leaders from 40 political parties attended the meeting. The Monsoon Session begins on Monday and will conclude on August 13.
Published - July 19, 2026 12:38 pm IST