TMC to miss all-party meeting scheduled before Monsoon Session of Parliament

Indicating new tension between the Centre and the Opposition in the run-up to a politically charged Monsoon Session of Parliament, Trinamool Congress (TMC) sources confirmed that the party will not be present at the all-party meeting called by the government on July 20.

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

NEW DELHI:

The party has cited the conflict with its Martyrs' Day celebrations, which are an annual affair, as the main reason for not attending the meeting, calling the decision an act of protest against what it perceives as repeated insensitivity to its feelings by the center.

The all-party meeting, typically held a day before a new session, is aimed at fostering dialogue and ensuring smoother legislative proceedings. But TMC leaders have made it amply clear how displeased they are with the timing, describing it as both "insensitive" and "deliberately provocative." A top TMC leader informed Millennium Post, "This is not the first time. Last year, the government summoned the meeting on July 21, which is the day we commemorate our martyred comrades. It shows a clear lack of sensitivity for what the day signifies for us."