Mamata Banerjee’s party on Monday skipped a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken a distinctive stance by choosing not to align with the Congress-led disruptions in Parliament over the Adani indictment issue. While the party has been vocal about corporate misgovernance and demands accountability, it refrains from endorsing the Congress’s strategy of stalling parliamentary proceedings, opting instead for a more nuanced approach.
Showing its resolve, Trinamool Congress on Monday skipped the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber.
TMC is the only party in the INDIA bloc that is not an electoral partner of the Congress. “There is a sentiment in the party that we are not bound to attend the INDIA bloc when our top points are not on the agenda,” said a party source.
The TMC has emphasised the need for focused debates and discussions rather than complete disruptions of Parliament. The party maintains that halting legislative work undermines the effectiveness of opposition efforts to hold the government accountable.
Sources in the Trinamool Congress said it wants to raise six key issues in Parliament, including price rise, unemployment, funds crunch and the Manipur unrest. “But Congress only wants to raise the Adani issue. So, Trinamool has not attended the INDIA floor leaders’ meeting today,” an unnamed source was cited as saying in an NDTV report.
While the TMC agrees with the need for a thorough investigation into allegations against the Adani Group, it seeks alternative methods to achieve this goal, including targeted questioning and committee-level scrutiny, the NDTV report said.
The Congress has been demanding that all business in the House be suspended for a discussion on the US Department of Justice indictment against directors of Adani Green Energy.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on Monday to discuss the Adani issue. However, MPs of multiple parties, including the Congress, have sought discussions on various pressing issues such as the damage due to Cyclone Fengal, the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal over the Jama Masjid’s survey, the targeting of monks in Bangladesh and the delay in procurement of paddy in Punjab.
Chaos and repeated adjournments have blocked parliamentary proceedings for several days now. The session ends on December 20.
Senior leaders of the TMC have reportedly reiterated that the party will continue to raise the Adani issue but through “parliamentary instruments” like questions, adjournment motions, and press conferences.
The TMC’s stance highlights the complex dynamics within the opposition, where parties differ on strategies to counter the government. This approach could signal challenges in fostering unified action on key issues.
This TMC move may create friction with Congress, potentially affecting broader opposition coordination on other issues of national importance.
