In a move signaling its difference with the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) today skipped the INDIA bloc leaders’ meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber. The TMC made it clear that it was not in agreement with the Congress’s focus on the Adani indictment issue and wanted to raise other pressing matters in Parliament.
Sources within the Trinamool Congress revealed that the party aimed to highlight a range of issues in the ongoing Winter Session, including price hikes, unemployment, funds crunch, and the unrest in Manipur. However, the party expressed frustration that the Congress was solely focused on pushing for a discussion on the Adani issue, which involved the US Department of Justice’s indictment of Adani Green directors. As a result, the TMC chose not to attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc floor leaders.
A senior TMC source emphasized that their party was the only one in the INDIA alliance that did not have an electoral partnership with Congress, which made the situation more complicated. “We are not bound to attend the INDIA bloc meetings when the agenda does not reflect our priority issues,” the source said.
While Congress has been persistent in demanding a suspension of parliamentary proceedings to discuss the Adani case, other parties have called for discussions on various urgent issues, including the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal, recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, attacks on ISKCON monks in Bangladesh, and the delay in paddy procurement in Punjab.
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In response to the allegations, the Adani Group has firmly denied any wrongdoing, with Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vneet Jain all rejecting bribery charges. Gautam Adani further asserted that the group had faced numerous challenges in the past and that these attacks only strengthened them.
The ongoing stalemate in Parliament, with repeated adjournments and disruptions, has caused significant delays in parliamentary proceedings. The session, which began earlier this month, is set to end on December 20.
Trinamool Congress leaders have previously made it clear that the party would prioritize Bengal’s issues during the Winter Session. Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s general secretary, stated that TMC would raise concerns over the Centre’s withholding of Bengal’s dues. Senior MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar also emphasized that while the party does not support disrupting Parliament over a single issue, it would continue to hold the government accountable on multiple fronts.
Additionally, the Trinamool has expressed its intention to raise the ongoing crisis in Manipur, calling for urgent intervention by the Centre to restore peace in the region.
