New Delhi [India], July 19 : Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, after the all-party meeting on Sunday, asserted that the government must be prepared to discuss major national challenges concerning Ayodhya, ethanol, students, farmers and Manipur and warned of political fallout if these topics are ignored.
Gogoi has urged the government to proactively engage with pressing public concerns, asserting that he has outlined all the important issues and it will be the government's loss if they run away from those issues.
"I outlined all the issues, and if the government run away from these issues, it will be their own loss," he said.
Highlighting the public's expectations, Gogoi stated, "The eyes of the nation are upon the government to see whether it will address the issues concerning Ayodhya, ethanol, students, farmers, and Manipur."
"If the government shies away from these matters as it has in the past, it is the government that will suffer the consequences," Gogoi added.
Earlier today Opposition parties staged a "walkout" from the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament over Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju extending an invitation to the National Citizens Party of India to take part in the meeting.
They said the move was against the norms, and the TMC rebel MPs' merger into "so-called NCPI" has not been approved by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Talking to reporters, TMC leader Mahua Moitra said that opposition parties registered their strong protest over the government's decision.
"Today, the entire opposition including Congress, the Samajwadi Party, DMK, JMM, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, Left parties, Shiv Sena UBT have all walked out of the all party meeting in protest because the so-called NCPI, which is an unrecognized party, the strength of the All India Trinamool Congress in the list provided by the table office is shown to be 28 members. These so-called rebel 20 MPs, their merger has not been approved by the Speaker," Moitra said.
Meawhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said the party staged a walkout to uphold the Constitution.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also backed the protest, questioning the recognition accorded to the rebel MPs.
"The affiliation granted to them (rebel MPs), where is that term in the books of law? We too have protested against it and walked out of the House," Sawant told ANI.
Six Shiv Sena (UBT) members "merged" with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament.
On the other hand, AAP Rajya Sabha MP ND Gupta alleged that a similar situation had arisen in his party's case and accused the government of undermining democratic norms.
"In our case, of 10 MPs of the Rajya Sabha, seven have been hijacked and our petition to decide whether this is valid or not is pending. In spite of this fact, they have allotted independent separate seats in the Rajya Sabha. This is hijack and murder of the democracy," Gupta said.
The monsoon session of Parliament will be held from July 20 to August 13