Congress's Shama Mohamed mocked the newly formed NCPI, questioning the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs. She dared them to resign and seek a fresh mandate, calling the move a threat to democratic norms amid the ongoing political crisis in the TMC.
Congress Slams Rebel TMC MPs' Merger
Amid the escalating political churn over the merger of rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and their support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress leader Shama Mohamed on Monday launched a sharp attack on the breakaway lawmakers, questioning both the legitimacy of the new outfit and the broader implications for democratic norms. Taking a jibe at the NCPI, she said, "Firstly, I am laughing because this is the Nationalist Citizens Party of India--an organisation I have not even heard of until now. Secondly, what is happening to the democratic process in this country? Tomorrow, Janata Dal (United) representatives from Andhra Pradesh--their MLAs and MPs--could suddenly claim they are aligning with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra."
She further challenged the rebel MPs to resign and seek a fresh mandate from voters. "I want to challenge what these defecting MPs are doing. If they have the courage, they should resign immediately and re-contest their seats in West Bengal using the Nationalist Citizens Party of India's symbol and leadership face. They need to resign and show some backbone," she said.
20 TMC MPs Merge with NCPI, Support NDA
Her remarks come amid a significant political realignment within the AITC, where a large group of MPs has broken away from the party. Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Sunday confirmed that 20 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will extend support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). She said the group met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament, claiming they constitute more than two-thirds of the party's strength.
"We, the twenty MPs elected from the AITC, met the Speaker and submitted a letter requesting to sit separately; these twenty MPs constitute more than two-thirds of our total strength. We are merging with the Nationalist Citizens Party. Moving forward, we will work for the nation and collaborate with the NDA under the leadership of the Prime Minister," Dastidar said. The developments come amid a widening political crisis in the TMC, where 58 MLAs under the leadership of expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee in West Bengal have rebelled against the party. Three Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Baraik, have also resigned from their upper house and party membership.
Mohamed Questions Govt's Silence on Sailors' Deaths
In a separate remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump, Shama Mohamed also raised concerns over recent maritime incidents involving Indian sailors in the Gulf region, calling for accountability over their deaths and questioning the government's silence on the issue. "Three of our Indian seafarers have tragically lost their lives. We must demand answers as to how they died. Did the United States military attack our vessel and kill them? This is a critical issue that must be raised during the meeting, and accountability must be fixed. Why is it that the United States can take such unilateral actions without consequences while our Prime Minister remains completely silent," she told ANI.
The situation stems from a series of maritime attacks linked to heightened US-Iran tensions, which have impacted commercial shipping routes carrying Indian crew members, including the fatal strike on the tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman. (ANI)
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