Opposition parties briefly walked out of the Centre's all-party meeting over the participation of a breakaway Trinamool Congress faction.
The rebel group claims to have joined the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), prompting objections from Opposition leaders.
The parties returned within minutes, and the meeting continued as the government outlined its agenda for the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Opposition parties briefly walked out of the Centre's all-party meeting on Sunday after objecting to the participation of a breakaway faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), creating a brief disruption ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to commence on July 20.
The all-party meeting was convened by the Union government to discuss the agenda for the upcoming session and seek cooperation from political parties to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament. Representatives from major political parties attended the meeting, which is routinely held before the beginning of every Parliament session.
The protest began after Opposition leaders objected to the presence of a rebel faction that had broken away from the Trinamool Congress. The group has claimed to have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a political party based in Tripura.
Opposition parties questioned the inclusion of the breakaway faction in the meeting, arguing against its participation. Following their objections, leaders from several Opposition parties walked out of the meeting in protest.
The walkout lasted only a few minutes. The Opposition leaders subsequently returned to the meeting, allowing the discussions to continue without further interruption.
The Centre is expected to use the Monsoon Session to introduce and take up several legislative proposals. During the all-party meeting, the government was expected to brief political parties on its legislative priorities and seek their cooperation in conducting parliamentary business.
All-party meetings are held before every Parliament session to facilitate discussions between the government and political parties on issues relating to the functioning of Parliament. These meetings provide an opportunity for parties to raise concerns regarding the agenda, legislative business and procedural matters before the session begins.
The Monsoon Session is scheduled to begin on July 20 and is expected to witness discussions on a range of legislative and policy issues. Alongside government business, Opposition parties are also expected to raise matters of public importance during the session.
The brief disruption at Sunday's meeting highlighted disagreements over the participation of political groups that have split from recognised parties. However, with the Opposition returning to the meeting shortly after the protest, discussions proceeded as scheduled.
Neither the government nor the Opposition parties issued any immediate statement regarding changes to the meeting's agenda following the walkout. The proceedings continued after the protesting leaders rejoined the discussions.
The incident comes a day before Parliament reconvenes for the Monsoon Session, with both the government and the Opposition preparing for debates on legislative business and other issues expected to be taken up in the coming weeks.
The all-party meeting concluded after discussions on the government's proposed legislative agenda and matters relating to the conduct of business during the session.
