Trinamool to skip all-party meet before parliament session

The Trinamool Congress announced on Friday that it will skip the all-party meeting convened by the Narendra Modi government in New Delhi on July 20 on the eve of parliament's monsoon session.

A Trinamool statement said the party's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha leaders will attend a meeting of MPs called by party chief Mamata Banerjee on that day.

"Trinamool's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha leaders will not attend the all-party meeting in Delhi on July 20 due to the pre-scheduled meeting of MPs in Kolkata called by party chairperson," the statement said.

The party said it has already informed union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu about its decision.

The Modi government has convened the meeting on the eve of the monsoon session of parliament session starting July 21 as part of its efforts to ensure smooth functioning of the two houses.

The opposition has been steadfastly opposing the government's plans to pass the land acquisition bill as also several other legislations.

The Modi government lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress-led opposition has also been demanding the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan respectively.

While Sushma Swaraj and Raje are facing the heat on the Lalit Modi controversy, Chouhan is in trouble over the Vyapam recruitment scandal.