New Delhi: In a rare moment of political courtesy that transcended party lines, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SCP) MP Supriya Sule was seen touching the feet of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh following an all-party meeting on Sunday.
The gesture occurred as leaders were exiting the Parliament House Annexe after the all-party meeting ahead of the Monsoon Session, scheduled to begin on July 20.
Sule was seen approaching the veteran BJP leader who was with Union Minister JP Nadda. In a traditional display of respect, Sule bowed down to touch Singh's feet.
Meanwhile, the all-party meeting saw a brief symbolic walkout by the INDIA bloc parties. The opposition had raised concerns regarding the seating arrangements of rebel MPs and sought discussions on issues such as the NEET-UG paper leak and recent national security developments.
Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized the government's commitment to a smooth session. "We had a very meaningful discussion today. While there are ideological differences, the spirit of democracy remains strong. We hope for a productive Monsoon Session and are ready to discuss all issues as per the rules," Rijiju said.
Earlier, the NCP(SCP) working president denied speculation about joining the NDA or a merger with the NCP, stating that there is no proposal from another party to join hands with them.
Addressing reporters in Mumbai earlier, Supriya Sule, who is also the daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar stated that no senior leader in the party has been approached regarding this matter.
"Pawar sahib, I, Jayant Patil, Anil Deshmukh and Rajesh Tope or any senior leader have not received any proposal from any party... Nor BJP, Congress or any NDA ally given us a proposal," she said.
Addressing questions about whether party MPs and MLAs are under pressure to join the ruling coalition, Sule asserted that there is no pressure on any of their leaders. The NCP (SCP) MP said, "All eight of our MPs remain in constant contact with each other and hold regular discussions with Sharad Pawar Saheb. Not a single MP or MLA has ever expressed a desire to take a different path. We are happy where we are."
Rumours of the Sharad Pawar-led faction joining hands with the NDA had gained traction after late-night meetings in Mumbai between NCP(SCP) leader Jayant Patil, ruling NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Sharad Pawar-led party has said that the meetings were for administrative matters, not political realignment.
NCP(SCP) chief Sharad Pawar chose to stay quiet amid reports of a possible split within his party's ranks, firmly deflecting the speculation by stating, "That's not the subject to talk about right now." Separately, amid rumours that the NDA is looking to bring Pawar's faction on board to get the numbers needed for the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha. However, Supriya Sule has rejected any alliance, merger, or backdoor negotiations with the NDA.
Meanwhile, the Monsoon Session is expected to conclude on August 13, with the government planning to introduce several key bills.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
