In a meeting of the TMC Parliamentary Party on Tuesday, its national general secretary Abhishekh Banerjee conveyed to all MPs that the party will not play second fiddle to anyone, including the Congress, sources said.
Banerjee, who met party MPs, discussed various issues that need to be brought up in Parliament, including the Nagaland tragedy in which 13 civilians were killed in firing by security forces, the COVID-19 situation and the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha members.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Parliamentary delegation, which had sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, will meet him at 3.45 pm on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum, which among others, seeks compensation for the families of the citizens killed in Nagaland and asks the government to clear its position on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the sources said.
The party also issued a show cause notice to MPs Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty for skipping the parliamentary party meet.
Banerjee also discussed the expansion of the TMC in other states, the sources said.
Many Congress leaders have joined the TMC over the last few months and more are likely to follow suit, they claimed.
The TMC, however, has been very discreet about any discussions it has been having with such leaders, the sources said.
During the meeting, the party also discussed that while it will be one with the opposition, including the Congress on all issues in Parliament, outside it, their strategies to fight the BJP would be separate.
"While we are in separate compartments, our destination will be the same. To remove the BJP," TMC MP Derek O'Brien said.
