Oppn leaders meet in Congress Prez Kharge's chambers

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the beginning of the day's proceedings in Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday convened a meeting with floor leaders of opposition parties to discuss the December 9 faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal's Tawang sector.

On Tuesday, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were rocked by the issue with the Opposition staging a walkout after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Tawang clash.

"A total of 17 parties attended today's meeting and decided to raise the issue for discussion if not allowed it has been decided that parties will walk out from the house," a leader who participated in the meeting told ANI. The Opposition, the participant said, has also decided that if a discussion is not allowed, they will boycott the House.

The meeting was held in Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's chambers to plan the Opposition strategy on India -China tussle and other issues in the House. Kharge on Tuesday said that the opposition staged the walkout as Singh did not give a clarification on his statement in Parliament on the reports of clashes between the Indian Army and Chinese troops.

Speaking in both Houses separately, the Defence Minister informed that the "Indian Army bravely stopped the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) PLA troops from encroaching on Indian territory, and forced them to withdraw to their posts".

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary meeting also took place in Parliament Library building today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Singh and National BJP president JP Nadda were also present at the meeting.

The BJP MPs gave a rousing reception to PM Modi and also congratulated the BJP state president of Gujarat CR Paatil for the historic win in the western state. The Winter Session of the Parliament began on December 7 and will have 17 working days.