During the interaction, Priyanka Gandhi referred to the TMC’s past political moves, saying that the party had previously brought several Congress leaders into its ranks.
Published: July 30, 2026, 6:55 PM IST
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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can be seen interacting with Kalyan Banerjee outside Parliament. Screengrab/ANI
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held an interaction with suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee inside the Parliament complex on Thursday, with the two leaders discussing relations between their parties. The conversation came while Banerjee was staging a protest against the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with the NCPI. Suspended from the Lok Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon Session, Kalyan Banerjee was staging a protest near Makar Dwar with a placard displaying pictures of the rebel MPs when Priyanka Gandhi came over and interacted with him.
Following the TMC’s loss of power in West Bengal, 20 of its MPs switched sides last month and joined the Tripura-based NCPI. The group included former chief whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, deputy leader Shatabdi Ray, and actors Deepak Adhikari and Saayoni Ghosh, strengthening the NDA’s position.
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‘You took them from Congress’: Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi first noticed the placard hanging around Banerjee’s neck and asked whether the same photographs were printed on the other side as well. After Banerjee confirmed that the same photographs were on the other side, Priyanka Gandhi smiled and asked him to turn around and display it for the photographers standing nearby.
#WATCH | Delhi: While suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was protesting outside Makar Dwar on TMC MPs Merger to NCPI, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra approached him and said “you took them from Congress to TMC” to which Kalyan Banerjee replied that Mamata Banerjee was thrown out… pic.twitter.com/WIltyZiwUr
— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2026
When questioned about the placard, Banerjee described it as showing the “photo of 20 traitors”, a reference to the TMC MPs who moved to the NCPI and supported the NDA. To this, Gandhi quipped, “You took them from Congress to TMC.”
Banerjee responded that the MPs had contested elections on Trinamool tickets. When another MP pointed out that several of them had originally been with the Congress, Banerjee conceded the point. “Initially I was in Congress too,” he said, drawing laughter from those around him.
Rajiv Gandhi respected Didi
During the conversation, Banerjee referred to Mamata Banerjee’s political history with the Congress and alleged that the party had forced her to leave in 1997. “You people forced Didi to leave in 1997,” he remarked.
Priyanka Gandhi responded by invoking former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. “Rajiv (Gandhi) ji respected Didi a lot,” she said. Banerjee agreed, saying, “I know. Rajiv ji used to like Didi a lot. He really respected her.”
Banerjee further criticised the Congress for joining hands with the CPI(M), saying it went against the Trinamool Congress’ years-long political fight against the Left in West Bengal. Congress MP Pappu Yadav then asked Banerjee whether the Congress was standing with the TMC in the current crisis, to which Banerjee agreed.
Action over donation embezzlement at Ram Temple
Earlier, Opposition MPs on Thursday began a protest at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex over the alleged police action against student protesters and the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya MPs from several INDIA bloc parties gathered at Makar Dwar around 10.30 am, holding placards questioning who gave the orders for the alleged police action against student protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20.
The MPs also raised slogans demanding accountability from the Centre over the alleged use of force against students and the alleged financial irregularities in donations made to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. The protest comes hours before the Rajya Sabha is scheduled to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, for consideration and passing.
