NCP MPs Skip NDA Meeting, Reiterate Opposition to Anti-Muslim Moves

On Tuesday (August 4), three NCP MPs (Lok Sabha MPs from Jangipur, Murshidabad and Baharampur Khalilur Rahman, Abu Taher Khan and Yusuf Pathan) did not attend the weekly meeting of the ruling alliance. The three NCP MPs had also stayed away from the first Mangal Milan meeting of the NDA parliamentary party. According to news agency PTI, while talking to reporters in Parliament premises, Abu Taher Khan said, "We are not with the NDA nor going to the BJP, rest assured. Today there was also a meeting of the NDA and all three of us did not attend it, but we will definitely attend the meeting called by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as it is related to development work in my constituency. We will not support any move against Muslims." PTI quoted sources as saying that all three MPs representing Muslim-dominated constituencies had decided not to attend a meeting of their non-NDA MPs on the question of their alleged links with the BJP.