AAP 'disappointed' at being excluded from PM Modi's all party meet on India-China standoff

The Aam Aadmi Party expressed its displeasure over not being invited to join the All Party Meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the tense situation at the India-China border in Ladakh. In a statement on Friday, AAP said it "remains disappointed at its exclusion from the meeting but stands committed to its outcome."

The virtual conference meeting, presided by PM Modi, will be attended by presidents of various political parties in the country and is due to commence at 5 pm Friday. However, according to senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), their party has not been invited for the meeting.

"AAP is proud that All Party Meeting is taking place in New Delhi, where AAP governs, and hopes that the Meeting will bring about honourable solutions to the threat posed by China and to the ongoing crisis in Ladakh bringing back Galwan Valley back into India. AAP remains committed to stand up for India in all respects. AAP remains disappointed at its exclusion from the meeting but stands committed to its outcome (sic)," the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said.

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'Strange ego-ridden Centre'

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted that a "strange ego-ridden" government is being run at the Centre. He said that the AAP has a government in Delhi and in Punjab it is the principal opposition party, adding that it has four parliamentarians across the country but the BJP does not want the opinion of the AAP on any important subject. “The whole country is waiting for what the Prime Minister will speak in the meeting,” he added. 

In a separate tweet, he said, "In a critical issue like national security, the BJP government at the Centre should rally everyone together. To exclude a three-time elected Chief Minister (from the all-party meeting) in unfortunate in a democracy."

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20 parties to attend the meeting

Among those who are expected to attend the meeting is Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, TMC chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, DMK president MK Stalin among others. 

This is the first time since the eruption of border tensions in April that the PM has called for an all-party meeting to discuss the conflict. So far, his virtual meetings with opposition leaders have been on the coronavirus pandemic.

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