"Should not happen in democracy": TMC slams reconstitution of Parliamentary Panels after losing 2 chairmanships

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 4 (ANI): Mamata All India Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh on Sunday reacted sharply to the removal of its MPs Dola Sen and Kirti Azad from their respective parliamentary committee chairperson posts.
Ghosh criticised the parliamentary standing committee reconstitution, calling the decision anti-democratic. 
“What happened in the Parliamentary Standing Committee should not happen in a democracy… They removed Dola and Kirti Azad and instead brought those wrong people into the committee,” Ghosh said.
This comes after a political flashpoint over the annual reconstitution of Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees for 2026-27, announced by Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
As part of the reshuffle, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress lost control of two key panels. In the Committee on Commerce, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi has replaced the party's Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen as chairperson. And in the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers, MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has replaced  Kirti Azad.
The remark comes after the Parliamentary Standing Committees for the year had been reconstituted with effect from September 26.
Chairpersons for 24 panels were appointed, according to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Saturday.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been re-appointed Chairperson of the Committee on External Affairs, while BJP's Nishikant Dubey will continue to head the Committee on Communications and Information Technology.
BJP's Radha Mohan Das Agrawal will chair the Committee on Home Affairs.
Among other key panels, BJP's Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed to head the Committee on Finance, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal will chair the Committee on Home Affairs, and BJP's Radha Mohan Singh will chair the Committee on Defence.BJP's Anurag Singh Thakur has been named Chairperson of the Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel, while BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy will lead the Committee on Water Resources.
Congress's Mukul Wasnik will chair the Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, and DMK's Tiruchi Siva has been appointed Chairperson of the Committee on Industry.
BJP's Medha Vishram Kulkarni will head the Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and JD(U)'s Sanjay Kumar Jha will chair the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.
Each committee comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Several panels continue to have vacancies. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a member of the Committee on Defence, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a member of the Committee on Home Affairs. (ANI)