New Delhi [India], June 16 : Rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Tuesday said that 'real TMC' will be decided by the court and said if two-thirds MPs leave a party, it is allowed under the Constitution and is not a betrayal.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs have said that they have decided to merge with the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and support the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. They met the Lok Sabha Speaker and urged him to allow seats separate from the Trinamool Congress.
"There are a total of 20 Lok Sabha MPs...This is not a betrayal if 2/3rd are going away. Constitution of the country allows for this. Lok Sabha allows for this. It is a betrayal if it is less than 2/3rd...Which is the 'real TMC' will be decided by the Court," Bandyopadhyay, MP, told reporters.
Another rebel Trinamool Congress MP, Rachna Banerjee, on Tuesday said that they will always respect former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but work needs to be done in their constituencies and they faced obstacles during 15 years when TMC was in power.
Rachna Banerjee, who was abroad and came to the Parliament premises to sign the document which has been signed by other rebel Trinamool Congress MPs for merger with little-known National Citizens Party of India, admitted that they got votes "due to Didi (Mamata Banerjee)" but also said that people had voted them so that their work is done and there is development.
Answering queries, Rachna Banerjee said they can never hold a rebellion against Mamata Banerjee and she will always have respect for her.
The rebel TMC leader said they are seeing how rapidly the work is being done under the BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari with assistance from the Centre. She said working will be easier if there is same government at Centre and in the State
"I have come here to sign the papers (for merger with another party). We can never hold a rebellion against her and I will always have respect for her. We got votes due to Didi, whom we respect a lot. Didi was the face, but I got votes so that I can work for my constituency," she said.
"I feel working will be easier if the same government is there at the Centre and in the State. We could not see this in the last 15 years. While, we were with Didi, we felt that we faced obstacles in the work we wanted to do. With CM Suvendu Adhikari now, we are seeing how rapidly the work is being done in West Bengal. We will always respect Didi," she added.
Rachna Banerjee met Lok Sabha Secretary General today. She later in the day visited the residence of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in the national capital.
A total of 20 rebel TMC lawmakers had on June 14 met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter about the merger of their group with the Tripura-based Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI). Reacting sharply to the development, Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad dismissed the move as "misleading" and "undemocratic" asserting that the party remains under the Mamata Banerjee's leadership firmly.
He said they have also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker clearly stating that real TMC is that of Mamata Banerjee, because the political party is hers.
"The letter given (by 20 rebel TMC MPs) to the Speaker is misleading," Azad told ANI. Azad further alleged that the rebel group is motivated by personal gain and is already riddled with internal conflict.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar today said they will work together with the BJP-led NDA.
Dastidar attended the meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, where she raised concerns over social issues in West Bengal, including child marriage.
"Let us first settle down with the bloc that we are trying to merge into another party. Acceptance has come to us. They are happy to take us. We will work together with the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Home Minister Amit Shah ji. They are looking into the affair of this merger," Dastidar said.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Rahul Sinha today said his party would not get involved in the Trinamool Congress' internal dispute and asserted that those found guilty in corruption cases should be punished irrespective of their position. "We are not going to get involved in the TMC's fight. They should handle their internal squabble themselves," Sinha told ANI.
Referring to TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, the BJP MP alleged that he was linked to several scams and said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) must have found some evidence during its investigation.
"Abhishek Banerjee is connected to many scams. There is an ongoing investigation, and the ED must have found some evidence or the other. Those who have done such things, no matter how high a position they hold, should be punished," he said.
ED had questioned Abhishek Banerjee yesterday. ( ANI)