Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 15 : West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said that the decision on whether rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs would be recognised as a separate group rests with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, following reports that the MPs had met him to present their case.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Ghosh said any Member of Parliament has the right to meet the Speaker and submit their views. He said he was not aware of the specific purpose of the meeting or the details of the discussions, but noted that developments were underway within the TMC.
"Any MP can go and meet the Speaker and present their case. I don't know the specific objectives or the details of the conversation, but a lot is indeed going on," Ghosh said.
He added that once a written submission is examined, the Speaker would take an appropriate decision. According to Ghosh, if the MPs are recognised as a separate party or group, they would be entitled to separate seating arrangements in Parliament.
"Once a written submission is made and the details are examined, the Speaker will make a decision. If they are recognised as a separate party, they have the right to separate seating; however, everyone indeed wants to leave the TMC," he said.
Commenting on the CID questioning of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Ghosh said Banerjee had appeared before investigating agencies on multiple occasions and continued to receive notices.
"He has had to go repeatedly; he has gone before, and now the CID is summoning him, and the ED is also sending notices," Ghosh said.
The remarks come amid political developments in West Bengal and speculation over the future course of some TMC parliamentarians.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Monday slammed senior party leader and Kolkata North MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, accusing him of faking illness and travelling to New Delhi to meet Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, amid rebellion in the party.
In an X post, Moitra said, "Dada @SudipBAITC, you were arrested in 2017. jailed in the Rose Valley scam. Faked illness then & took the BJD govt's help to move from jail to hospital. Again, you faked illness to fly to Delhi to do gaddari! Tapas Roy & Kunal Ghosh were right about you. We were wrong!"The remarks came amid reports of growing differences within the Trinamool Congress.
The 20 Lok Sabha MPs have created a separate bloc in the Lower House and claim to be "real TMC" and demand a separate seating arrangement for themselves. Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that 20 Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and will now extend their support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).