TMC MP Saugata Roy condemned the arrest of former state minister Udayan Guha as a "vindictive move" by the BJP. He also dismissed the merger of 20 rebel TMC MPs with the NCPI, which is being reviewed by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
TMC slams BJP over Udayan Guha's 'vindictive' arrest
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government following the arrest of former state minister Udayan Guha, terming the move as "vindictive" and alleging that the BJP-led government was targeting opposition leaders.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Roy characterised the arrest as an act of political vendetta, and said, "Udayan Guha's arrest is a vindictive move by the BJP Govt. They do not work but chase after the opposition. This is what they do, and this is what they are doing." TMC MLA from Dinhata, Udayan Guha was arrested by police in Kolkata's Phoolbagan area earlier today, officials said. The arrest marks a high-profile escalation in the ongoing legal and political climate in West Bengal.
TMC dismisses rebel MPs' merger with NCPI
Addressing the ongoing internal crisis within the TMC, where 20 rebel MPs have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), Roy dismissed the credibility of the move. He described the NCPI as a non-entity and accused the dissident MPs of exploiting legal loopholes to bypass the anti-defection law. "NCPI is not even a party. These MPs are falling at the feet of NCPI to avoid anti-defection law. We will do whatever we have to," Roy said.
Speaker reviews rebel faction's status
The development comes afte Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called upon the Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee today, for a discussion on June 19 regarding the 20 rebel MPs and his stance on the matter, sources said.
This comes amid growing dissension within the TMC following the Assembly elections, as a total of 20 rebel lawmakers of the TMC had on June 14 met with Speaker Om Birla and submitted a letter about the merger of their group with the Tripura-based Nationalist Congress Party of India (NCPI). They also sought a separate seating arrangement in the Lower House of Parliament.
Abhishek Banerjee's summons and unavailability
According to sources, Speaker Om Birla is reviewing the status of the 20 rebel MPs and will make a decision after hearing both factions. This followed a previously scheduled summons that Abhishek Banerjee could not attend, according to sources.
According to TMC sources, the Lok Sabha Speaker's office had emailed Banerjee at 2:00 PM on June 15 regarding the meeting. Sources said that Banerjee was appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning, a process during which he did not have access to his mobile phone or personal emails. The communication from the Speaker's Office reportedly gave Banerjee a two-hour window, directing him to meet the Speaker in Delhi by 4 pm the same day.
According to sources, within an hour of the email being sent, the Speaker's office placed a phone call to Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad to inform him of the scheduled appointment. Following the call, Kirti Azad physically visited the Speaker's Office to apprise officials of Banerjee's unavailability. Azad informed the office that Banerjee was currently cooperating with government agencies in an ongoing investigation and was in the middle of an ED interrogation session. On behalf of the party, Azad sought a later date and time for the meeting, reiterating Banerjee's intent to "cooperate fully" with the Speaker's proceedings.
Anti-defection law at the center of dispute
The Speaker is expected to deliberate on the rebel faction's merger request, which has triggered a fresh legal and political tug-of-war within the TMC. While the rebels seek recognition for their move, the TMC leadership has moved to protect its flock and challenge the validity of the request.
By merging with the NCPI, the rebel group claims to have bypassed the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Under the anti-defection law, a merger is permissible if at least two-thirds of a legislative party joins another. With 20 MPs in their camp, the rebels assert they have comfortably exceeded this threshold. (ANI)
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