Kabir Suman firm on quitting Trinamool, hits out at party

Noting that being in Trinamool Congress is "like living without dignity", MP Kabir Suman today remained firm on his decision to quit the party.

Suman, whose sympathetic stand towards Maoists and outbursts against alleged in-house corruption embarrassed the party, had sent an SMS to Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee last night announcing his resignation from the party as well as the decision to quit from the Lok Sabha.

Addressing a press conference today, he said, “I will send my views to the party in writing today."

The press conference at his home at Baishnabghata in south Kolkata was cut short after Trinamool Congress workers barged in and urged him not to leave the party. As chaos prevailed, the singer-turned-politician said, "I am a people's representative and I will decide how and where I will spend my MPLAD fund to meet the basic necessities of the people, like road improvement and water."

Singling out Mamata Banerjee's loyalist and party councillor Sobhan Chatterjee for interfering in his work, he alleged, "remaining in the Trinamool Congress is like living without dignity ... I have been elected by the people to serve the people and not to serve the party. I am a slave to the people and not to the party."

Stating that he was frequently insulted and humiliated within the party, Suman said, “I am a seriously independent person. I should not remain in a political party. I composed a music album that caused all the problems,” he said, referring to 'Chhatradharer Gaan' eulogising arrested People Committee against Police Atrocities leader Chhatradhar Mahato. He, however, claimed that Mahato had consulted party chief Mamata Banerjee during the tribal movement. “I didn't want the CPI(M) to take advantage of this.” However, the Trinamool chief in the past had denied links with Mahato.

Asked about his alleged Maoist links, Suman shot back, “I don't know from where Naxalites come.” The singer MP who is against the current anti-Naxalite operations in West Medinipur and which he has highlighted in 'Chhatradharer Gaan' said, “torture is being perpetrated on the innocent people of Lalgarh."

Suman said that Mamata Banerjee whose slogan was 'Ma, Mati, Manush' (Mother, earth and humanity), should have taken a stand on PCPA President Lalmohan Tudu who was shot dead by the police in an alleged encounter.

He expressed regret that he had to support several 'anti-people bills in Parliament a number of times' and said he wanted to quit Lok Sabha. He reiterated that he had not contested the Lok Sabha elections from Jadavpur on his own volition.