TMC does flip-flop, says never asked Trivedi to resign

I / New Delhi March 15, 2012, 12:07 IST

The Trinamool Congress today backtracked on its demand for Dinesh Trivedi's resignation as Union Railway Minister, and said no such demand had ever been made by the party.

Leader of Trinamool Congress in the House Sudip Bandopadhyay said his party members have not asked the Railway Minister to tender his resignation.

However, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla today told both Houses of Parliament that last night  they had received a communication from the TMC, seeking Trivedi's sacking, which is under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "active consideration."

"As and when a decision is taken, the House will be informed," he said without divulging details of the communication.

Trivedi occupied the front row in the Lok Sabha which is usually occupied by senior ministers.

Mukherjee's statement came after an impromptu debate in the House with opposition members seeking suspension of Question Hour on the plea that an "unprecedented and unusual" situation had arisen following the reported resignation of Trivedi.

Speaker Meira Kumar disallowed the notices of suspension of Question Hour but allowed Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and others to speak on the issue.

Trivedi's proposal to hike fares in the Railway Budget earned him the ire of the Trinamool chief who sent a late night communication to the Prime Minister suggesting him to replace Trivedi with Mukul Roy.