Mukul has insulted Mamata, says Trinamool

Taking a swipe at party's suspended MP Mukul Roy who submitted his resignation from Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said Roy insulted the party's supremo Mamata Banerjee and made false allegations against her.

"He insulted our party supremo Mamata Banerjee by saying a 'one-man party' is bad for the country. Nothing can be more insulting when he made false allegation against her saying that he was directed to meet RSS people," party's Secretary General Partha Chatterjee told reporters here.

He said party's members and workers believe that they were colleagues of Banerjee.

Referring to Roy's comment that "workers are comrade not servant of an individual", Chatterjee said "What does he mean? Are we servants? We are the volunteers. We do serve the state and people of Bengal."

Noting Roy was made the party's national General Secretary even after his loss in the 2001 Assembly elections, and subsequently an MP and Railway Minister, Chatterjee said: "He said he came from an ordinary family. Who made him the Railway Minister?".

"Bengal and the party get relieved from him....he surrendered to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)."

Rubbishing Roy's claim that he was directed to contact Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal and the RSS, Chatterjee said, "It is absolutely false. He has to provide proof against suchallegations. Why was he silent for so long?"

Asked about Roy's claim that the party has ae lack of principle and constantly swapping its allies, Chatterjee said: "What did he not raise the issue earlier? Why did he oppose the party's move that time and leave?"

Chatterjee said Roy "realised that the BJP is not a communal party" after the Central Bureau of Investigation started grilling him and now, he is "trying to get an entry to that party".

The Trinamool had suspended Roy for six years for allegedly "indulging in anti-party activities".

--IANS

bdc/him/vd