Rebel Trinamool leader fires another salvo

Trinamool Congress leader Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who had refused to take oath as a minister after a ministerial reshuffle last year, today declined an invitation to be present in the West Bengal Assembly budget session starting from March 8.
Bhattacharya said he had received a letter from the Legislative Assembly, signed by its assistant secretary, requesting him to be present in the House during the budget session.
"I have decided not to accept the invitation since it was addressed to me as a minister and not an MLA. Since I had not taken oath as the Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, there is no question of my attending the session," the rebel leader said.

He said he would accept the invitation if he were addressed as an MLA.
Bhattacharya, whose portfolio of Agriculture was changed to Statistics and Programme Implementation in a reshuffle of ministers carried out in December, last year, said he did not accept the new portfolio because he was not conversant with the subject.
Bhattacharya, known as 'Mastermashai' (teacher) in his circle, played an important role in building up the anti-land acquisition stir in Singur in 2007 that ultimately paved the way for the TMC to ride to power with a massive popular mandate in the 2011 Assembly election.
He had also wished earlier to resign as the MLA from Singur.