"TMC accepts Tapas Pal's unconditional apology": Derek

The Trinamool Congress today said it has accepted party MP Tapas Pal's unconditional apology offered yesterday for his derogatory comments against women, as the party believed that the letter was written in right spirit.
"Trinamool Congress accepts Tapas Pal's unconditional apology as it believes the letter was written in right spirit," party spokesman Derek O'Brien told reporters after a meeting in which TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was present.
He also quoted Banerjee as having told the meeting, "Everybody has to be careful and responsible about what they are saying in public".
The meeting which was attended by TMC MPs, senior ministers and zilla sabhadipatis to chalk out the party's strategy for the upcoming Parliament session as well as to discuss development programmes in the districts.

It was, however, not known whether Tapas Pal was present in the meeting.
Derek O'Brien did not answer when asked if the controversial MP was present.

Banerjee had yesterday described Tapas Pal's hate speech as a "big blunder", but wondered if she should "kill him" for this and said whatever steps are needed to be taken have been taken.
"It is not just a mistake, it's big blunder. We have taken whatever steps that are needed to be taken. It is an individual utterance. What do you want? Should I kill him? What can I do ? Whatever I can do we can do it through our policy", Banerjee had said.

Tapas Pal, also an actor, had tendered unconditional apology for his threat to kill CPI-M workers and having their women raped after he was asked by an embarrassed party leadership to do so following widespread outrage.