Dinesh Trivedi resigns from Rajya Sabha, says can't remain silent on violence in Bengal

In a surprise move, Trinamool Congress' senior MP Dinesh Trivedi on Friday announced his resignation from Rajya Sabha saying that he feels "suffocated" and cannot remain silent while West Bengal is facing a lot of political violence.

He also alleged that the Trinamool Congress is not controlled by Mamata Banerjee anymore with corporate professionals taking over decision-making even as he accused party leaders of insisting him to "abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi", which he cannot do.

Trivedi (70), a former Railway Minister, announced his decision on the floor of the House during the debate on Budget snapping his 22-year-old ties with Trinamool Congress, amid speculation that he may join BJP.

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He said the state is witnessing political violence and he cannot remain silent but is bound by party discipline.

"I feel I cannot keep quiet when there is so much violence going on back home. I am in a party and obviously bound by the party discipline. I now feel suffocated," he said in the House.

Responding to Trivedi's resignation, Trinamool Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, "Trinamool means grassroots. This will give us an opportunity to send a grassroots worker of ours soon to the Rajya Sabha."

With Assembly elections round the corner in West Bengal, a number of Trinamool Congress has left the party and joined the BJP.

Trivedi told reporters, "Trinamool Congress is not in the hands of Mamata Banerjee anymore. It has been taken over by corporate professionals who just joined. There is no forum within the party to air our views. The party wants me to abuse the Prime Minister everyday. They want me to rush to the Well. I can't do that."

"When violence against (BJP chief J P) Nadda happened, I condemned the violence. I couldn't have condoned it. That was not taken well. The party is being run by corporate advisors. Why should a poor party pay someone so much money?" he added.

Trivedi, who was in Congress and later in Janata Dal, joined Trinamool Congress in 1998 and was its first General Secretary along with Mukul Roy, who had earlier left the party to join BJP.

He was elevated to Manmohan Singh's Cabinet in 2011 when Mamata Banerjee resigned as Railway Minister to become West Bengal Chief Minister. However, he had to quit later after he invited the wrath of Mamata for increasing train fare in the budget.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he lost but the Trinamool nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in April last year.

He first entered Rajya Sabha in 1990 and was elected once again in 2002. In 2009 and 2014, he had won Lok Sabha elections.