Tapas Roy, a founder member and a five-time MLA of the Trinamool Congress, on Monday quit the party “insulted and hurt” by the top party brass and “upset” about the rising incidents of corruption and the Sandeshkhali land-grab and sexual assault on women.
“Some recent incidents have made me take a very painful decision … I have been deeply shocked and shaken with the way Sandeshkhali incident was handled … besides corruption has become a major issue for which there was no explanation … neither there was any attempt to discipline the corrupt,” Roy a five-time MLA and a former-Deputy Chief Whip — enjoying the rank of a Cabinet Minister — said, adding that he was “deeply upset by the kind of treatment that was meted out to me by the party top brass.”
Roy who had won the Baranagar Assembly adjoining North Kolkata seat for three successive times since 2011 on Tuesday resigned as an MLA too. “I had resigned from all the party posts on March 1 … today I have resigned from MLA … now I am a free bird,” he said.
While the veteran leader's resignation led to fervent speculations on whether he was joining the BJP, he said was in the midst of taking some decisions. “I will take a decision in due time,” he said.
“Referring to a raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate in his house allegedly at the instance of TMC leader in Parliament Sudip Bandopadhyay, the Baranagar MLA said, “At least 50 people told me that it is Sudip Bandopadhyay who had got the ED to raid my house … because he was apprehensive of my rising stature in the party.”
On why he would not raise the issue with party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee he said, “Even my political rivals would not concede that I have a tainted past … after the ED raids I waited for months but none from the top leadership even called me up or my family … but I was shocked when the Chief Minister defended a person like Shahjahan in the Assembly … but not a single word was spoken in my support … I was deserted during trying circumstances.”
A last minute attempt to revive the situation by sending Minister Bratya Basu and senior leader Kunal Ghosh — who too is not in good terms with Sudip Bandopadhyay — went in vain.
“I am disappointed with the way the party is functioning. I am fed up with so many allegations of corruption leveled against the party and the government. I also do not support the way the issue of Sandeshkhali was handled,” he said.
On whether Bandopadhyay would win the North Kolkata parliamentary seat held by t he TMC since 2009, Roy said, “It is impossible for him to win this seat … he will badly be defeated.”
The TMC however refuted his allegations saying, Roy was giving excuses for leaving the party as there was deal that had been struck between him and the BJP.
