There are at least two Trinamool Congress MPs who are on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s radar for their “anti-party activities”. While the party plans to spare one of them for now the other person is definitely going to get some raps on his knuckles, insiders say. The two MPs are former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and his lok Sabha colleague Sugato Bose.
Trivedi was not called for the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday, sources said. He is likely to be formally reprimanded by the party for now and stricter disciplinary actions could be taken against him if he does not mend his ways, sources quoting senior leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said. Bandopadhyay was reportedly backed by another senior party colleague Mukul Roy, insiders said.
According to sources Banerjee is livid with Trivedi for his outspokenness on the Narada issue. He had gone against the party line and wanted the tainted leaders to be probed for allegedly accepting cash in lieu of promises they offered to a sting journalist faking as a businessman.
An angry Chief Minister had retaliated by banning Trivedi from campaigning in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Apart from talking a stance on the Narada issue Trivedi also openly criticised attacks on children by alleged Trinamool Congress goons during the elections. One victim a three-year-old girl child from Halisahar in Bijpur constituency was beaten up during a mid-night raid by Trinamool men who had come to warn a family of left voters against going to vote.
Similar attacks took place throughout the State where children and toddlers were beaten up by alleged Trinamool goons. “Being the local MP I cannot turn my face off such incidents and strongly object to such acts of cruelty,” Trivedi said promising all help for the victim's family.