Trinamool Congress will take a final call on its senior leader Mukul Roy for his alleged anti-party activities by the end of April when the crucial civic elections would be over.
Derek O’Brien, the Trinamool leader in Rajya Sabha who earlier replaced Roy to that post following his differences with party chief Mamata Banerjee, told journalists that the disciplinary committee of the party would soon take up the anti-party charges brought against the former Railway Minister and take a final decision on it.
The deposed TMC all-India general secretary had recently encouraged four suspended MlAs from Manipur to join the BJP, O’Brien alleged quoting party sources in the North-Eastern State. He is also said to have asked some top leaders in the Kerala party to switch over to the BJP.
All these would be taken up for discussion in the Trinamool Congress’ disciplinary committee headed by State Minister Partho Chatterjee and present party all-India general secretary Subrata Bakshi.
Apart from this, the leadership had collected all the relevant newspaper cuttings and video footages where Roy, the oldest Trinamool member, founder general secretary of the party was caught making anti-party statements. These would be used as evidence to take strong disciplinary measures against him, O’Brien said.
When asked as to whether there was a possibility of Roy being expelled or suspended from the party, another senior leader said everything would depend on what decision the disciplinary committee arrived at.
When contacted Roy however denied report of asking Manipur MlAs or Kerala Trinamool leaders to quit the party and join the BJP. On the contrary, a close aide of Roy said, “He still is a Trinamool MP and has voted as per the party’s whip in support of the Centre’s Coal bill. Does it prove anti-party activitiesIJ”
On why disciplinary actions, if any, would be taken against Roy in the second half of April, a senior leader said the leaders were busy with the Budget Session and hence could not take up the matter.
However, sources said that Mamata Banerjee whose image had taken a beating after the Saradha scam was not willing to risk a backlash in the wake of any strong decision taken against Roy before the crucial civic elections.