New Delhi, Aug 12 Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Tuesday responded to criticism over his absence from the INDIA bloc's protest march to the Election Commission of India (ECI), asserting that he does not owe an explanation to anyone and that his loyalty to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is "unquestionable" and will remain unchanged.
Days after resigning as the Chief Whip of the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha, four-time MP Banerjee has recently shown signs of dissent within the party, and was seen on Monday interacting warmly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public programme.
In a post on X, Banerjee explained, "I have been a member of the Parliamentary House Committee since 2014. Under our direct supervision and vision -- most of the proposals coming from me -- we worked tirelessly to build 184 flats at Baba Kharag Singh Marg for Members of Parliament, to tackle the severe shortage of bungalows for newly elected MPs. This was no small task, but we got it done."
He said that at 10 a.m. on Monday, PM Modi inaugurated the residential complex, and by 10:30 a.m., he had left for the Supreme Court to attend to two important matters, what he called, Trinamool's "challenge to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list," which was heard on Monday and will be heard again on Tuesday and a "crucial matter on OBC issues".
"Because of this, I could not join the Dharna in front of the Election Commission. I don't owe an explanation for my absence, but I know there are people who are always looking for a chance to attack me," Banerjee said.
"Let them try -- last election, even with all their plotting, I won by a margin of 1,75,000 votes. Brother, I have my own conviction, honesty, and sincerity. My loyalty to Mamata Banerjee is unquestionable and it will remain the same," he added.
His cordial exchange with the Prime Minister has stirred speculation in political circles about whether it signals a widening rift between Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress.
Following his resignation as Chief Whip last week, Banerjee had taken to social media to allege that the party leadership had overlooked his contributions and remained silent despite him being repeatedly insulted by fellow Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra.
He also criticised the leadership, including Mamata Banerjee, for not taking any action against Moitra. His remarks drew no response from the party, and no action was taken against Moitra.
Banerjee's resignation was promptly accepted, and fellow four-time MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was appointed as the new Chief Whip.
So far, no one in the Trinamool Congress has commented on Banerjee's public interaction with the Prime Minister during the event.
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