The Trinamool Congress on Sunday demanded a probe into how Dinesh Trivedi was given a chance to speak on the budget discussion in Rajya Sabha despite his name not recommended by the party. Dinesh Trivedi resigned from Rajya Sabha on Friday.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the party’s chief whip in the House Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said the TMC had recommended only two names as speakers ,Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Abir Ranjan Biswas for the discussion on Union Budget 2021-22, but Dinesh Trivedi was not among them.
Dinesh Trivedi, a known Mamata Banerjee-loyalist, on Friday announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha and the party in a dramatic fashion on the floor of the House. He is rumoured to be heading towards BJP.
The TMC’s allotted time on the discussion was exhausted after both the speakers spoke on their designated days, Ray said as he questioned why Dinesh Trivedi was allowed to speak despite this.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy wrote in his letter: “When the Hon’ble Finance Minister was about to give reply to Budget discussion, one member of AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) Dinesh Trivedi, since resigned, was allowed to speak for about four minutes from 1.25 pm to 1.29 pm. Although his name was not recommended by the AITC as a speaker in the budget discussion and there was no time left for the party.”
He further said, “Sri Trivedi’s seat was allotted in the Rajya Sabha Gallery, but came down inside the council chamber and started to speak; rambling on his personal political motives, etc. from a seat of his choice and the chair did not take any action to stop such unauthorised intervention in the budget discussion. He spoke against the party he belonged to and made certain wild allegations against the AITC to substantiate his proposed resignation from the house.”
Demanding a probe in the matter, Roy appealed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman “to immediately constitute an inquiry into the matter and to find out the reason behind such unprecedented illegality committed through the deplorable action or inaction, as stated and/or any connivance or conspiracy that worked behind the scene to malign the AITC and for taking reasonable discussions at your end in the matter at the earliest.”