TMC asks Sabyasachi to step down as Bidhannagar Mayor
Kolkata: State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim has asked Bidhannagar Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta to step down over the recent accusations of anti-party activities brought against him and added that the message has already been communicated to him over phone. The BMC councillors have begun preparations to move a no-confidence motion against Dutta as well.
Hakim had met all Trinamool councillors of the BMC excluding Dutta at Trinamool Bhavan on Sunday to discuss the issue where most of the councillors reportedly spoke against Dutta. Hakim had subsequently sent a detailed report of the proceedings of the meeting to party supremo Mamata Banerjee.
The matter had come to the fore on Friday after Dutta addressed a meeting organised by the employees of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Limited (WBSEDCL) at Vidyut Bhavan in Salt Lake. The employees demanded payment of DA by the state government, while Dutta criticised state Power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for his failure to clear the same.
A rumour regarding Dutta joining the BJP has been doing the rounds for the past couple of months, which, however, has been dismissed by the BMC Mayor. On Sunday, BJP leader Mukul Roy had met Dutta at a club and the duo had reportedly had a long discussion. However, Dutta described the meeting as a courtesy call. On Saturday, Roy had said that Dutta had helped "smooth sailing for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election."
Mamata Banerjee had become visibly annoyed with Dutta after the poll margin of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar dropped drastically in the New Town-Rajarhat Assembly segment that falls under Barasat Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Hakim said on Monday: "Over the past few months, Sabyasachi has been constantly making statements against the party. He is hobnobbing with those who had killed Gandhiji and are trying to destroy the social fabric of India. This is uncalled for. I have always considered him to be my younger brother. It is a big shock for me."
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee added: "Sabyasachi does not know what to do. TMC has given him enough leverage but the party's silence should not be considered as its weakness. Action will be taken against him. Nobody should consider that he is bigger than the party."
Dutta, however, said that he has not received any communiqué from the party and would act accordingly when he receives it and added that he will leave for East Europe in a few days.
