TMC MLA Tapas Roy resigns from post & party
Kolkata: A three-time MLA and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tapas Roy, on Monday, resigned from his post of Baranagar MLA and from the party citing reasons of “disrespect” and “corruption” that has allegedly engulfed the party. On Monday, Roy handed over his resignation from MLA post to Speaker Biman Banerjee who said the resignation letter would be examined and a final decision will be announced on Tuesday. Roy was first elected as MLA representing Congress in 1996 from the Vidyasagar Assembly constituency. He won the 2001 Assembly elections on a Trinamool ticket from Burrabazar. He moved to Baranagar Assembly Constituency in North 24-Parganas in 2011 and has been a TMC MLA from the seat since then.
On Monday morning, party leaders Bratya Basu and Kunal Ghosh visited Roy’s residence in Bowbazar to convince him against resigning but apparently Roy refused to budge from his decision. He later told the media that he has resigned both from the MLA post and the party. Answering what led him to such a decision, Roy alleged that it was mainly the allegations of corruption that engulfed the party and how he was made to feel redundant by TMC.
He said: “Wherever I went, allegations of corruption were levelled against the party. There are some good persons in TMC but their reputations are also getting besmirched due to certain people in the party. Lately, the Sandeshkhali issue also made me take this decision.”
Further, Roy alleged that following the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at his residence in January, none of the party leaders condemned it nor did they contact him to give support during “turbulent times”. On the contrary, Roy thanked the Opposition parties for condemning the raid and standing by him.
“Even the party supremo (Mamata Banerjee), who is the Chief Minister, did not contact me. 52 days have passed since the raid. She stood in the Assembly and condemned the ED raid at the house of Shahjahan Sheikh but did not for once speak about the harassment I was made to go through,” he claimed and also alleged that it was some of the TMC members who were instrumental in leading the ED to his residence.
Roy said: “I decided Trinamool Congress is not for me. I should not be staying here.” Asked if he is joining any new party, he said: “I am a free bird. It is up to me now what I am going to do.”
Meanwhile, TMC is apparently divided in its reaction. Kunal Ghosh said he thinks of Roy as his elder brother and urged him not to join any other political party for now. Party MLA of Kashipur-Belgachia Assembly seat, Atin Ghosh said that it is indeed a loss for the party and things should have not been allowed to reach this far. Amid speculations that Roy may join BJP, Trinamool leaders Santanu Sen and Kalyan Banerjee criticised him and questioned his “sudden realisation” of being neglected by the party just before the elections. Both alleged that he got a “lucrative offer” from another party.
