TMC says Trivedi has to go, Trivedi says he hasn't resigned

Dinesh Trivedi, whose removal has been demanded by his party leader Mamata Banerjee, today said he has not resigned as yet. “I am doing my duty and I am here for question hour in Parliament,” Trivedi told reporters outside Parliament. “I will not leave my duty,” he told Bengali news channel Star Ananda when asked about media reports that he has already resigned. Trivedi said either the Prime Minister or his party leader Mamata Banerjee has to tell him to resign. He again justified his budget again yesterday in which he had proposed a hike in passenger fare which earned him the wrath of his party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee. Trivedi said what he had done was in the interest of the railways and the country. “I will abide by whatever the leader says and the discipline of the party,” he said. The Minister is being is reportedly being briefed by senior railway officials about the railway question answers due in Lok Sabha today. Trivedi delivered his first railway budget yesterday in which he had hiked passenger fares. However, soon after Mamata Banerjee had written to the Prime Minister seeking Trivedi’s dismissal from the post. [caption id=“attachment_245105” align=“alignleft” width=“385” caption=“PTI”] [/caption] The Trinamool Congress today ruled out letting Dinesh Trivedi continue as Railway Minister but denied they would withdraw support to the government while the Railway Minister said he has not resigned yet and would be in Parliament today answering questions on the railway budget. “Dinesh Trivedi is representing the Trinamool Congress. The TMC is of the opinion that he should not be Railway Minister any more,” Sudip Bandopadhyay, TMC MP , told reporters today. When asked if Trivedi could be allowed to continue if he rolled back the fare hikes he proposed in yesterday’s budget,“The matter has gone too far ahead now to be reconsidered.” There is no question of the Prime Minister accepting Trivedi’s resignation, it will be the coalition partner that decides this, Bandopadhyay said. The party had decided to change the minister in charge of the railway portfolio since Trivedi was asked to roll back fares and he has acted in a manner that is anti-party, he said He also denied that the UPA ally would withdraw support to the government and said he would be meeting with the Prime Minister today to speak with him about various issues.