Dinesh Trivedi resignation issue: Mamata to fly to Delhi

Kolkata/New Delhi, Mar 18: In an apparent bid to mount pressure for the removal of Dinesh Trivedi as Railway Minister, Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee is reaching Delhi tonight for discussions on the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders.

Mamata had asked the Prime Minister to sack Trivedi after he had announced hike in passenger fares in the Rail budget, and wanted him to be replaced by Mukul Roy, another minister.

During her discussions with Congress leadership, Mamata is also likely to urge the Prime Minister not to go ahead with the NCTC and seek deletion of its reference from the President's address to Parliament.

Over a dozen non-Congress chief ministers including from Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, have opposed the NCTC. The Prime Minister is expected to reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. Discussion on the Rail budget, earlier expected to commence tomorrow, may now take place on Tuesday, sources said.

PTI