Mamata derails Dinesh Trivedi's journey, resigns as Rail Min

New Delhi, Mar 19: After days of uncertainty amidst reports that Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi was going to quit his post, the news is finally out that he has submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister on Sunday. In yet another shameful embarrassment to the UPA, this is the first time in the history of independent India that a Railway Minister has resigned 5 days after the Railway Budget was presented.

The instance only proving that Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has been successful in arm-twisting Trivedi to submit his resignation. The TMC was considerably irked when Trivedi hiked the passenger fare considering the financial crunch the Indian Railways were facing in recent times.

Trivedi, however put up a brave fight till the end and had earlier claimed that he would only put in his papers of the TMC chief requested him to do so in writing. After putting his papers on Sunday, Trivedi spoke to journalists and said, "She did tell me that it was the party's decision that I must step down and since the party, Trinamool Congress, was instrumental in making me the Railway Minister and Mamata Banerjee's instructions were very clear that it is the party which has decided and like a soldier I must obey the party's discipline. That is the way I have been trained."

Sources have claimed that the pressure on Trivedi was raised following instructions from the PMO to put in his papers. There are also reports that TMC's choice of Railway Minster in place of Dinesh Trivedi is going to be Mukul Roy, who is likely to take over the new post as early as the next 48 hours. Mamata is in Delhi to discuss with UPA bosses on the same.

As the final farewell, Trivedi has been quoted as saying, "I must thank the party leader Mamata Banerjee and the entire cabinet and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhji for giving me this opportunity."