Betrayal Or Loyalty? Shatrughan Sinha Breaks His Silence On Joining The Rebel TMC Camp

Amid claims by Trinamool Congress rebels that he was among the MPs backing the BJP-led NDA, senior TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday firmly denied the reports and said he would continue to stand with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The rebels had reportedly claimed that Sinha was among the 19 Trinamool MPs who submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla pledging support to the NDA in Parliament.

However, Sinha dismissed the claims in an interview with India Today, saying he had neither signed any such letter nor been contacted by anyone from the rebel camp.

"I was with Mamata Banerjee, I am with Mamata Banerjee, and I will remain with Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress," he said.

Calling it a "three-line whip" he had imposed on himself, Sinha said there was no question of him joining the rebels.

"Some people may consider me a rebel, but if speaking the truth is rebellion, then I am a rebel. However, my name should not be linked to this group. I have not signed anything, nor has anyone approached me," he said.

The veteran leader also recalled how Banerjee supported him after his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"When I lost the 2019 election and was going through a difficult phase, Mamata Banerjee was the one who stood by me. She encouraged me, gave me an opportunity to contest from Asansol, and I won. In her difficult hour, I cannot abandon her," he said.

Sinha's remarks come as the Trinamool Congress faces a rebellion from a section of MPs and MLAs, triggering speculation about a possible split within the party.