Narada sting: Trinamool distances itself from MP Dinesh Trivedi's remark

Kolkata, March 26: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday distanced itself from its MP Dinesh Trived'is statement on Narada sting operation and said he has not been entrusted to speak about the matter. [TMC to seek clarifications from Dinesh Trivedi]

Sudip Bandyopadhyay, TMC leader in Lok Sabha, said he has already spoken to Trivedi on the matter and he had said that media had reported only a part of his comment.

"I had spoken to him (Trivedi) last night and he said that media had reported only a portion of his speech. He had praised the honesty of our party supremo Mamata Banerjee and the grassroot level leaders," Bandopadhya said in a press conference here.

Trivedi, a former railway minister, had yesterday suggested that his party MPs purportedly seen accepting money from a fictitious company in a sting operation should "sit at home till the time they come out clean" from charges levelled against them.

The comment had spurred a debate as his comments were seen as a contradiction to Banerjee's comment that the sting video as concocted.

Trivedi had been asked whether the TMC MPs accused of accepting money, should be be thrown out of the party during a panel discussion in Delhi yesterday. He had said TMCs top and bottom---Banerjee and grassroots workers respectively are "Absolutely okay".

Bandyopadhya said only the views of the party spokesperson and those leaders who are entrusted by the leadership to speak should be counted.

"Comment of each and everybody should not be treated as the view of the party. We are not giving any importance to his (Trivedis) comments. He had sought dates to campiagn for the party in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency and we will give him dates."

Asked whether the party will seek an explanation from Trivedi, he said "If needed we will sit for a discussion with him."

Reacting to Trivedi's comments, Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said the chief minister should give a reply regarding it.

PTI