TMC's Dinesh Trivedi announces resignation from R S

Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi announced his resignation in parliament on Friday. As reasons, he cited his limited role as a Rajya Sabha MP to bring any change in the present ground situation of West Bengal. He also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in his statement where he said he wants to work for West Bengal, against the violence the state is presently witnessing.

"The kind of violence that is happening in Bengal, it is a threat to democracy. I feel very strange sitting here. I think of what I should do. I think of Rabindranath Tagore. Obey party discipline? Of course, but I feel stifled. My soul is saying I sit here and say nothing, what is the point? I resign," Trivedi said in the Rajya Sabha. His statement came abruptly in the middle of the proceeding as he urged Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh to allow him only five minutes as he was going to talk about a serious issue.

Trivedi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year by his party; he was a Lok Sabha MP from Barrackpore but had lost the 2019 parliamentary election and had reportedly felt sidelined in the party since. He was defeated by Arjun Singh, a former Trinamool leader who had joined the BJP. "This is unfortunate. I am saddened. It is not good that he has resigned. I knew he was dissatisfied but I did not know he would quit," said senior Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy. Sukhendu Roy, MP, said, "Trinamool" means grassroots. This will give us an opportunity to send a grassroots worker of ours soon to the Rajya Sabha."