Saibal Gupta
Kolkata, June 11 (UNI) Hours after Sukhendu Sekhar Ray launched a blistering attack on the alleged conduct of a TMC MP and the party’s top leadership through an explosive Facebook post, describing the veteran parliamentarian as a “lecherous MP”, Sougata Roy said he did not take the former Rajya Sabha member seriously and questioned the timing of his resignation from the Trinamool Congress.
Speaking to UNI, Roy said, “I don’t take him seriously. He has never won an election. He was introduced to Mamata Banerjee through Mukul Roy, and then he was given a Rajya Sabha ticket. He has gone to Rajya Sabha thrice and enjoyed all the fruits of being a parliamentarian. Now he is resigning when the party is in trouble. If he had so many grievances against the TMC, why did it take him so long to resign?”
Former TMC Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who recently resigned both from the party and the Upper House of Parliament, had earlier posted a strongly worded Facebook message amid continuing turmoil within the Trinamool Congress following its electoral setback in West Bengal.
Without naming Sougata Roy directly, Ray described a senior MP as a “lecherous MP” and referred to the party’s top leadership using phrases such as “bandit queen” and “Aranyadeb nephew”.
When portions of the Facebook post were read out to him, Sougata Roy admitted that the unnamed MP referred to in the remarks was “obviously” him, but said he had not personally read the post.
“I tell you honestly, I haven’t seen the Facebook post because I don’t have time. But I want to remind him that both Suvendu Adhikari and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar were seen taking money. Why is there no comment against them? This is politically motivated. But the unfortunate part is that one can have political differences, yet he should not lower himself and make derogatory comments on a person’s personal life,” Roy told UNI.
“I don’t want to make comments like this and bring myself to his level, so I reserve my comments,” he added.
Ray’s Facebook post had alleged that “while Abhaya’s parents were pleading for hours with officials to be allowed to see their daughter’s face one last time, a lecherous MP was sitting in the principal’s chair at the hospital eating fish fry with his associates.”
He also referred to the same MP as having danced with an ageing Mumbai actress at a cultural programme and accused him of accepting a Rs 5 lakh bribe in the Narada case.
Commenting on the recent rebellion within the Trinamool Congress parliamentary party, Roy termed the actions of dissident MPs as unethical and contrary to the principles of parliamentary democracy.
“This is unethical and against fair parliamentary politics. I have also been offered a position by the BJP, but on principle I said I cannot leave my party. The party that gave me the opportunity to speak for the people, I cannot leave it in a time of crisis. This is against my principle,” he said.
“The MPs—what they are doing cannot be supported. They won on a TMC ticket and now they are switching camps. They are opportunists, and this kind of unethical politician should not remain in politics. People will not support them,” Roy added.
His remarks come amid growing unrest within the Trinamool Congress after a series of resignations and defections by parliamentarians following the party’s electoral setback in West Bengal.
The crisis deepened after Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from both the party and the Rajya Sabha, followed by the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev.
The developments have fuelled speculation of a broader split within the TMC’s parliamentary ranks, with several leaders openly expressing dissatisfaction with the party leadership.
UNI SAG ARN