- 2 days ago
The Trinamool Congress is facing an internal crisis as a rebellion within its ranks points toward a potential split. Nineteen rebel Members of Parliament have formally written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, seeking recognition as a separate bloc.
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00:00Good evening, this is the NewsTrack and I'm Maria Shaquille. Rebellion within the Trinmul
00:04Congress is now, it appears, that it's heading for a bigger crisis. Mamata Banerjee is facing
00:11her biggest test yet as rebel looks of MPs have written to Speaker Om Birla seeking
00:17recognition as a separate group. The letter has the signatures of 19 MPs backing the move
00:23and a crucial meeting of the rebel MPs with the Speaker is expected to happen now on Monday.
00:28Before that, the rebel TMC MPs are expected to meet West Bengal Chief Minister
00:34Shuvendu Adhikari on Sunday and amidst this, TMC MP Keithiazad has claimed that the rebels were
00:41threatened and lured with money to switch sides. What remains to be seen certainly is what was it
00:50that was offered to them as is being alleged by Keithiazad here. I'll be taking a lot of these
00:56questions to the guests who will be joining me shortly. But first up, here's what happened today.
01:06The split in the TMC now looks imminent and just stays away. The TMC's rebel Lok Sabha MPs have
01:14written a letter to Speaker Om Birla, which has been accessed by India today. The letter currently has
01:2019 signatures while the rebels have maintained that they have the support of 20 MPs.
01:27Sources say the rebels will meet the Speaker on Monday and request him to recognize them as a
01:33separate group. West Bengal Chief Minister's Vendu Adhikari will meet the rebel MPs in Delhi on Sunday.
01:40Kakuli Ghosh Dastidar, who earlier stepped down from a key organizational post
01:44blaming misgovernance within the party is now leading the rebellion against
01:49Mohammeda Banerjee in the Lok Sabha. This organizational district contains seven
01:56assembly segments where we used to have seven elected members of the legislative assembly in the past.
02:04And I have been the president for the last three, four years. So when five of those seats are lost
02:13in the
02:13election, then I take moral responsibility that there must be something wrong in my work or in my
02:22system of functioning for which I should not be there and let somebody else more efficient take over.
02:32The signatories also include Shatabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Sharmila Sharkar, Prasun Banerji,
02:38Shayoni Ghosh, Khalilud Rehman, Abu Tahir Khan and Yusuf Pathan. Over the past few weeks, the party has seen
02:47resignations, factional infighting and questions over its future direction. But the first salvo was
02:54fired by rebel MLAs Rita Bratobanerji and Sandeepan Shah, the principal faces of the turmoil that had pushed
03:01Tirunamul Congress to breaking point. The few of the MLAs who were in their home at that time, their name
03:09was mentioned in block letter in that resolution. So we decided that this is not something which is
03:17done because a party like Tirunamul Congress, which has been in the opposition for quite some time,
03:22then in power for 15 years. If they do not respect the laws and the protocols of
03:30assembly, legislative assembly, we being the first MLAs, we should take a high moral ground.
03:37After that, it's all history.
03:40The rebels are targeting former Chief Minister Mahmata Banerji and her nephew Abhishek Banerji,
03:46alleging widespread corruption during the TMC rule in Bengal.
04:06As questions grow over
04:08Mahmata Banerji's leadership, former TMC MP Johar Sirka spoke to India today about the rebellion
04:14within the party, the challenge facing Mahmata Banerji and the growing divide over Abhishek Banerji.
04:20If a loyalist like Kalyan Banerji is saying it, then it matters a lot because Kalyan Banerji has stayed back.
04:27He has shown unusual guts, unusual integrity by staying back. And if he feels that he can't stay
04:35because of Abhishek, I mean, they have a long standing difference of opinion, then it becomes,
04:42it becomes very serious. So, Mahmata Banerji would have to put Abhishek Banerji on the back burner
04:50if he wants to save the party.
04:55TMC MP Shatrugan Sinha has said that Mahmata Banerji remains his leader and suggested that
05:00many of the voices speaking out today chose to remain silent when the party was in power and winning.
05:25We all will welcome you.
05:27But this is, no way.
05:29Tomorrow, you were all doing the häusriki, the häusriki, the heusriki that was a copie-cat.
05:37He was trying to copy him.
05:38Tomorrow, you were the copie-cat guy.
05:40And today, in this apartment,
05:43or the feeling of fear or possibility or fear or concern or alcohol or because of the fear
05:50of someone who you have left, you don't want to leave.
05:51This is not the right word. I am not with them.
05:56Meanwhile, TMC MP Kirti Azad claimed his security has been withdrawn.
06:01He was seen brandishing a rifle.
06:03The former cricketer also alleged that rebels were threatened and lured with money to switch sites.
06:24There were some of them who had a deal in 5 crore, some of them who had a deal in
06:27the 50s, some of them were smart, and they took 10-10 lakh rupees a month.
06:32This was my little brother Nishikaan.
06:37Amid the crisis, the TMC has vacated its office in the national capital.
06:43Mohamata is now left with very few loyalists.
06:45She now faces a tough battle to keep her party name and symbol.
06:49With Maria Shaquille, Piyush Mishra and Tapas Sengupta, Bureau Report, India Today.
07:02And amidst the growing rumblings within the Trinidad Congress and the criticism from some party MPs and MLAs over parties'
07:10political setbacks,
07:11Abhishek Banerjee has finally reacted to the criticism that has come from senior party MPs, Kalyan Banerjee.
07:18Abhishek tried to downplay the differences, saying he respects the veteran leader and his right to express his views.
07:26Let's listen in to what Abhishek Banerjee said.
07:33Abhishek Banerjee said.
07:34The Olyanminyandabhar is 보� 품.
07:35I was to say how to say this.
07:37The Olyanminyandabhar is 보도.
07:41I was to say the thing that is a bad thing in the city.
07:43I don't know.
07:46I've seen the opportunity in my brotherhood.
07:46I told them that the house is not in the house.
07:49Did I say when I don't even have a house?
07:51I don't know.
07:55In fact, this is for the first time that Abhishek Banerjee has spoken on this entire crisis.
08:01Let's play that soundbite again and then I'll bring in Indrajit Kundu.
08:27I respect him. He is entitled to his views. This is with regards to Kalyan Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee had
08:35given an ultimatum to Mahmata Banerjee in that interview that he gave to Indrajit Kundu saying that either the party
08:42chief should choose the party or Abhishek Banerjee, her nephew.
08:48Let me bring in Indrajit Kundu. Indrajit, this is for the first time that Abhishek Banerjee has spoken in this
08:55entire crisis.
08:56Of course, he has tried to keep his response specifically on Kalyan Banerjee.
09:05Well, that's right. He's spoken out for the first time amidst the turmoil that's happening and ever since his return
09:12from New Delhi and this entire fiasco that's brewing within the turmoil.
09:17Congress. Speaking out specifically on Kalyan Banerjee, this seems like a white flag, a peace message to the old guard,
09:26because it is the old guard, Maria, remember, who are actually standing firmly beside Mamata Banerjee in this hour of
09:34crisis.
09:34Be it Madan Mitra, be it Kunal Ghosh, be it Shoghata Roy and Kalyan Banerjee.
09:40And there has been a longstanding discussion and difference of opinion, if you would call it, within the Trinamal Congress
09:47lands over the last several years now.
09:49With, you know, Abhishek Banerjee calling for change and young leadership and Mamata Banerjee somehow trying to, you know, draw
09:59a balance between experience and youth.
10:02In that sense, given that the party is facing a severe smoke crisis, Abhishek Banerjee is trying to pacify the
10:09situation.
10:09But there are other stuff that he has also said when he spoke out today.
10:13He sounded resolute.
10:16There was some sort of a confidence in him when he said that he will be cooperating with all the
10:23probe agencies, be it the CID on the ED.
10:25Because 14, 15 and 16, three consecutive days, he will have to face summons from the CID and the ED.
10:33So it also gives out a message that Mamata Banerjee continues to back Abhishek Banerjee.
10:38And therefore, Abhishek Banerjee is drawing his confidence from the party supremo herself.
10:42I think the message that he is trying to show the white flag here, a message going to all the
10:48veterans of the Trinamal Congress that stay the course.
10:51There are mistakes that have been made, but we'll try and correct it.
10:55That's a message directly going to Kalyan Banerjee here, who has still now not really signed or is not among
11:02those 19 signatories to that letter,
11:04which is seeking to be recognized as a separate bloc in the Lok Sabha.
11:09Thank you. I appreciate your time, Inderjeet.
11:11Let me bring in R.P. Singh, who is the national spokesperson of the BJP, who joins me live.
11:16Riju Dutta, suspended TMC leader.
11:18Nil Anjan Das is Trinamal Congress spokesperson.
11:22Let me begin with you, Riju Dutta.
11:25Here is Abhishek Banerjee, of course, trying to downplay whatever has been said by Kalyan Banerjee,
11:33saying that he is senior.
11:34He can go ahead and express his view.
11:37Certainly, it's a very different kind of a response than from what was being expected.
11:43No, see, I have said this before, and I'll say this again, that right now, at this moment, Kalyan Banerjee
11:50does not need Trinamal Congress.
11:52Trinamal Congress needs a veteran leader like Kalyan Banerjee, who is also a staunch supporter of Momota Banerjee.
11:58He was disrespected, he expressed his views, and today it was good to see that Abhishek Banerjee, who is much
12:04junior than Kalyan Banerjee,
12:06has offered an olive branch, has given a white flag, and he wants to pacify the matter.
12:10And that is how it should be.
12:14But I think after Kalyan Banerjee spoke out, lot of senior MPs who are still standing next to Momota Banerjee,
12:22he has all agreed to what Kalyan Banerjee said.
12:24So I think the effort of Abhishek Banerjee to pacify with Kalyan Banerjee might work,
12:33but the persistent problem that people will not accept Abhishek Banerjee's leadership
12:39because of his high-handedness, because of his fascist attitude, still persists and still remains.
12:46And one more thing, Maria, I will tell you, that in the bottom of the screen,
12:51where you are showing the pictures of the rebel TMC MPs,
12:55Arup Chakravarty, whose picture you are showing, is the wrong picture.
12:58He is not the Member of Parliament, Arup Chakravarty.
13:00That is somebody else with the same name.
13:02So I think that should get corrected.
13:04Okay, I will ask the producer to get that corrected.
13:07In the meanwhile, we can remove that ticker as well.
13:10So thank you for pointing that out, Riju.
13:13Let me bring in Nilanjan Das.
13:14Nilanjan Das, what change are you expecting at all, if any?
13:20I don't think there is going to be any change.
13:23Both Kalyan Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are senior leaders of the party.
13:27Abhishek Banerjee is our National General Secretary,
13:29and whatever he has said today, it just shows that he has got all the respect for the seniors.
13:34And in return, Kalyan Banerjee has said that if I get respect,
13:38I am ready to embrace and work with Abhishek Banerjee.
13:42So this is the actual mood of the party.
13:44The entire party corpus, all the workers, everyone is standing with Mamta Banerjee.
13:50And all the, you are talking about the old guards, except for a few opportunists, a few gaddars,
13:55everyone, every leader is standing with Abhishek Banerjee.
13:59But Nilanjan, here is 19 MPs, not one, not two.
14:0219 MPs of the Lok Sabha.
14:05That's a huge number.
14:07And when you say, no, no, one moment.
14:10I'm answering, I'm answering that.
14:13I get to see 19 signatures.
14:16Where is the letter?
14:17Where is the letter?
14:19I just see 19 signatures.
14:20So if these people are trying to form a separate bloc,
14:24they are going to be, you know, expelled from the parliament under the 10th schedule of the constitution,
14:30read with the Supreme Court judgment in the Subhas Deshai versus Maharashtra governor case.
14:36In that case, it has been said that if two-third of a party caucus,
14:41if they want to merge with another party, only then will they get the protection.
14:45Otherwise, they cannot form any separate bloc.
14:48So all these MLAs, all these MPs who are trying to show their might,
14:53who are trying to show that we have got two-third number.
14:57Two-third doesn't give you an automatic protection.
15:01You have to go and merge with another party.
15:04If they want to go and merge with JP, they have to do that.
15:07They can do that.
15:09RPC, the point that has been made by Nilanjan is actually a valid one here.
15:13Legally, the two-third is valid only if they merge with another party.
15:19It cannot be that they will be recognized as a separate bloc.
15:22So what is it that these 19 MPs are seeking?
15:26They have to form another party.
15:28Okay.
15:29RPC.
15:33Well, they say they are the real TMC.
15:36That's the point.
15:38I mean, they say they are the 19 and they are the real TMC.
15:42And even in the assembly, they are 64 now and they are the real party.
15:48And even the corporations, the seven corporations are saying that we are the real TMC
15:53and we have no faith in Vishayak Bandarji.
15:57No, actually, the friend from the TMC and otherwise also are not understanding.
16:03People are not prepared to accept the private liberal company.
16:07Dynasties are out now.
16:09And they still want to run it like a dynasty.
16:11Nilanjan, wait.
16:12Let him finish his point.
16:13Let RPC speak.
16:14I'm coming to you.
16:15Yes, please.
16:16Go ahead, Mr. Singh.
16:21Well, as I was saying, the Bhuvabhatija dynasty is crumbling and then people are not prepared
16:26to accept them as leaders.
16:28And then they say, oh, I just heard Shatrugan Singh saying that they should go back and get
16:32elected again and come back.
16:35They are unstable to voters, not to Bhuvabhatija, not to the dynasty.
16:40And imagine what sort of leadership they are providing.
16:43Well, their house is burning and they are busy here with the fragmented India block.
16:50They are trying to build up something in the fragmented India block.
16:53They are not managing their house, their own house.
16:56So, people have lost faith in the leadership itself, leadership which we can't manage their
17:02house and trying to show off something else somewhere.
17:06No, but RPC, you know, this is what the entire opposition is alleging.
17:11This is what the entire opposition is alleging, that you try to create this dissent, that this
17:18is engineered by the BJP and hence they have to all come together to have a combined and
17:24united fight against the BJP.
17:26That's what they are trying to do.
17:27When you say that they do not have their house in order, you don't leave any house to have
17:31to be in order.
17:37Maria, more than 100 corporates, more than 64 MLAs, 19 MPs till now, are they influenced by us?
17:46How is it possible?
17:47It's just that it was the psychosis, that fear psychosis, which was ruling the party,
17:57outside the party also, among the people also.
18:00It was a fear of Mr. Visek Banerjee and within the party also.
18:03Now they are out of that.
18:06Okay.
18:06So this is why they have the freedom today.
18:09This fear is of who?
18:10They feel what they want to speak and do what they want to do.
18:11No, but the fear is of who, RPC?
18:14Fear of Mr. Visek Banerjee.
18:17It was not Mr. Visek Banerjee.
18:19That fear was probably the glue which was keeping them together.
18:23Okay.
18:23The fear was keeping you all together.
18:26Then let me bring in Nilanjan.
18:28Nilanjan, so what is really the asli or the real TMC here now?
18:33The fear is gone.
18:35The MPs and MLAs are deserting you.
18:38So what?
18:39Trinambool Congress is not MPs and MLAs.
18:41It's a political party set up by Mamata Banerjee in 1998.
18:45This party has ruled Bengal for 15 years.
18:47No, legislators and MPs.
18:48These are elected representatives.
18:50Let me finish.
18:50Let me try.
18:52Let me for a second time.
18:53No, legislators and elected representatives make a political party.
19:00A political party doesn't exist in thin air.
19:02A political party, they make the political party.
19:04You hear it from me.
19:05If these legislators want to merge with another party,
19:11they can go and merge with Shubhendu Odhikar's BJP.
19:14They can do that.
19:16Otherwise, they have to go by the political party's decision.
19:21And the party's command rests with Mamata Banerjee,
19:24the chairperson and the founder of the party.
19:26It's simple.
19:27This is what the law of the land state.
19:29That's all legal.
19:29That's all I'm saying.
19:31I mean, what is evident is that you could not keep your house in order.
19:34The problem is with your party.
19:37Show me the letter.
19:37The moment that letter comes out,
19:40the moment that letter comes out,
19:41the Trinormal Congress is going to write to the speaker
19:44or is going to move the court and demand the expulsion of all these MPs for doing anti-party activity.
19:51Okay, sorry, Riju Datta.
19:53Riju Datta.
19:55Okay, everybody is missing the point here.
19:57When you are a member of parliament,
19:59you also have the right to decide what you want to do.
20:03It is not necessary that these 19 MPs will form a new party.
20:07Neither it is necessary that they will join the BJP.
20:10Riju, there seems to be some problem with your audio.
20:12We will try and fix that.
20:14I don't think Riju Datta.
20:17In the meanwhile, I will bring in R.P. Singh.
20:19R.P. Singh, you wanted to comment.
20:20Please go ahead.
20:25Well, who gave the right to Mamata Banerjee or Shek Banerjee to dissolve their party?
20:33They have dissolved all their fronts.
20:35Was there any meeting called for that?
20:37Was there any democratic process followed for that?
20:42What is the democratic process for electing a Nabil?
20:46This front has to be dissolved.
20:47What is the democratic process for electing a Nabil?
20:49Hold on, sir. Hold your...
20:51Sir, pani pio, thoda pani, sir.
20:53Aapko paani ke jurewita hai.
20:54Thoda pani pio, sunne ki shabta rakhou.
20:57Please have some water.
20:58Aapko tu thora, thora, ye sab pardke aana chahiyeh, sir.
21:02Aapko pardke aana chahiyeh, sir.
21:03Aapko pardke aana chahiyeh, sir.
21:04Aapko kisne right, who gave the right to dissolve all your party fronts?
21:09And then reform the party?
21:12She has all the rights to do that.
21:13All the companies are being reformed.
21:15Absolutely, she has got the right.
21:17She is the chairperson of the party.
21:20Who gave the right to her to leave from the party, the committees?
21:24Full stop. Period.
21:25Who gave the right to her?
21:27Was there any meeting called for that?
21:28Was meeting of the member parliament, MLS, and the courtrooms called for that?
21:32Was the executive body of the party meeting was called for that?
21:36Okay, so the question is, Nilanjan now.
21:38You think you need a party like a private limited company and people keep falling in line?
21:43Nilanjan, it almost seems inevitable now.
21:46Nilanjan, let's have Nilanjan on the screen.
21:48And in Nilanjan, it almost seems inevitable that TMC is heading for a split.
21:53It's a crisis that's huge and perhaps something that Mamata Panerjee has not faced in her entire political journey.
22:01The question is, where does the TMC go from here?
22:03No, no, no. Listen to me.
22:05You cannot be in denial anymore.
22:07It's all on record.
22:10The party is heading for a split.
22:12The question is, what happens now?
22:15No problem.
22:16We do not know whether next time when we seek our TMC spokespersons, it will be you or it will
22:23be someone else.
22:24Yes, because the real TMC question will also be settled in the next few days.
22:29Go ahead.
22:30That's a separate question.
22:31That's a separate question.
22:33The party may split.
22:34I don't have any problem with that.
22:36I don't think anyone has a problem.
22:38But currently, the party leadership is going to decide what is going to be the party whip.
22:42And if this MPs, if this MPs who have been elected on the Joda full symbol, on the twin flower
22:48and grass symbol, if they decide to defect to another party, they cannot form a block.
22:54That is a settled matter.
22:55They cannot do that.
22:56They can go and join the BJP or they can form another registered political party and they can join that.
23:03Otherwise, there is no scope for them.
23:06They may try to steal our symbol, our name.
23:10They cannot do that.
23:11As R.P. Singh was rightly saying, Mamata Banerjee, being the chairperson of the party, has dissolved all the committees.
23:18All the committees have been dissolved and it has been reformed by her.
23:22So, who gave her the right to do that?
23:27She is the party chief.
23:30As the party chief, she can dissolve the various organizations within the party.
23:36She is still the party boss.
23:39She can do that?
23:39She can do that.
23:46She doesn't need permission from an R.P. Singh to devolve her party committee.
23:52She doesn't need any permission from the BJP.
23:55She is not here at the mercy of BJP.
23:59You need to call your zete body, sir.
24:01No, that's not required.
24:03That may be your constitution and you don't follow it.
24:06You have brought in a network like Mr. Missing Naveed.
24:07That's not required because you get the party president.
24:10All right.
24:11We have nearly come to the end of this discussion.
24:13R.P. Singh, Nilayana Das and Vijay Dattar.
24:15Thank you so much for joining us.
24:17Because perhaps the entire action now shifts to Monday.
24:20That's when these MPs are likely to meet the looks of our speaker and then seek recognition as a separate
24:28block.
24:29What does it actually mean?
24:30How will it really all unfold?
24:32That remains to be seen.
24:33That's all from me.
24:34Thanks so much for watching.
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