'Suffocated': Trinamool's Dinesh Trivedi announces resignation from Rajya Sabha

In what could become a major setback to the Trinamool Congress ahead of the assembly elections in 2021, party MP Dinesh Trivedi on Friday announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha. 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.

Several heavyweight Trinamool leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari, have recently resigned from the party and moved to the BJP.

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Trivedi's 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.

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"Every person has a moment in their life when his or her inner voice gives a message. Today, I encountered a similar moment as I was sitting here and wondering why we are in politics. Two days ago, PM Modi and Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke in the House. They represented two parties what united their speech was the country," Dinesh Trivedi said.

"A moment comes when a person has to decide whether the country is bigger than the party or whether the individual is the supreme," Trivedi said.

"The way violence is being unleased in my side, democracy is being attacked, I am feeling uneasy sitting here. I am feeling uneasy sitting here. I am from the land of Subhash Chandra Bose, Khudiram, Rabindranath Tagore...," he said.

Quoting Swami Vivekananda's 'Arise, awake', the MP said, "My inner voice is telling me that if I can't do anything for my state sitting here, it's better I leave this chair."

"There are limitations here. My party has sent me here so I am grateful. But now I can't take any more what is happening. I am feeling suffocated and that's why I want to resign from here and want to work for my Bengal," the MP said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former railway minister said, "The world was looking at India during the Covid-19 pandemic. India's fight against Covid-19 has been successful. PM Modi said the credit goes to 130 crore Indians, but the fight was helmed by him."

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh said there is a due process which he will have to follow.

Reacting to Trivedi's resignation from, party spokesperson Sukehndu Sekhat Ray said, "Trinamool" means grassroots. This will give us an opportunity to send a grassroots worker of ours soon to the Rajya Sabha."