6 Trinamool Congress ministers quit UPA, withdraw support

New Delhi: Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) ministers on Friday submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, bringing to an end a bitter relationship between the Congress and Mamata Banerjee.

While accepting their resignations, the Prime Minister said he was sad about the turn of the events. "Sorry you had to tender resignations," said the Prime Minister.

Trinamool Congress had six Union ministers. They were Railway Minister Mukul Roy (Cabinet rank) and other five ministers of state. The other ministers were: Minister of Urban Development Saugata Roy, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Choudhury Mohan Jatua, Minister of Tourism Sultan Ahmed and Minister of Rural Development Sisir Kumar Adhikari.

While accepting the ministers\' resignations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was sad about the turn of the events.

In their letter, the TMC leaders wrote, "AITC has observed that in the recent past, several decisions on important issues, including price rise in petroleum products, restriction of subsidy in LPG cylinders, price hike in fertilizers, violation of assurances given in the Lok Sabha regarding reaching a consensus with stakeholders before introducing FDI in Multi Brand Retail Sector and many others, impacting the lives of common people have been taken by the Central government."

Asked whether the Trinamool delegation sought a vote of confidence by the government when they met the President, Saugata Roy said, "we had not not said anything extra. We tendered our resignation and we had given our (letter of) withdrawal of support. Beyond that we did not not say anything."

However, Mukul Roy said since the majority of parties were opposing the FDI in retail the government should seek a vote in Parliament on the issue.

The Trinamool Congress leaders also met President Pranab Mukherjee to officially withdraw their support to the UPA government at the Centre.

The TMC MPs have also planned to stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar on September 30.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said notifying implementation of the decision on FDI in multi-brand retail by a "minority government" was unethical and undemocratic.

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