No threat to UPA: Trinamool Congress

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Thursday ruled out any threat to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and said it never asked Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi to resign, party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said.

“I categorically want to say that the government of UPA II is properly settled and it will complete its term,” Trinamool parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said in the Lok Sabha.

“TMC — either the parliamentary party or the party — has not asked him (Trivedi) to tender his resignation, I should make it clear,” he said.

“This is a matter to be settled in consultation with the leader of my party, Mamata Banerjee, and Prime minister Manmohan Singh. Because any change in the government, when it takes place, the decision is taken by the leaders.

“In a coalition government, it will be done between our party and the prime minister,” he added.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee late Wednesday sought a replacement for Trivedi in the central cabinet, nominating her confidant Mukul Roy as the new railway minister.

Mamata’s move came after Trivedi hiked rail fares in the railway budget he presented to parliament Wednesday. She demanded an immediate rollback of the proposal.