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A day after Trinamool Congress MLAs Seuli Saha and Shilbhadra Dutta attended a iftar party, in which sidelined party leader Mukul Roy was present, both were suspended by the party for allegedly indulging in anti-party activity.
Trinamool Secretary General and state minister Partha Chatterjee said: “They have been suspended for anti-party activities. They had been doing and saying many things which were not along party lines. We have received several complaints. The disciplinary committee of the party had met last night and decided to suspend them pending inquiry.”
While Saha is an MLA from Haldia, Datta was elected from Barrackpore in the 2011 Assembly elections.
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When contacted, Saha said as she is yet to receive any formal communication about her suspension, she would not like to comment.
However, Dutta said: “I don’t know why the party took such a decision but I think it was because we had attended the iftar party, which was organised jointly by CPWD Employees’ Federation and Bangiyo Sakhyalaghu Buddhijibi Mancha. If this is the case, then I can say that we will always be present at events organised by the minority community.”
Asked if getting cosy with Mukul Roy was behind their suspension, he said: “Why should it be? Roy never invited us. Besides, he is still a party MP. Roy should be thrown out of the party first if being with him at an event is a crime.” Dutta claimed that he will take a final decision on the matter after he receives a formal notice of suspension.
Roy, however, chose not to react. “The party has not released any official communication regarding the suspension. Let them issue one and then I will give my reaction,” he said.
The iftar party, which was organised at Nizam Palace on Sunday, was touted as a show of Roy’s popularity among the minority community and a step towards floating his own party.
The party was attended by several leaders of Trinamool, Congress and BJP.