August 17, 2026 02:40 am (IST)
Follow us:
TMC leader praises Modi, calls Mamata 'arrogant'
Kolkata, Jan 20 ( IBNS) In what could be seen as a indication of a shift in alignment, Trinamool Congress leader and former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi while saying Mamata Banerjee has to shed her 'ego' and 'arrogance.'
Trivedi, who was a founding member of the Trinamool 16 years ago, told NDTV, "I won't predict anything but I want to change the DNA of Indian politics - and for that, I will do whatever it takes."
Elected from West Bengal's Barrackpore Parliamentary constituency, Trivedi was the Railways Minister in the coalition government headed by Manmohan Singh when he was asked to step down by his party chief Mamata Banerjee for increasing train fares.
Asked to compare Banerjee with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trivedi said: "It is not fair to compare. Mamata, individually, is a very nice person. But we have to shed egos in politics. In politics, we should have dignity, self-respect but not arrogance or ego."
Trivedi said he has been friends with the PM since 1990. "Democracy is not being subservient. I can always tell Modi if he goes wrong. The sting lay in the tail. With Mamata, it is difficult," he said.
Last week, Trivedi was seen at an event in Gujarat with Prime Minister Modi's older brother, Somabhai Modi. In an interview to a local daily, he described the PM as a leader with exceptional vision.
His significant comments came at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress was getting mired in the Saradha chit fund scam with the CBI investigation reaching at its door step to put behind bars an important Minister and two TMC Rajya Sabha members. Mukul Roy, the party's second-in-command has also received CBI summons giving rise to 'who's the next' speculations.
Suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh, who is now in jail, has alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the largest beneficiary of the scam. Asif Khan, a former party leader has also made similar allegation while claiming that many more leaders were involved in the scam that left lakhs of depositors fleeced in Bengal, Jhakhand and Assam.
Amid the doldrums, Manjul Krishna Thakur, a Minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, joined the BJP last last week as the BJP, working to get a stronger foothold in the newly found shore of Bengal, has claimed that more leaders of the ruling party were waiting to join it very soon.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Modi’s 'Dimagi Naxal' remark ignites political war: Chidambaram responds with ‘proud’ swipe, Rijiju clarifies comment
Sun, Aug 16 2026
Shocking Airport incident: Passenger’s gun goes off during security screening in Varanasi, 2 injured
Sun, Aug 16 2026
Kerala Vande Mataram row: BJP accuses UDF government of 'appeasing extremist groups'
Sun, Aug 16 2026
'Entering politics was a mistake': Ex-Bengal deputy speaker Asish Banerjee's suicide note recovered
Sun, Aug 16 2026
Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff get Maharashtra FDA notice over Vimal Elaichi ad
Sun, Aug 16 2026
‘Students must be free to express their views’: Bar Council chief apologises after NALSAR row
Sat, Aug 15 2026
BJP accuses Sonia Gandhi of objecting to full Vande Mataram rendition; Congress dismisses claim
Sat, Aug 15 2026