TMC's "corruption and violence model" won't work: Trivedi By Pradipta Tapadar

Nearly a week after dramaticallyannouncing his resignation from the TMC on the floor of theRajya Sabha, Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday launched a frontalattack on Mamata Banerjee's party, saying its ''corruptionand violence model'' will no longer work and take West Bengalback to ''dark days''.

The former union minister also termed the ''insider-outsider'' debate started by Banerjee ''antithetical'' toBengal's liberal ethos.

The former railway minister praised Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, hailing his popularity and insisting peoplehave faith in his leadership, but kept under wraps hispolitical plans.

Trivedi had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the TMClast Friday, saying he felt ''suffocated'' because of theviolence going on in West Bengal and his inability to doanything about it.

He also insisted that the rule of law needed to beestablished in the state for bringing about the ''real change''.

''In Bengal, we talk about icons and their ideals butwhat we see is contrary. The (TMC) model of violence andcorruption is not what Bengal stands for. This model will takeBengal to dark days. The state has so much potential and wecan't just let it go waste,'' Trivedi said in an exclusiveinterview with PTI.

He said as a public representative he could not haveturned a blind eye to what was happening in the state.

Trivedi maintained he felt ashamed when people askedhim about the culture of violence in the state, something that''pricked'' his conscience and made him take a firm stand.

''I should rather work for the people of the state inmy way if my party is not allowing me to do so. It is hightime that we ended the TMC's model and culture of corruptionand violence,'' he said.

Trivedi also accused the TMC of being in ''denial mode''over the happenings in the state and playing the ''victimcard''.

''If the thought process is that if you don't abuse theprime minister and home minister regularly, you are not aloyal soldier of the party, then no one can help it.

Criticising doesn't mean abusing. We are Bengali Bhadra lok(gentlemen).'' He said the chair commands respect and those occupyingit should not be denigrated just because they are from a rivalparty.

The veteran leader said he raised these issues severaltimes on TMC forums but that did not yield any result as''somebody else'' other than Mamata Banerjee took ''control ofthe party'' after it came to power in 2011. He, however,declined to name who it was.

''Time and again I raised the issues with the party.

After Narada scam, when I raised the issue in a party forum itwas set aside. I became the bad guy and was asked not to gofor campaigning in the assembly polls. I never spoke out inpublic due to party discipline,'' he said, responding to aquestion about why it took him so long to speak out.

Political circles have been agog with speculation thathe may join the BJP but Trivedi chose to keep his cards closeto the chest while praising the saffron party.

''The BJP is the No. 1 party in the world. I thankKailash Vijayvargiya Ji (BJP's Bengal minder) and Dilip GhoshJi (state party chief) from the core of my heart for welcomingme to the party. Only time will answer what's in store. But Iwill keep fighting for the betterment of the people ofBengal,'' he said.

Trivedi said people of the country as also West Bengalhave faith in Narendra Modi's leadership, which was reflectedin the way the BJP won 18 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats in2019.

''It was due to people's faith in Modi that the BJPpulled off such a spectacular peformance. I too lost the LokSabha election because of the Modi wave. How can we denythat?'' Trivedi, who had to bite the dust from Barrackpore,said.

The former union minister deprecated the insider-outsider debate triggered by Mamata Banerjee, saying it wasagainst the state's cultural tradition of liberalism.

''India is a liberal country and Bengal is one of themost liberal states. This Bengali and non-Bengali, insider andoutsider debate is very much against the rich culture andheritage of Bengal. The state of Rabindranath Tagore and SwamiVivekananda has no place for such debates,'' he said.

Trivedi deplored the marginalisation of the foundingmembers of the TMC after the party came to power.

''Before the TMC came to power, we would sit forthree-four hours every day discussing party work andformalising strategy. But after we came to power, the foundingmembers were nowhere and the party was taken over by somebodyelse. But why blame somebody else if those at the helm chooseto keep quiet,'' he said.

He also criticised the Mamata Banerjee government forbeing in conflict with the Centre ''all the time'' and notallowing central welfare schemes to be implemented in WestBengal, saying it harmed the state.

The former TMC veteran was apparently referring to thestate refusing to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme andbelatedly agreeing to allowing PM Kisan Samman Nidhi schemefor farmers.

When asked whether he had brought up these issuesbefore Banerjee, he said those at the helm of a party orgovernment need to have a ''robust information system''.

He said the TMC came to power on the promise of''paribortan'' (change) but the real change will happen onlywhen the rule of law is established. ''There's no rule of lawat present,'' he alleged.

''My commitment is to the people,'' he said when askedwhether or not will he be accused of deserting the TMC aheadof the assembly elections after enjoying the fruits of power.

Trivedi said several of his former TMC colleaguescalled him up after his resignation and told him he did theright thing.