As Trinamool Cong ministers resign, PM expresses sadness

Trinamool Congress today formally withdrew support to the UPA government and its six Ministers quit in protest against FDI in retail.

The party, which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha, gave a letter withdrawing support to the government to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Minutes earlier, six Trinamool Congress Ministers submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who expressed sadness over their decision.

The Ministers -- Mukul Roy, Sudip Bandhyopadhay, Sultan Ahmed, Saugata Roy, Sisir Adhikary and C M Jatua -- went to the Prime Minister's 7, Race Course Road residence to submit their resignations.

Straight from there, they went to Rashtrapati Bhavan for give letter withdrawing support.

"We, the six Trinamool Congress Ministers of the Council of Ministers, including Cabinet Minister, went to the Prime Minister's residence at 4 PM and we handed over to him individual letters of resignations of all the six Ministers," said Saugata Roy.

"Now, we have come to Rashtrapati Bhavan and handed over a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, signed by Mukul Roy, Chairman of Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party, withdrawing our support to UPA-II government... The President has accepted our letter of withdrawal of support," he said.

Earlier, while receiving the resignation letters, the Prime Minister said he was "sad" that they were quitting, Bandhyopadhay said.

Asked whether the Trinamool leaders had demanded a floor test by the government to check its majority, Saugata Roy said, "no, we did not. Beyond what I have told you, we have not said anything extra."

He refused to reveal what the Prime Minister told them, saying it was confidential.

Mukul Roy was the only Cabinet Minister among the six holding Railways portfolio since March.

Bandhyopadhyay was Minister of State for Health, Ahmed was MoS for Tourism, Sougata Roy was MoS Urban Development, Adhikary was MoS Rural Development and C M Jatua MoS Information and Broadcasting.

... contd.

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