Katju advice to Mamata was ‘unsolicited’, says Trivedi

Trinamool Congress MP and former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi on Saturday said publicity was the sole motive behind PCI Chairperson Markandey Katju offering "unsolicited advice" to Mamata Banerjee and disclosing it to the media.

"The Chairman of the Press Council of India has given unsolicited advice to the Chief Minister of West Bengal which was made public, perhaps for reasons of publicity, otherwise such unsolicited advise could have been kept strictly personal and confidential," Trivedi said in a statement here. "Therefore, one would have every reason to suspect as to the motive of such personal comments. Chief Ministers are democratically elected and states are governed by the rule of law," he said.

Katju had said that Mamata seemed to have become "increasingly intolerant and whimsical" and asked her to mend her ways. Banerjee had retorted saying that she would not function as per anyone's diktats.

"Tomorrow, it (airing such personal remarks) could be against the Hon'ble Prime Minister or the Hon'ble judges of the courts or for that matter the Chief of the Armed forces. If this practice is encouraged or accepted, then it is going to be free for all," Trivedi said. He said democracy has done well in India as various pillars of democracy and constitutional bodies have shown respect and have not unduly interfered with each other. "I hope the Chairman of the Press Council of India does not dilute the respect the position commands," Trivedi said.

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