Somen Mitra stands by wife Shikha, says she said nothing anti-party

Amid reports that the Trinamool Congress has suspended MLA Shikha Mitra for terming the Assembly bedlam shameful, her husband and party MP Somen Mitra Thursday supported her and said that there was nothing anti-party in her statement.

Prior to leaving for Delhi on Thursday afternoon, Somen said, "If we receive a suspension notice, we will reply to it; all allegations will be answered. This is the second time that a section of TMC leaders has 'leaked' such a news to the media and claimed that she has been suspended. However, we haven't received any official letter. What happened inside the Assembly was not desirable. How can MLAs beat up each other inside the House?" Somen added: "No anti-party work has been done. The incident inside the Assembly was unfortunate. In an earlier instance, too, we brought a defamation notice because it was justified."

On Wednesday, Shikha had criticised the Assembly violence, and indirectly blaming TMC MLAs expressed her apprehension as a woman member to attend the House proceedings. Earlier, she had filed a defamation suit against Commerce and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee for allegedly stating in public that "Shikha was doing anti-party work".

Claiming a group of TMC leaders was spreading rumours against her, on Thursday She also threatened to expose the party's wrong doings, and did not attend the Assembly's closing session.

'Sovan issue settled'

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met party chief whip Sovandeb Chattopadhya in Assembly on Thursday. After the meeting, party said the issue has been settled. He was upset after being heckled by members of a rival faction.

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