Sukhendu gets invite to TMC MPs’ meet after apology
Times of India | 12 December 2024
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray has written a letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee "apologising" for criticising the party during the RG Kar protests. Following this, Ray got a call from the party's RS leader Derek O'Brien on Tuesday night, asking him to join the party MPs' meeting on Wednesday on their Parliament strategy.
Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "During the RG Kar protests, he had made certain unwarranted comments. He was influenced by distorted facts and misinformation. He has now realised that he had deviated from facts... He did call me a few days back. I had urged him to speak to the party leadership on this. He told me that he made some avoidable comments influenced by misinformation."
Sources said Ray, in his letter, apologised for his comments which were made out of "emotion based on misinformation". CM Banerjee then directed party seniors to reach out to Ray, prompting O'Brien to call him on Tuesday night.
Ray had taken to the streets to protest against the RG Kar incident and also questioned the role of police in handling the probe. Kolkata Police then summoned him for questioning, after which Ray moved Calcutta High Court seeking protection from arrest. The case was withdrawn after Ray took back his statement.
Following this, Ray did not get a call for the party's national working committee meeting. He was even dropped from the committee, the party's highest decision-making body, and also from the post of Rajya Sabha chief whip. Ray, 75, is a three-time MP and has been the party's Rajya Sabha chief whip since 2011. He was also the TMC's national spokesperson.