Dinesh Trivedi 'Allowed' To Used Rajya Sabha Floor For 'Devious Political Ends': TMC

Following his resignation from the party, the Trinamool Congress alleged that Dinesh Trivedi took the House for a ride" and was "allowed" to use the floor of the House for his "devious political ends".

The TMC party had mentioned only two names as their speakers for the discussion of the Union Budget 2021, and Trivedi was not among them, said TMC's chief whip in the House Sukhendu Sekhar Ray in a letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. 

The TMC's allotted time on the discussion was exhausted after both the speakers spoke on their designated days, Ray said as he questioned why Trivedi was allowed to speak despite this.

"At about 1.25 pm on 12 February 2021, when the Hon'ble Finance Minister was about to give reply to the Budget discussion, one member of AITC, Sri Dinesh Trivedi, since resigned, was allowed to speak for about four minutes from 1.25 pm to 1.29 pm, although his name was not recommended by the AITC as a speaker in the Budget discussion and no time was left for the party," he said.

"The incident as narrated herein above and the manner in which Sri Trivedi grossly misused the floor of the House for his devious political ends and also the way he was allowed to have taken the House for a ride is absolutely unprecedented, unwarranted and is devoid of not only decorum and etiquette as envisaged in 'Rajya Sabha at Work', but also against all rules, norms and traditions of this august House," the letter added.

It is a matter of great concern that although there was adequate mechanism under the rules to restrain the unruly member, it was not adopted, Ray wrote.

"I would urge upon you to immediately constitute an inquiry into the matter and to find out the reasons behind such unprecedented illegality committed," he added.