‘Political and personal reasons’ : Sushmita Dev on quitting Trinamool and Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Sushmita Dev, who announced her resignation from the Trinamool Congress as well as from the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, cited “political and personal” reasons for her decision, while noting that since she hails from Assam, she would now like to serve the people of the state.

Talking to IANS after submitting her resignation, Sushmita Dev said: “I have some political and personal reasons. I do not want to say anything more than that.”

On the dissent within the Trinamool MPs, she said: “Who is leaving the Trinamool and why they are leaving can only be answered by those people. I can speak about myself. This morning, I resigned from the party and submitted my resignation from the Rajya Sabha to the Vice President at around 11 a.m.”

“It is my right to decide what kind of politics I will do and where I will do it. I need a few days’ time to decide that,” she added.

Later, while addressing reporters, Dev said: “I have resigned from both Trinamool Congress as well as Rajya Sabha, as that is the principled thing to do.”

“I hope that I will get an opportunity to do politics and serve as a public representative in the future,” she added.

Dev refused to answer questions pertaining to Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

On what prompted her to resign, she said: “What made me take this decision is a very long story, and I don’t think everything needs to be revealed in politics. Reasons are my own, and the decision is my own. I don’t have anyone to blame.”

“In a democracy, which party I want to be in and the kind of politics that I want to indulge in is completely my decision. I don’t need anyone’s moral certificate,” she remarked.

Further, she emphasised: “I am not directly involved in Bengal politics, I am from Assam. My political future will continue, and there are many ways to do it. But I want to serve the people of Assam.”

“I don’t want to be in a situation where I am in two boats or anything like that. That is not the right way to do it because, given my family background and upbringing, I have never stayed in one party and served another,” the former MP, who is the daughter of late Congress leader and Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, asserted.

Referring to Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee’s remarks at a press conference the previous day, Dev said: “I felt odd that Kalyan Banerjee praised Sukhendu (Sekhar Roy) that he took a good step by resigning.”

Expressing dissatisfaction over the conduct of the rebel MP group led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Kalyan Banerjee had said that if people have grievances against the party, they should resign.

IANS