Wanted to quit politics, PM Modi asked me not to: Babul Supriyo

KOLKATA: Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Babul Supriyo in a series of tweets on Monday said he had offered to resign from all positions he had held and was also willing to quit politics, but he was restrained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from doing so.

In his tweets, Supriyo said he was fighting all this “muck of falsehood and politics of hate in West Bengal”. The central minister had been facing severe criticism for his comments following the recent communal clashes in his constituency, Asansol.

Supriyo was stopped from entering his constituency on Tuesday following an imposition of Section 144 by the administration, but he still tried to resist it. According to reports, the minister even threatened some locals saying he would skin them alive. An FIR was registered against the minister for violating Section 144, while Supriyo also registered a counter FIR against the police.


Supriyo, however, tried to explain that his abuses were an expression of anger, and they were actually aimed at a couple of TMC cadres. Meanwhile, all political parties in West Bengal and outside condemned his comments.

“You may be surprised to know that after two dirty incidents in Asansol. I had met our honourable PM resigning as a minister to quit politics and power for good only to be inspired back by our honourable PM, a man who works 24/7/365 days for his country,” he wrote on his micro blogging site. “Don’t Quit -- Fight” was what the PM had advised Supriyo, he claimed.

Despite repeated attempts to contact him, Supriyo remained unavailable for comments.