Trinamool Congress adamant, wants Dinesh Trivedi to be sacked after Union Budget: TV reports

NEW DELHI: Hardening its stand against the Congress' position, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has indicated that it will not wait till March 30 for the sacking of railway minister Dinesh Trivedi. A Times Now report says that the party wants him to be sacked immediately after the presentation of the Union Budget on Friday.

The sources have told that Congress called Mamata's bluff by agreeing to remove Dinesh Trivedi, but only at a time that it wants to. This strategy was adopted after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav assured support to Congress, neutralizing TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's her threat. SP, with 22 MPs in Lok Sabha, already supports the UPA government from outside and has said it would pose no danger to its stability.

Trivedi has proposed upto 20 per cent passenger fare hike in his rail budget for 2012-13, inviting the wrath of Mamata who has written Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sack him.

When it was pointed out that the fare hike proposals were contrary to his party's policy, Trivedi said, "I have done it for the Railways and the country ... not for party. If I have to please my party, then I am not doing my work."

On the possibility of fare hike rollback, Trivedi said "the budget is in Parliament and I will be guided by Parliament. Parliament will be guided by the wisodom of people."

Congress troubleshooter Pranab Mukherjee spoke to Mamata today following up on the discussions they had over telephone twice last night. TMC parliamentary party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay also met Mukherjee in Parliament today.