TMC suspends MLA for speaking out against top brass

Trinamool Congress on Wednesday suspended party Member of Legislative Assembly Sikha Mitra for violating the party's stand.

"I am scared to enter the assembly after Tuesday's violence," Mitra had told media personnel earlier on Wednesday, reacting to the ugly brawl in the legislature on Tuesday.

Mitra was recently embroiled in a controversy for speaking out against the party leadership.

"The violence is condemnable whoever is involved in it. I was not in the House on Tuesday. I have no idea who sparked it off," she said.

"Those who send MLAs as their representatives will think otherwise now," she added.

Mitra was in focus recently after she openly criticised the Trinamool Congress leadership and earned the wrath of the party for attending a function presided over by Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya.

When State Minister for Commerce and Industries Partha Chatterjee made some derogatory comments about her, Mitra filed a defamation suit against him.

All this has not gone down well with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"My wife is yet to get the official notification from the party. I do stand by what she said. She spoke the truth and nothing but the truth," TMC Member of Parliament and Mitra's husband Somen Mitra told rediff.com from his Delhi residence.

Meanwhile, Trinamool sources confirmed the suspension order to rediff.com.

Some party insiders are of the opinion that Mitra spoke her mind after consulting her husband. It remains to be seen if Somen Mitra too follows his wife in declaring a rebellion against the TMC leadership.