Trinamool rules out threat to UPA

Trinamool Congress on Thursday ruled out any threat to the United Progressive Alliance government but insisted that Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi should go.

"We are supporting the government totally," Trinamool Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay told media persons.

He was asked whether the government was stable or it faces any threat.

Asked whether Trivedi would remain as railway minister, he said, "Trivedi is an individual. Trinamool Congress is of the opinion that he should not remain as railway minister unless he withdraws the hike (passenger fares in the railway budget).

"But this morning the situation has changed (an apparent reference to party leader Mamata Banerjee's demand to replace Trivedi with Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy," he said.

Bandyopadhyay asked "can there be a situation when Mr Pranab Mukerjee would not consult the prime minister or Sonia Gandhi".

Angered by Trivedi's proposal contained in the Railway Budget yesterday, Banerjee had written to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night seeking his removal and replacement by Roy.

Bandyopadhyay said the party MPs would meet the prime minister on Thursday and take up the party's objection to inclusion of NCTC issue in the President's address.

To a question whether TMC would support amendment to the President's address on the NCTC issue moved by BJP because its own amendment has been rejected, he said, "We will cross the bridge when we come to it".