‘Reshuffle unconstitutional,aimed at needling Trinamool’

Speaking to mediapersons,senior Trinamool leader Subrata Mukeherjee,who is considered close to Mamata,said: “The UPA government is in minority. After the Trinamool withdrew its support from the UPA II,the government should prove its majority in Parliament. It’s the responsibility of President Pranab Mukherjee to look into the matter.”

Without taking the name of Dasmunsi — the MP from Raiganj in north Bengal,he said: “I personally believe that the law and order situation will deteriorate in north Bengal after this reshuffle as police inquiry has been initiated against one of the MPs of Bengal who has been inducted as the Minister of State in the Union government.”

At a time when the UPA government is claiming that it wants a clean government,they are inducting ministers from Bengal who have tainted images,he said and added: “This is a deliberate attempt to destroy the peace of Bengal”.

Subrata alleged that Chowdhury ,who has been made Minister of State for Railways,would be able to “hamper” the rail projects in Bengal initiated by Mamata when she was the Railway Minister. He said: “Most of the rail projects have been completed and the works which are yet to be finished off will be delayed because of the reshuffle.”

Trinamool MP Saugata Roy,who too said that the reshuffle was meant to “needle” his party,said West Bengal was “thoroughly deprived” in the reshuffle as none of the three MPs was given a cabinet minister rank. “Bengal had two most important leaders (Pranab Mukherjee and Mamata Banerjee) in the Union Cabinet in 2009. Now it has none,” said Roy,adding “ministers of state won’t be able to do much work.”

“So the purpose behind the selection of three Congress leaders from Bengal as ministers of state is to needle Trinamool. But their purpose will not serve. They won’t be able to disturb or weaken the TMC or throw any challenge to the party,” said Roy,who was earlier Minister of State for Urban Development.