Dinesh Trivedi's resignation not received yet: Government

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday put to rest rumours that it had received railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi's resignation. There are speculations that Manmohan Singh could take temporary charge of the rail portfolio following the latest development of Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee withdrawing TMC nominee Dinesh Trivedi as cabinet minister.

Mamta Banerjee is believed to have recommended Mukul Roy as her nominee for the Minister of Railways. Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee is likely to hold talks with Mamata Banerjee to explore if the ministerial change can wait till the budget is passed. The government, however, is also working on a back-up plan.

News wires reported that Dinesh Trivedi said either the Prime Minister or his party leader Mamata Banerjee has to tell him to resign.

He again justified his budget yesterday in which he had proposed a hike in passenger fare which earned him the wrath of his party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee.

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Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's maiden budget triggered a full-blown crisis at the Centre when his own party, the Trinamool Congress, termed acrossthe-board passenger fare hikes as a "hostile act" and asked the PM to sack him.

Late Wednesday evening, Trinamool leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to replace Trivedi with Mukul Roy, a Trinamool MP.

The core committee of the Congress, which met at the PM's residence late in the night, was of the view that there is little option but to drop Trivedi.

Trivedi is likely to resign on Thursday.

Earlier, Singh described the budget as "forwardlooking" and Trivedi defended the fare hikes as something taken in the interest of the railways and the nation even as Banerjee expressed her displeasure saying the episode had damaged her party's "Maa, Mati, Manush" image.

We are unhappy with the railway budget. We are against any hike in passenger fares and we will oppose the move. I am assuring you that we will not allow any hike," she said while addressing a meeting in Nandigram. Trivedi himself had appeared reconciled to losing his ministry, judging by his defiant performance in a string of interviews to television channels. "It is a very big misconception that the railways is run from the Writer's Building (headquarters of West Bengal government)."



He conceded that he could not continue in the government without Banerjee's backing. "Mamata Banerjee made me a minister. If she gives the slightest hint, I will resign," Trivedi said. Trivedi's performance led to speculation by talking heads on TV channels that his actions had the tacit backing of the Congress leadership and were intended to provoke a showdown with Banerjee.