TMC MLA Apologises For Claiming 'Coterie' Influencing Mamata: 'Should've Been More Careful In Expressing'

Kabir, the MLA of Bharatpur, expressed his apology in reply to a show cause notice issued by the party's disciplinary committee.

Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Friday apologised to the party's leadership for his recent comment that a "coterie" was influencing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's key decision.

Kabir, the MLA of Bharatpur, expressed his apology in reply to a show cause notice issued by the party's disciplinary committee.

"Yes, I have sent a reply. I will certainly follow party discipline. But I think being a person from the rural belt, not conversant with the ways of the city, I faced this situation for speaking my mind. However, I had not said anything against my party or its leadership," he told reporters.

"Our CM epitomises the spirit of 'Maa-Mati-Manush' and being a person of the grassroots level, I always stay rooted to the ground. Maybe I should have been more careful about my way of expressing," he said.

A senior member of the TMC's legislative disciplinary committee said the reply to the show cause letter was received, and a decision on it will be communicated soon.

Kabir, however, said some other TMC MPs had on earlier occasions made comments against party colleagues but were not censured.

On Thursday, he met the CM in the assembly's lobby where she had asked him to reply to the show-cause notice first.

On November 26, Kabir had said a coterie within the party was taking certain decisions to cement their position and was influencing the CM's key decisions for their short-term gains.

He had said this a day after the TMC national executive meeting where the party had categorically asked its leaders not to make comments in public against any internal decision and formed disciplinary committees at different levels.

Kabir had earlier advocated for giving more responsibility to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, reiterating that the Diamond Harbour MP was undoubtedly the number two in the party's hierarchy and those trying to undermine his influence would not succeed. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)