Kolkata: Former Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Tuesday formally submitted his resignation as a BJP MP from the Lok Sabha. The singer-turned-politician had joined the Trinamool Congress on September 18.
Supriyo reached the residence of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla around 12.30 pm and handed over his resignation. After his meeting with the LS speaker, Supriyo said, "My heart is heavy as I had begun my political career through BJP. I thank the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and BJP party chief. They had evinced faith in me."
"I'd left politics wholeheartedly. I thought that if I'm not a part of the party, I shouldn't keep the seat for myself," he further said.
However, Supriyo launched a scathing attack against the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. “Even a few months back he was an integral part of Trinamool Congress. I still hold a friendly relationship with him outside politics. He can surely attack me as a political opponent. But he should advise his father and brother to resign from MP seats as they are no more a part of TMC," Supriyo told reporters.
Read: WB: 4 more BJP legislators likely to join TMC, BJP dismisses it as 'rumours'
Supriyo also took to Twitter to share a copy of his resignation letter. "It has been a very fulfilling seven years that I have spent in the Parliament and I shall always remain indebted to my now ex-party BJP and Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji, Amit Shahji and respected JP Naddaji for giving me the opportunity to serve my country," he said in the letter.
"I shall always cherish the experience, enlightenment, knowledge and insight that I have earned as a Parliamentarian from this August house and the 'Temple of Democracy' of the largest democracy in the world. It shall help me as a [person in the outside world too," he said.
In July, Supriyo had resigned as minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, following the Union Cabinet reshuffle. Later, he announced he has decided to quit politics.
In a Facebook post, he hinted the decision was partly due to losing the ministerial berth and also differences with the state BJP leadership. "If someone asks that whether leaving the politics is somehow connected to losing ministry. Yes, then it is true to some extent.... Also had differences with the state leadership since the assembly poll campaign,” he wrote.
