Kolkata:
Is there a fresh rebellion brewing in the Trinamool Congress? Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh, who had recently slammed his own party, is claiming that, while he is loyal to Mamata Banerjee and has not met anyone from the Congress, three other Trinamool MPs have, with Sonia Gandhi's political secretary.
"A few days ago, in the home of Dinesh Trivedi, a tea party was called. Dinesh Trivedi, Somen Mitra and Saugata Roy were there. And the political secretary of Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel was also called. What was discussed with Ahmedji, you ask Dineshji, Somenji and Saugataji," Kunal Ghosh said on Thursday.
What's more, Mr Ghosh says his life may be in danger for all that he knows of links between the Saradha chit fund scam and Trinamool leaders so he has taken steps for any eventuality. He has prepared a video statement and kept it with friends, to be released if his communications are cut off.
Last Friday, three Trinamool MPs - Kunal Ghosh, Shatabdi Roy and Tapas Pal - had publicly slammed their party. Since then, Mr Pal and Ms Roy have kept a low profile but not Mr Ghosh. After police quizzed him for the third time in a week for links with Saradha, he pointed fingers at other probable rebels.
Asked about the meeting, Mr Trivedi said: "I refuse to entertain such stupid questions."
But, fact is, last Friday's rebellion happened at an event held by Trinamool MP Somen Mitra and his Trinamool MLA wife Shikha, suspended for anti-party comments months ago. And Somen Mitra was apparently present at Dinesh Trivedi's tea party.
On the video statement he had made and kept it with friends, to be made public if, for some reason, he could not speak publicly, Mr Ghosh said, "If you get news that I have died in a road accident, please don't believe it. If the conspiracy becomes dangerous for me and if I don't get any chance to communicate, only then that recording will be released."
Trinamool leaders were mum on Mr Ghosh's claims. But sources say Ms Roy and Mr Pal have been invited to a major party meeting on Monday. Mr Ghosh has not.