Kolkata, June 16 (IANS) Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir on Tuesday remarked that if the 20 former Trinamool MPs had enough “courage”, then they should have resigned from the Lok Sabha and left the decision on their future to the public mandate.

The AJUP chief’s reaction came after the 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members on Sunday announced their joining the virtually non-existent Tripura-based political force, the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

The rebel MPs made an official request in this regard by submitting a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Sunday.

Speaking to IANS, Kabir said: “The 20 MPs, who have come together, are raising issues and speaking against the supreme leadership of Trinamool Congress… if they have the courage, then they should have first resigned from the party on whose symbol they had won the election.”

“Then let the common people decide their fate (in a new election),” he added.

Responding to a question regarding MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar seeking Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee’s expulsion from Parliament over alleged ‘misconduct’, Kabir said: “Both the leaders won the election on the same party symbol. Today, for what purpose is she raising this issue, and why is she writing a letter to the Speaker… only she can explain this properly.”

“I am not even a Member of Parliament, so I do not want to say much about the Parliament or comment on it,” he said.

However, he added: “Let them go to the public; they will decide whether what the MPs are saying is correct or not.”

About Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the upcoming International Yoga Day programme at Red Road, the AJUP chief referred to the West Bengal government strictly prohibiting the offering of religious prayers on public roads.

“Permission to offer namaz (on Bakrid) was given for the Brigade ground instead of the Red Road. It was a decision of the Central government. I would neither go completely against the Centre nor fully support it.”

“We will see during the Durga Puja festival, when so many roads are blocked to put up ‘pandals’. The law should be the same for everyone,” Kabir said.

—IANS

cg/vd