New Delhi: Veteran TMC leader Mukul Roy, who kept political analysts guessing as to his next course of action, stated on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 night that he is still a BJP legislator and would like to meet Amit Shah since he is eager to rejoin the saffron camp.
The legislator who on April 17 headed to New Delhi for "some personal work," despite his family originally reporting that he was "missing," later accused the BJP of engaging in shady tactics by utilising the TMC leader who is ill and not in the "right frame of mind".
"I am a BJP legislator. I want to be with the BJP. The party has made arrangements for my stay here. I want to meet Amit Shah and speak to (party president) J.P. Nadda,” he told a Bengali news channel late on Tuesday evening.
The founding member of the TMC switched to the BJP in 2017. He won as a saffron party candidate in the 2021 West Bengal assembly election. He, however, returned to the Trinamool Congress soon after without resigning from the House.
“I was not keeping well for quite some time, so I was away from politics. But right now, I am fine and would again be active in politics," he said.
He said he is "100 per cent confident that he would never be associated with the TMC".
Mukul Roy also had a piece of advice for his son Subharanghsu. "He too should join the BJP as it would suit him best," he said.
The drama over Roy's whereabouts evolved since late Monday evening when the family members of the TMC leader claimed he was "untraceable".
After reaching Delhi last night, he told reporters that he reached the national capital but had "no specific agenda".
"I have come to Delhi. There is nothing specific agenda. I have been an MP for several years. Can I not come to Delhi? Earlier, I used to come to Delhi regularly. I am an MLA and MP of Delhi," he had said.
The former railway minister's son Subhrangshu had said that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening.
As there was speculation that Mukul Roy could rejoin the BJP, Mr Subhrangshu, who too had switched over to the saffron camp, said his father is "extremely unwell" and suffers from "dementia and Parkinson's disease".
With PTI inputs