Mukul Roy, a BJP national vice president, on Friday rejoined the Trinamul Congress, with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee welcoming him back to the party fold. Miss Banerjee, announcing Mr Roy’s return to the Trinamul Congress at Trinamul Bhavan here, said: “Mukul Roy is like one of our family members. He was feeling claustrophobic in the BJP. Any person with self-respect cannot work with BJP. The BJP leaders are like landed zamindars and they did not treat their party workers with dignity.”

She also said that Roy was suffering from mental pressure  and gradually he was becoming sick but he could not say it in public, Mr Roy told the Press: “I’ve left the BJP as I cannot work there. I’m feeling satisfied to be back in my old party.” Reporters reminded Mr Roy that when he joined the BJP, he criticised both Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, who is at present party’s all India general secretary and asked him what he has to say about that.

Before Mr Roy could reply, Mamata Banerjee quipped: “Mukul never said anything against the party. Even during election he never abused Trinamul Congress. So we have decided to take back Mukul into the party.” She said there are two categories of defectors. One category is of those who are subdued like Mukul Roy.

“But our party had decided not to take back those defectors who had changed sides for money, power, just before election and openly abused the party.”

Asked whether the party was strengthened at Mukul Roy’s return to the party fold, the Trinamul supremo said, “Our party was strong enough as we won  the Assembly poll with a landslide victory.” Mamata Banerjee also hinted that Mukul Roy would be asked to look after the party’s organisation. Asked about Sonali Guha and Rajib Banerjee, other TMC leaders who defected to the BJP, Miss Banerjee said that the party has taken no decision yet.

Asked whether Mukul Roy is worried about ED and CBI coming after him over the Sarada and Narada cases, Miss Banerjee said angrily: “Why is this case going on for seven years? Trinamul Congress has no connection with these cases. Remember, this is Trinamul Congress party office. Don’t ask questions that the BJP leaders have asked you to ask me. Do you have the courage to question BJP leaders about Rs 35,000 crore PM Cares Fund and about the dearth of vaccines in the country?”

Mukul Roy along with his son Subhrangshu Roy came to Trinamul Bhavan at 3 p.m. Mr Roy had left TMC in 2017 September and joined the BJP. Mr Roy was made BJP’s all India vice president but sources said that he was more or less sidelined in the party after Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP. Speculation had been rife for some time on a possible homecoming by Mr Roy who had crossed over to the BJP in 2017 after being charged in the Narada tape sting case.