Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy today asked party leaders and workers to maintain distance from anti-socials and promoters. Following a nearly 90-minute meeting with local Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra and Kamarhati chairman Gopal Saha, Roy addressed the media, distancing himself and the party from Singh.
MP Saugata Roy expressed his surprise at Jayanta Singh’s lavish house, which came to light after allegations of assault on a mother and her son in Kamarhati. Singh’s connections to the Trinamul Congress surfaced after the assault, with photos of him alongside Roy and Mitra circulating publicly. On Monday, Roy refuted any party involvement and acknowledged past mistakes, vowing to correct them. He also issued a warning against intra-party conflicts and maintaining relationships with promoters. Jayanta Singh was arrested following the public assault, triggering numerous accusations from locals and criticism of Trinamul leaders for allegedly shielding Singh. Despite being a modest milk vendor initially, Singh had allegedly grown influential, owning a conspicuous white house in the area.
This has drawn opposition parties to criticize the ruling party. Roy claimed ignorance about Singh’s opulent house, stating, “We didn’t know Jayanta Singh had built such a big house. How could we know if nobody told us? Even the media hadn’t reported it earlier.”
He called for the police to impose the strictest punishment on Singh. Denying any close ties with Singh, Roy stated, “I didn’t ask goons to rig votes for me.” Acknowledging past errors, he promised rectifications. He cautioned party leaders against associating with individuals, who could tarnish the party’s image. Previously, BJP had released a video alleging Singh’s close ties with Mitra, showing a man being assaulted at a club in Ariadah’s Taltala. While The Statesman has not verified the video’s authenticity, it added to Singh’s controversial profile. Mitra had deflected allegations, pointing fingers at Roy and the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, claiming police inaction despite his repeated complaints. The incident revealed internal conflicts within Trinamul, with the police being under the jurisdiction of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Mitra’s remarks were seen as indirectly pointing at the chief minister. Roy sternly instructed party members to refrain from public statements against each other, saying, “Our workers shouldn’t make public statements. I believe it’s against party principles for members to criticize each other publicly. We’ve decided that no one will speak against anyone in the party.”
Mitra agreed to comply, stating, “As per party decisions, only Saugata da will speak. My comments would be a breach of discipline.” He added that he would only speak on positive matters in Roy’s absence.