Downplaying her absence from the Union Cabinet meeting, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said there are no differences between her party and Congress and she will attend the UPA report card meeting.
"There are no differences between Trinamool Congress and Congress...we are absolutely comfortable...I have great respect for the Prime Minister," Banerjee said after she skipped the cabinet meeting, which was convened to take a decision on recommending President's Rule in Jharkhand.
Banerjee said that she did not attend the meeting as it was "only for Jharkhand...a very simple meeting and she was doing some serious job here." To a question on whether she will attend UPA's report card meeting, she said, "Yes, ofcourse,...I will be going there."
Asked about reports of differences between the two parties, Banerjee said, "Some conspiracy is going against us. This is very unfortunate." "Some people are spreading rumours. They want to create some confusion between the two parties but I can assure you there is no difference between Trinamool Congress and the government," she said.
The Railway Minister said that she is "part and parcel of UPA" and has "some obligatons and duties" as an ally. Asked whether she was upset with the Centre for not conceding to her demand for a CBI probe in the Jnaneshwar train incident, Banerjee said, "It is not so." "I have good relations with Chidambaram...I have no quarrel with the Home Minister...we can discuss this...this is not a problem. We asked the Home Minister to do it. Government will do it according to the proceedure..."
On the Home Ministry's statement that Maoists or their frontal organizations were behind the incident, Banerjee said, "I dom't know who had done it. Whoever has done it whether Maoists or others, I want the truth should come out. We want CBI to investigate and the truth should come out." PTI
