The Trinamool Congress (TMC) suspended spokesperson Riju Dutta for six years [1] following his public praise of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The move highlights the internal volatility of West Bengal's political climate, where public alignment with a political rival can lead to immediate party expulsion.
Dutta said that Adhikari prevented a cycle of retaliatory violence in the wake of the killing of the chief minister's personal assistant [2]. According to Dutta, the intervention by Adhikari saved the lives of 5,000 TMC workers [3]. He said that if the chief minister had called for revenge after the death of his aide, the situation would have been very different [3].
The TMC officially suspended Dutta for six years [1]. The party cited a breach of discipline, noting that Dutta failed to appear before the party's Disciplinary Committee [1].
Dutta responded to the party's action by suggesting the suspension was a result of his honesty. "Because I spoke the truth," Dutta said [1].
The incident occurred in May 2024, shortly after the death of Adhikari's personal assistant [2]. While the party focused on the procedural failure to attend the committee meeting, other reports suggest the suspension was a direct reaction to Dutta's public apology and praise for the opposing leader [1].
“"Suvendu Adhikari is the CM of West Bengal, but he has already done something that no one is talking about."”
This suspension underscores the rigid disciplinary structures within the TMC and the high stakes of political loyalty in West Bengal. By praising a political opponent during a period of high tension, Dutta violated the party's expectation of unified opposition, resulting in a long-term suspension that reflects the party's zero-tolerance policy toward perceived betrayal.
