Manmohan Singh expresses regret over Railway Minister Trivedi's resignation

New Delhi, Mar 19 (ANI): Congratulating outgoing Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi for presenting a good railway budget for 2012-13, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Monday regretted his departure from union cabinet.

"Dinesh Trivedi presented a good railway budget. I regret his departure from the Cabinet. I received late last night a letter from Trivedi announcing his resignation. I will forward it to the President with a recommendation to accept it," Dr. Singh told the Lok Sabha.

Dr. Singh further said that the new Railway Minister would be sworn in soon

Earlier in the day, Trivedi said he would not indulge in petty politics, a day after his resignation.

"I have done my work, and I am very happy. I have given the railway budget to the parliament. Everybody has to play his or her part and I played my part but I will not get into petty politics," Trivedi told media outside parliament here.

Trivedi further thanked the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his cabinet colleagues for giving him the opportunity and support to work as railway minister.

Praising Banerjee, Trivedi said: "I have a high regard for her. She is a great leader, and is very much in her right to have her opinion, and, I respect her opinion. I have a deep regard for her."

He further said that confusion over the issue could have been averted had (TMC MP) Sudip Bandopadhyay not spoken in parliament.

"The confusion was because Sudip Bandopadhyay had made one announcement, and there was another announcement. So, I thought the best thing for me was to ring up Mamata Banerjee and find out what is the real truth," he added.

The row over Trivedi exposed emerging differences and perceived erosion of ties between the Congress and its ally TMC.

For the past few months, the TMC has kept the Congress on tenterhooks on various issues of national and state concern, such as the price rise, allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, the issue of establishing the NCTC, and Mamata Banerjee's decision to skip the Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh last year. (ANI)