TMC's Mukul Roy in Delhi after family's 'untraceable' claim, fuelling political speculation
KOLKATA: Hours after his family claimed that he was "untraceable" since late Monday evening, senior TMC leader Mukul Roy said he has travelled to New Delhi for "some personal work", fuelling speculations over his next political move.
Roy's son Subhrangshu lodged two missing complaints with the Airport police station and Bijpur police station in North 24 Parganas district on Monday night.
Roy's family claimed that he is not in the "right frame of mind" and everyone should refrain from indulging in politics over an unwell person.
Roy told reporters that he reached the national capital but had "no specific agenda".
"I have come to Delhi. There is nothing specific agenda. I have been an MP for several years. Can I not come to Delhi? Earlier, I used to come to Delhi regularly," he said.
Roy left Kolkata on an Indigo flight (GE-898) on Monday evening and arrived in Delhi on the same night.
The former railway minister's son Subhrangshu had told PTI that his father was "untraceable" and "missing" since late Monday evening.
As a section of media speculated that Roy could rejoin the BJP, Subhrangshu said his father is "extremely unwell" and suffers from "dementia and Parkinson's disease".
BJP leader Anupam Hazra posted on his social media a status captioned "return". When asked whether his comment has any link with Roy’s Delhi visit, Hazra said, "Wait for a day, everything will be cleared.’’
"My father is not in the right frame of mind. I would request everyone not to do politics with an unwell person. After he went missing, I had also filed a police complaint last night," he told reporters.
Roy's son claimed when he came to know on Monday night that the TMC leader was travelling to Delhi, he had requested the authorities to de-board him, but by then, "the flight had taken off".
Speculations over Roy rejoining the BJP gained momentum after BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra made a cryptic Facebook post, "Comeback".
When contacted by a news channel, Hazra said, "It's time to wait and watch. Please wait for one or two days; everything will be clear very soon".
Reacting to Hazra's comments, Subhranghsu said it was an attempt to malign the TMC and its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
"This is shameful that some people have stooped so low and are doing politics over my father's visit to New Delhi. This is an attempt to malign the TMC and our party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee," he said.
Roy joined the BJP in 2017 following differences with the TMC leadership.
He was made BJP national vice president in 2020.
He won from the Krishnanagar North assembly seat on a BJP ticket in 2021 and returned to the TMC just a month after the results were announced, complaining of "ill-treatment" by the saffron party.
Since his return to the TMC, he has remained away from the public glare.
Roy also resigned as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the West Bengal assembly last year, citing ill health.
(With inputs from ENS)