PM would have sacrificed TMC for me: Trivedi

Former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi has claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would have been prepared to retain him as the Railway Minister, even at the cost of losing the TMC's support. The TMC leader was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate.

Below is the transcript of a part of the interview:

Karan Thapar: Many people felt that you deliberately delayed resigning because you hoped you might not have to resign.

Dinesh Trivedi: Nobody felt. You are the only person who is trying to make people feel. Please understand if Dinesh Trivedi didn't want to resign, the Prime Minister of India would never ever have asked for my resignation.

Karan Thapar: How do you know that?

Dinesh Trivedi: I know it with knowledge.

Karan Thapar: What knowledge?

Dinesh Trivedi: With knowledge, the Prime Minister has gone on record saying he regretted my resignation.

Karan Thapar: That doesn't mean that he wouldn't have asked you to resign.

Dinesh Trivedi: According to my knowledge, when I tell you, you trust me.

Karan Thapar: The reason I am asking is this is not the first time you have said this. In an interview to ANI on March 21 you said, 'I was quite confident that the Prime Minister would never ask for my resignation'.

Dinesh Trivedi: I am still confident. And I am telling you with all the confidence that the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh would never ever have asked for my resignation.

Karan Thapar: You mean to say...

Dinesh Trivedi: Because I know him very closely and that is why he mentioned what he mentioned on the floor of the House.

Karan Thapar: Are you actually saying to me that even if Mamata Banerjee had threatened to withdraw support...

Dinesh Trivedi: Even if Mamata Banerjee had suggested withdrawal, Prime Minister of India would never ever have asked for my resignation.

Karan Thapar: Dinesh Trivedi are you saying that the Prime Minister would have preferred to retain you at the cost of losing Trinamool support and his government possibly collapsing?

Dinesh Trivedi: That is correct.

Karan Thapar: Do you really mean that?

Dinesh Trivedi: Yes.