Kolkata: Veteran Trinamool Congress leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhay who was allegedly assaulted by members of a rival faction recently and had threatened to quit the party on Saturday visited the residence of the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee here, but what took place was not known.
"I am not saying anything now," Chattopadhay told reporters to persistent questions after the meeting, which insiders described was to placate the labour leader.
Senior TMC leaders, West Bengal Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee and Industry minister Partha Chatterjee also earlier held talks with Chattopadhay, the government Chief Whip in the Assembly.
Neither minister offered any comment.
Chattopadhyay, who has been with the party since its founding in 1998, was allegedly assaulted by members of the Trinamool-backed employees` union in Calcutta University on November 20 when he went to meet the vice-chancellor. He subsequently filed an FIR.
He had earlier said that he had nothing against the party chief or the party but demanded action against those who assaulted him.
He had yesterday called off a `padayatra` in protest against the assault after the party supremo telephoned him.
He had warned that he might be forced to quit the party if he was repeatedly insulted and the leadership took no action.
The development followed senior Trinamool leader and Singur MLA and minister, Rabindranath Bhattacharya, threatening to quit politics and as an MLA after he felt slighted by the replacement of his Agriculture ministry with low key Statistics in a cabinet reshuffle.
Bhattacharya, who had played a key role in the Singur movement, also stayed away from the chief minister`s meeting at Singur yesterday, saying he did not get a formal invitation.
PTI
