Downplaying her absence from the Union Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday morning, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said there are no differences between her party and the Congress. She added that she will attend the United Progressive Alliance meeting to present the coalition's 'report card' on the completion of one year of its second stint.
"There are no differences between the Trinamool Congress and the Congress. We are absolutely comfortable. I have great respect for the prime minister," Banerjee said after she skipped the Cabinet meeting, which was convened to take a decision on recommending President's Rule in Jharkhand.
Banerjee said that she did not attend the meeting as it was "Only for Jharkhand, a very simple meeting" and claimed that she was busy in some 'serious job'.
To a question on whether she will attend the UPA event to be held in the evening, she said, "Yes, of course. I will be going there."
Asked about reports of differences between the two parties, Banerjee said, "Some conspiracy is going against us. This is very unfortunate."
"Some people are spreading rumours. They want to create some confusion between the two parties but I can assure you there is no difference between the Trinamool Congress and the government," she said.
The railway minister said that she is 'part and parcel of the UPA' and has 'some obligatons and duties' as an ally.
Asked whether she was upset with the Centre for not conceding to her demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe in the Gyaneshwari train incident, Banerjee said, "It is not so."
"I have good relations with Chidambaram. I have no quarrel with the home minister. We can discuss this, it is not a problem. We asked the home minister to do it. The government will do it according to the procedure"
On the home ministry's statement that Maoists or their frontal organisations were behind the incident, Banerjee said, "I don't know who has done it. Whoever has done it -- whether Maoists or others -- I want the truth to come out. We want the CBI to investigate and the truth should come out."
