Mukul Roy denied that he had come to Delhi for any "special political reason" (File)
Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy was declared "untraceable" by his family for several hours until he arrived in Delhi under strange circumstances on Monday evening.
Mukul Roy, 69, is believed to have been unwell for a while. In a video, he was seen at the Delhi airport with an escort. NDTV cannot vouch for the video.
"I have work in Delhi, so can't I come here?" he told a reporter who asked him why he was in the capital.
Was he here for treatment, the reporter questioned. "No no, I have come for special work. Can't I come to Delhi, I am the MLA...MP here," said the former parliamentarian.
He denied that he had come for any "special political reason", amid speculation that his visit could be linked to another party switch after his return to the Trinamool from the BJP in 2021.
The former Railway Minister's family filed a "missing" complaint, claiming he was "untraceable".
Mukul Roy's son Subhragshu, a Trinamool Congress leader, said his father's phone was switched off and that he had been "taken" by some people.
"His mental state is not fine. Some parties are playing dirty politics with Mukul Roy. He is missing. Some people have taken him and gone. I have not been able to make contact with him," Subhragshu Roy told NDTV.
He also dismissed reports of his father joining the BJP.
"Even if my father joins the BJP now, he is not joining with his mental health intact. My priority is to bring him back and ensure treatment. My family is aware of his condition," he said, asserting that he had "no differences" with his father.
He said the episode was an attempt to "malign Abhishek Banerjee", referring to the Trinamool Congress MP who is the nephew of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Mr Roy, a former number two in the Trinamool, joined the BJP in 2017 following differences with Mamata Banerjee. He was made BJP national vice president. He won the 2021 Bengal assembly polls on a BJP ticket.
Later, as several Trinamool defectors returned to the party, Mr Roy also rejoined his former party along with his son.