Malda, Jan. 8: The secretary-general of Trinamul, Partha Chatterjee, today asked Malda ministers Sabitri Mitra and Krishnendu Chowdhury to maintain discipline or leave the party.

Chatterjee, who addressed a workers' convention at the Malda College auditorium here this afternoon, sent out a strong message on rivalry among party leaders.

"That Krishnendu and Sabitri will openly quarrel with each other cannot be tolerated. We are noticing that leaders of our party are fighting with each other. Your open squabbling has come as a major embarrassment for the party. We are worried that the opposition will utilise such behaviour among our leaders to demean us. ," Chatterjee said.

"Malda has become a problem area. Do not indulge in anything that will provide media with an opportunity to criticise us. Our chairperson and chief minister has a heavy load on her shoulders as far as ushering in development in north Bengal is concerned. If you cannot work in unity and run the party in the district, feel free to leave," he added.

Both Mitra and Chowdhury attended the meeting.

On December 24, Krishnendu, the food processing and horticulture minister, and Sabitri, the refugee rehabilitation minister, had squabbled on the stage of a public meeting here over the list of beneficiaries in connection with distribution of pattas or land rights. Krishnendu had told Sabitri that he should have been consulted while preparing the list.

Trinamul all-India general secretary Subrata Bakshi and MP Abhishek Banerjee who attended the meeting also spoke on factionalism and rivalry in the party.

Trinamul leaders and elected representatives from Malda and Murshidabad districts attended the session.

Bakshi urged leaders of both the districts to approach the state leadership to solve problems. "We are always available. There are observers for each district and they can also be consulted. Please do not indulge in factionalism to fulfil your petty aims," he said.

Banerjee said: "We are aware of what is going on in each district. Please ensure that you work for the larger interest of the party or you might wake up one morning and find that you no longer belong to Trinamul."

Partha Chatterjee also spoke about campus violence. "We are being affected by the politics of guns and bombs in educational institutions. All this has to stop. We cannot have violence in the name of politics in colleges and universities. Please ensure that before the Assembly polls," he said.