News Analysis India

Tag: Abhishek Banerjee

  • Mamata convenes meeting of TMC top brass amid growing internal strife

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Amid the ongoing internal strife in the TMC, its supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister has convened an emergency meeting of the party’s top officials at her residence on Saturday evening, sources in the ruling camp said.

    According to the sources, just six senior leaders — national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, secretary-general Partha Chatterjee, state party president Subrata Bakshi, and ministers Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas and Chandrima Bhattacharya — have been asked to attend the meeting.

    “The meeting will be held tomorrow at 5 pm to discuss the present political situation in the party. The statements and counterstatements that are being given by some leaders have not gone down well with the party supremo. This has to stop somewhere. Our party supremo is likely to give out a message to all the leaders,” a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity.

    The sources also said that Banerjee, who is yet to form a new working committee of the party, is likely to discuss strategies for the upcoming civic polls on February 28.

    The infighting in the ruling TMC escalated on Friday as leaders considered to be close to party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee took to Twitter to advocate the “one person one post” policy, according to which a member of the party should be allowed to hold just one position.

    A section of old guards, including Hakim, termed the move as violation of party discipline.

    The recent spat comes in the backdrop of the perceived power struggle in the party and apparent differences between the generation-next leaders and the old-timers.

    Hakim, who is the state housing and transport minister as well as the city mayor, said the party does not endorse any such theory, and some leaders have given out “misleading” posts.

  • I was called by ED 10 times after TMC entered Goa politics: Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday claimed that ever since his party forayed into Goa’s electoral politics, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned him eight to ten times at the behest of the BJP.

    In controversial remarks, he told Goan voters to “take money from the BJP, but vote for the TMC” in the February 14 assembly polls.

    Addressing a public meeting at Cumbharjua in North Goa, he said the BJP has been “misusing power” and targeting the TMC, the ruling party in West Bengal.

    The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is contesting the assembly polls in Goa in an alliance with the MGP, the state’s oldest regional outfit.

    Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of Mamata Banerjee.

    The Trinamool Congress general secretary claimed his party has become a formidable force in the tiny coastal state ruled by the BJP.

    “The BJP has been misusing power against the TMC, which has become a formidable force in Goa. Every since the TMC has come to Goa, the Enforcement Directorate, at the behest of the BJP, has summoned me eight to ten times,” the Lok Sabha MP claimed.

    Banerjee asserted his party will not get intimidated and vowed to fight back.

    “I am standing here and I give you my word that no matter how much the BJP tries to intimidate us, we will not bow down before them,” he said.

    “Till the time I am alive, till the time blood is flowing through my veins, I will continue to fight for your rights,” the top TMC leader said, making an emotional pitch for his party and seeking votes for it in what is a new terrain for the 24-year-old outfit which is still to make a mark outside its stronghold of West Bengal.

    Banerjee told Goan voters to punish the BJP for its “betrayal”.

    “You take money from the BJP, but vote for don fula (two flowers – poll symbol of TMC) and betray the BJP like they betrayed Goans in 2017 (when the saffron party came to power),” said the 34-year-old politician.

    Banerjee said the greatest betrayal for Goans was in 2017 when “every MLA people voted for sold his soul for Rs 50 crore”.

    “Everyone in Goa is aware of this fact. There are 20,000 to 25,000 voters per constituency. So, you can calculate for yourself. One vote for them costs Rs 20,000,” he said.

    Besides the BJP, he also targeted the opposition Congress.

    The TMC leader said, “Your vote, your trust, your faith, your love, your blessings, your honour is being sold by both the BJP and the Congress for a mere Rs 20,000.

    Banerjee said what happened with Goa in 2017 has never happened in any other state during the last 50 years.

    “You voted for the Congress and rejected the BJP. But the Congress played with the love and trust of the people of Goa. Buying and selling politics must stop in Goa,” he said.

    After the last assembly polls, the Congress emerged as the single largest party, but it was the BJP which formed a government by quickly forging an alliance with smaller parties and Independent MLAs.

    Banerjee said the time has come to vote for clean politics and this can be ensured only by the TMC-led alliance.

    “Voting for any other party except the Trinamool Congress is equal to voting for the BJP which in turn means defeat of Goa,” he added.

    Referring to the BJP’s oft-repated talk of “double engine” goverment, Banerjee dismissed it as “double loot”.

    The term “double engine” is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

    “Loot of resources is happening in Goa and another loot of the national exchequer is happening in Delhi (Centre),” the TMC leader said.

    The state, which has a 40-member assembly, will go to the polls on February 14 and votes will be counted on March 10.

  • ‘There is no problem’: Abhishek downplays feud with Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday sought to downplay party MP Kalyan Banerjee’s veiled attacks on him on the issue of leadership, stating that both of them agree to the fact that Mamata Banerjee is their undisputed supremo.

    His remarks came amid perceived power struggle in the party and apparent differences between the generation-next leaders and a section of the old guards.

    Veteran TMC leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee had last week said that he doesn’t consider anyone else as his leader but Mamata Banerjee, while criticising Abhishek over a recent COVID-related suggestion.

    “Kalyan Banerjee asserted that Mamata Banerjee is his only leader. There is no problem with that as Mamata Banerjee is my only leader, too. There is no dispute, whatever Kalyan Banerjee has said is right,” Abhishek told reporters at a press meet in Goa.

    The TMC top leader, who is also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, insisted that the comment by Kalyan Banerjee goes on to prove that there is “no high command culture in the party”.

    “And if he (Kalyan Banerjee) speaks against me, it proves there is democracy (in the TMC),” Abhishek said while replying to questions from a Bengali news channel.

    Kalyan Banerjee, when contacted, declined comment on Abhishek’s statement.

    “He is the honourable national general secretary of All India Trinamool Congress. I follow the instructions of Didi (Mamata Banerjee) in true spirit. I have nothing else to say,” he told PTI.

    Speaking about his “Diamond Harbour model” for tackling COVID-19 — one which faced flak for the sample test figure cited — Abhishek, during the press meet, said that self examination at home is not accounted for in the official records.

    “There are a few things which you need to understand. (Results obtained through) self-test kits don’t get recorded. I wanted to stress on self examination. If you conduct an RT-PCR test, it takes 24 hours to get the report. As this Omicron variant has a higher transmission rate, we decided to stress on the use of self-test kit,” the TMC’s Diamond Harbour MP explained.

    The parliamentarian also said that of the 53,000 single-day tests he had talked about, 20,000 were RT-PCR and related examinations and the rest 33,000 were done with self-kit at home.

    Asked if the ‘Diamond Harbour model’ would be replicated in others parts of the state, he asserted that the West Bengal government was working proactively to contain the COVID situation.

    According to TMC leaders close to the MP, the Diamond Harbour model emphasises on maximum number of tests in a single day, strict implementation of COVID-safety protocol, banning of political, social and religious meetings for the time being, a dedicated control room and WhatsApp number for coordination in every panchayat and municipality among other facilities.

    Talking about the recent arrest of an INTTUC leader following work disruption at Exide plant in Haldia, he said the party has zero tolerance towards such incidents.

    “If someone tries to malign the party, it will not be tolerated, no matter who the leader or worker is,” the TMC leader added.

  • BJP trying to throttle democracy in Tripura, will put an end to misrule: Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday claimed that the ruling BJP in Tripura was trying to “throttle” the voice of its opposition leaders as the party has no regard for democratic values.

    He arrived here on Monday morning, a day after the party’s youth leader, Saayoni Ghosh, was arrested for allegedly disrupting a meeting that was being held by Chief Minister Biplab Deb.

    Banerjee’s scheduled rally in the state was, however, cancelled as the police denied permission, citing “law and order problems and political tension”.

    Addressing a press conference, the senior TMC leader asserted that the TMC will defeat the BJP and put an end to the saffron camp’s “misrule” in the next assembly elections.

    “The BJP in Tripura is making a mockery of democracy. Now that we have entered the state, we will ensure BJP’s defeat. The reasons shown by the police to cancel my rally proves that there exists no rule of law in the state,” he told a press conference.

    Hitting out at the administration in Tripura over Ghosh’s arrest, Banerjee said the TMC youth leader was held on charges of criminal intimidation and attempt to murder, but it was “unclear who did she try to intimidate or kill”.

    “Biplab Deb is so scared that he tried to falsely implicate a woman. Police could not give a reply when asked who Sayoni attempted to intimidate or kill,” he quipped.

    “You are chanting the slogan — ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ — and then attacking our women candidates. There is a deliberate attempt to throttle the voice of opposition parties,” he stated.

    Ghosh was on Monday granted bail by the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), West Tripura district.

    She was arrested after raising ‘khela hobe’ (game will be played) slogan on Sunday to allegedly “disrupt” a street-corner meeting being held by Chief Minister Biplab Deb.

    Some people accompanying her had apparently hurled stones at those attending the meet, according to police sources.

    Several TMC supporters who had gathered outside the police station, where Ghosh was taken to after arrest, also reportedly came under attack on Sunday.

    Dubbing the “double engine government” as the “government of double thief”, Banerjee said, “The way the BJP goons attacked our supporters and activists at a police station only go on to show that a jungle rule prevails in the state. The ruling BJP in Tripura is using its police for narrow political gains, but this would not last long. We will fight them. The government led by Biplab Deb will not be able to silence the TMC.”

    He alleged that the Biplab Deb government has defied a Supreme Court order that asked Tripura to ensure free and fair local elections in the state.

    “This government has no respect for the judiciarya nd do not care for Supreme Court or high court orders. Nobody is secure in the state. Lawyers are not safe in court, doctors are not safe in hospital, and patients are also being attacked,” he said.

    The Supreme Court has recently asked the Tripura government to ensure that no political party in the fray for the coming local body elections “is prevented from pursuing its electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner”.

    Earlier in the day, shortly before Banerjee’s arrival here, an unattended bag at the Agartala airport had triggered a bomb scare.

    The bag was later moved to a cooling pit, with Bomb Threat Assessment Committee having declared it as a “non-specific threat”.

  • TMC leader Saayoni Ghosh arrested in Tripura on charges of attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Just days ahead of civic polls in Tripura, Bengali actress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth leader Saayoni Ghosh was arrested by Tripura Police on Sunday, November 21, 2021.

    She was booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

    The incident unfolded on the eve of TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s roadshow in Tripura capital Agartala. He is scheduled to reach the state on Sunday night. Several TMC leaders, including Kunal Ghosh and Sushmita Dev, are in the Tripura capital for poll campaign.

    The police said Saayoni was arrested based on a complaint and claimed that they found preliminary evidence against her after recording the statements of witnesses. The actress will be produced in a court on Monday.

    “The allegation against her is that she is trying to promote enmity between groups of people. We also got preliminary evidence of attempt to murder. It is related to driving (in Agartala), so we arrested her,” Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban) of West Tripura district, B Jagadeswar Reddy told journalists but did neither elaborate the criminal conspiracy nor the case of attempt to murder.

    “There were four other people (including the driver) in the car. We have got their details. We are trying to arrest them,” he added.

    The TMC alleged BJP goons had attacked a police station where Saayoni was being interrogated earlier in the day. Kunal Ghosh and other TMC leaders were at the police station then. Ghosh said the attack and the actress’s arrest were pre-planned to spoil Banerjee’s roadshow.

    .@BjpBiplab has become so UNABASHEDLY BRAZEN that now even SUPREME COURT ORDERS DOESN’T SEEM TO BOTHER HIM.He has repeatedly sent goons to attack our supporters & our female candidates instead of ensuring their safety! DEMOCRACY BEING MOCKED under @BJP4Tripura. #NotMyINDIA pic.twitter.com/E9JA4HgTf9
    — Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) November 21, 2021
    “The officer-in-charge of the police station had visited the hotel where Saayoni is staying and asked her to report to the police station for questioning. We had asked for the reasons. We said no notice was served on her. The officer could not give any answer,” Ghosh said.

    He said despite the BJP “goons” carrying out the attack with bricks, sticks and rods, none of them were arrested.

    “The police levelled some baseless and imaginary charges against her. The BJP is going to lose the civic polls and that’s why, they are doing all these things,” Ghosh said.

    He said the TMC could not move for bail as the actress was not produced in court.

    “The police have been instructed not to produce her in the court. They also know what is happening is not right. They got beaten up by the BJP goons but they cannot do anything,” he added.

    TMC’s state leader Subal Bhowmik said four to five party workers and some cops were injured and his car was damaged in the attack. He said a stone pelted by the assailants hit him on the back.

    The municipal elections will be held on November 25.

  • Youth push in ruling Trinamool ahead of Bengal civic body polls

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  With the elevation of Abhishek Banerjee as the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, the party has decided to induct young faces ahead of the civic polls in West Bengal.

    Amid speculations that 34-year-old Abhishek is going to be the party’s flag bearer in the future, the TMC high-command has decided not to field aged and those suffering from ailments in the civic polls.

    The party has approved the suggestion of fielding young candidates by election strategist Prashant Kishor’s team IPAC, which played a key role in Mamata’s thumping victory in the recent Assembly polls. 

    “It is almost clear that Abhishek is going to be Mamata Banerjee’s successor. Kishor’s team has suggested to give young blood first priority. We have been asked to field hardworking and young faces in the municipal elections. These foot soldiers will turn into prominent faces in politics in coming days,” said a TMC leader. 

    The TMC in June hinted elevation of young workers by appointing actor Saayoni Ghosh as the president of the party’s youth wing. 

  • Calcutta HC restrains ED from any coercive action on Abhishek Banerjee’s secretary for six weeks

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court has directed Enforcement Directorate not to take any coercive action for six weeks against Sumit Roy, who is the secretary to TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

    The court also directed Roy to cooperate with the ED by appearing before it via video conference or be physically present in its office in Kolkata when summoned by the agency. The court in its order on November 9 directed the ED to file an affidavit-in-opposition and the petitioner to file his reply to that within the six week period, after which the matter will come up for hearing again.

    “However, no coercive measure be taken against the petitioner in connection with the investigation in the above referred case for a period of six weeks from the date hereof,” Justice Shivakant Prasad directed. Roy had challenged the summons issued to him for his cooperation in the investigation in the PMLA case lodged by the ED in connection with the alleged coal scam.

    The petitioner had challenged the constitutional validity of sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, dealing with summons to an individual as ultra vires of the Constitution and prayed for quashing of the summons issued to him by the ED.

    Roy also challenged the jurisdiction of ED to register a case in New Delhi when the offence has been allegedly committed within the territory of West Bengal and a specific case was registered by the CBI in the state.

    SB Raju, Additional Solicitor General, Supreme Court and YJ Dastoor, ASG, West Bengal, representing the ED and the Union of India respectively, submitted that a similar matter is pending before the Supreme Court wherein the constitutional validity of the provisions of PMLA have been challenged.

    Till an order is passed by the apex court, it has to be presumed that these provisions are constitutionally valid, they said. They further submitted that the high court should as such stay the hearing of the petition before it till the Supreme Court disposes the matter on the similar issue.

    After hearing both the parties, Justice Prasad said the court found that the petitioner is not avoiding cooperation with the ED into the investigation. The court said that in response to the first summon issued on September 24, the petitioner had filed his reply on October 7 enclosing the documents for the information required.

    Roy had prayed for an interim order of protection against the ED from taking any coercive action against him in connection with the case and to allow him to be examined through video conferencing or at the agency’s office in Kolkata.

    The case is in relation to an alleged multi-crore rupees coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields’ mines in and around Asansol.

  • ‘Must defeat BJP to prevent Tripura from becoming Afghanistan’: Trinamool sounds poll bugle

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday claimed his party would form the Government in Tripura in the 2023 state assembly elections.

    Banerjee promised to end what he claimed was “BJP’s misrule” and said his party follow West Bengal’s model of ‘good governance’ to deliver fruits of development to the Northeastern state.

    Addressing a gathering before the Rabindra Shatabrshiki Bhaban (Tagore Centenary Hall) here, Banerjee alleged that law and order has collapsed in the state and development has come to a standstill ever since the BJP came to power in Tripura.

    He also termed all poll pledges made by the ruling BJP as ‘jumla’ (fake promise) as he claimed these had not been fulfilled despite the party being in power for more than three and half years.

    “They say BJP is a double engine government (but) If we compare the reports cards of West Bengal with that of the BJP led government in Tripura and in the centre, we see hardly any developments there (in Tripura and nationally)”, Banerjee claimed.

    He said TMC would fight in all the seats of the civic polls in the state including the Agartala Municipal Council slated for November 25 next and the sixty member assembly elections to be held in 2023 to “unseat the BJP.”

    “We must fight and defeat BJP, otherwise the situation in Tripura would turn similar to Afghanistan. BJP leaders have already instigated their party workers to launch attacks on TMC activists in Talibani style,” Banerjee said, “the double engine government of BJP is like corona virus and they need only one dose which is Mamata Bandopaddhayay.”

    He claimed that TMC would be able to form government in Goa in three months by defeating the BJP-led Government there.

    Banerjee said, “TMC did not believe in forming governments by the back door. If we want, we can break (Goa) government even now. 15 MLAs are ready to join us, but we do not believe in back-door politics. We want to form government in a democratic manner. We are enjoying overwhelming response from common people, who are fed up with this government. We are sure we would form government in Tripura in 2023”, he said.

    Ashish Das, a BJP legislator from Tripura and Rajib Banerjee, a national body member of BJP on Sunday joined TMC and Banerjee welcomed them with his party’s flag ion- stage.

    He said TMC supremo, Mamata Bandopadhyay would visit Tripura in December and address a gathering here.

    “Whatever is possible to oust BJP from the government will be done. If necessary, I will spill blood,” Banerjee said.

    He alleged that the government had hatched conspiracy to cancel Sunday’s programme by misusing police and administration, but could not succeed due to the interjection by of the Tripura High Court.

    The High Court of Tripura late Saturday night gave permission to the Trinamool Congress to hold its planned rally for the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after the local police cancelled its earlier permission, subject to the proviso that not more than 500 people would be allowed to attend.

    Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in parts of the country, the BJP-led state government had on Saturday also issued fresh guidelines making COVID-19 tests mandatory for people entering Tripura from several states including West Bengal.

    TMC had promptly reacted calling this a politically motivated move.

    “The BJP is scared of Abhishek. They are using coronavirus as a shield to stop him from addressing the people of Tripura. This shows they know well that the people of Tripura are no longer with the BJP,” TMC leader Partha Chatterjee had claimed.

  • Tripura govt changes venue of Abhishek Banerjee’s rally in Agartala, TMC says, ‘BJP is scared’

    By ANI

    AGARTALA: Following the change of venue of Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s public rally in Agartala, scheduled to be held on Sunday, the party said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is sacred of the TMC MP.

    The venue of the rally was earlier set to be held at Rabindra Bhawan. According to sources, the venue has been cancelled by the administration citing the reason for probable traffic congestion.

    Now, the TMC leader’s rally will be held at Swami Vivekananda stadium in the city.

    Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh was summoned to West Agartala Police Station under Section 41 A of CrPC on Saturday.

    After visiting the police station, Ghosh said, “BJP is scared of Abhishek Banerjee. They delayed Abhishek Banerjee’s Agartala visit. But Abhishek will come tomorrow and the meeting will be held abiding by all rules and regulations. BJP is hatching all kinds of conspiracies. They have made RTPCR mandatory for West Bengal. But why is there discrimination? Why is it not required for people visiting from Delhi and Assam? It is because their leaders can enter Tripura.”

    Negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test report will be mandatory for entry into Tripura for travellers from those states where more than one district has a positivity rate of 5 per cent or more irrespective of their vaccination status, said an order issued by the state government on Friday. The order comes in effect from October 30.

    “It is hereby informed that from October 30 onwards, negative test report for COVID-19 done by RT-PCR/True NAT/CBNAAT of 48 hours prior to journey is required for entry into the state through airport/railway station/Churaibari from those states of the country where more than one district having positivity rate of 5 per cent or more as on October 26 (Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland) irrespective of COVID-19 vaccination status,” read the order.

    In case a negative report is not available, the passenger will have to undergo a COVID-19 test at the entry point as per state government norms, stated the order.

    The order instructs the authorities to ensure strict implementation of instructions.

  • BJP leaders dishonoured people’s verdict, thrust bypoll on them by quitting as MLAs: Abhishek

    The Diamond Harbour MP further noted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in contrast, 'kept her promises and rolled out schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar.'