News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Mamata hoodwinking farmers ahead of polls on Centre’s scheme: Amit Shah

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of hoodwinking the state’s farmers by not providing their details despite announcing that her government was ready to allow Centre’s scheme for ryots.

    While addressing a virtual rally in Howrah, Shah alleged that Mamata duped the farmers on two occasions — first by not allowing PM Kishan Nidhi in Bengal for the past two years and now by not providing details of the farmers who are keen on availing the scheme.

    “After depriving farmers for the past two years, Mamatadidi said she would allow the PM Kishan Nidhi scheme in Bengal. When the Centre asked her to send the details of the farmers, she did not respond. Do you think that people of Bengal do not understand your tricks? You are trying to hoodwink the poor farmers of your state by not sharing their details with the Centre,” said Shah in his speech welcoming newly inducted Trinamool Congress’ turncoats.

    The Union Minister had to cancel his two-day Bengal visit following a blast near the Israel Embassy in Delhi.

    Earlier in January, Mamata had said that the Centre claimed around 21.7 lakh farmers from Bengal registered themselves on a portal to avail the benefits of the central scheme. “They (the Centre) have sought verification of this data. I understood the Centre is trying to politicise the matter. We realised the farmers should not suffer because of this. I have asked the Centre to pass on the data so that we can start the verification process,” she had said.

    A face-off between the central government and Mamata Banerjee ensued on the central scheme issue as the Bengal government wanted the Centre to transfer the fund to the state’s account and disburse it among the farmers by using the state’s machinery. But the Centre wanted to transfer the money directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

    Refuting Shah’s allegation, TMC minister and spokesperson Chandrima Bhattacharya said the Centre did not send the farmers’ list despite the chief minister’s request.

    Hitting out at the Bengal CM for barring Centre’s Ayshman Bharat health insurance scheme, Shah assured that after wresting power in Bengal the scheme would be introduced in the state. “Today I am promising that after coming to power in Bengal, the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be allowed in Bengal in the first cabinet meeting,” he said.

    The Union Home minister lashed out at Mamata for violence in Bengal and allowing infiltrators to settle down.

    As Shah cancelled his Bengal visit, textile minister Smriti Irani was present in the Howrah rally where other than the TMC lawmakers, 25 ruling party functionaries of Zilla Parishad, municipalities and gram panchayats joined the BJP. Smriti, in her speech, castigated Mamata for not allowing migrant workers to enter Bengal during the lockdown and misusing the Centre’s financial assistance to the state government as a relief for cyclone Amphan victims.

  • BJP leaders assure Matuas of Shah’s meeting soon, Trinamool blames it of resorting to falsehood

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: With Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelling his visit to Matua stronghold Thakurnagar in North 24 Paragans district on Saturday, senior BJP leaders Kailash Viayvargiya and Mukul Roy met prominent members of the commuity and assured them that the central minister will hold a meeting for them “very soon”.

    Vijayvargiya, BJP national general secretary and Roy, the party’s national vice-president, were closeted in an over an hour long meeting with party MP Santanu Thakur.

    They told the members of the community that Shah’s visit to Thakurnagar was cancelled due to sudden developments in Delhi and that he will visit the place “very soon” and address the Matuas during his next visit to the state.

    Shah’s two-day visit to West Bengal from Saturday was cancelled at the last minute following a blast outside the Israeli embassy in the national capital.

    His proposed meeting at Thakurnagar assumes importance as the Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in the state can influence the poll outcome in at least 60 assembly seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts of poll-bound West Bengal.

    Polls are likely to be held in April- May this year.

    Later, Roy told reporters “Amit Shah spoke to Santanu Thakur about holding the proposed meeting on any coming day and asked the organizers not to dismantle the stage originally erected for the meeting”.

    “Please don’t dismantle the stage and keep yourself ready for all last minute arrangements in 24-48 hour notice. My office will keep you posted,” Roy quoted Shah as having told Santanu Thakur.

    Meanwhile, Matuas living in pockets near the Bangladesh border who had come to the headquarters of the sect looked distraught at the sudden change of plan and left the venue.

    “Shah could not come due to developments in Delh. He is a busy person. We are ready to wait for him,” a member of the community said.

    Mamatabala Thakur, Trinamool Congress leader from the community on the other hand said the cancellation of the scheduled meeting showed that Shah had nothing concrete to offer to the Matuas regarding the citizenship issue.

    Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.

    Senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee claimed that BJP was giving “false promises” to the community.

    Referring to the assurances by BJP in the past about Citizenship Amendment Act among the Matuas, Mukherjee, who is also a senior state minister, said “Matuas have always had citizenship in Bengal. They have voted.”

    “How can you give citizenship to those who are already citizens? Those who have ration cards are citizens,” he said.

    In November 2020 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had distributed 25,000 land pattas to refugees from the Matua community.

    “This land right document will ensure that they are citizens,” Mukherjee pointed out.

    “Parliament rules were supposed to be framed within six months for Citizenship Amendment Act after the Lok Sabha polls. They (BJP) asked for more time to make rules, leaving thousands of people in uncertainty. Now they are using COVID- 19 as an excuse. All of this is jumla (false promise),” he addedd.

  • Bengal polls: Rajiv Banerjee, other TMC leaders fly to Delhi to join BJP

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Former West Bengal minister Rajib Banerjee and a few other disgruntled former MLAs and leaders on Saturday left for New Delhi in a chartered flight arranged by the BJP high-command to join the saffron camp.

    Apart from Rajib Banerjee, the other leaders who flew to Delhi are Bally MLA Baishali Dalmiya, Uttarpara MLA Pabir Ghosal, former Howrah municipal corporation chairman Rathin Chakrabarty, former chairman of Ranaghat municipality Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, and actor Rudranil Ghosh.

    BJP sources said all these functionaries will return Kolkata after their induction in the BJP and they will be present in the Howrah event on Sunday.

    Banerjee said he had a word with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who called him to the national capital. “After I resigned from the TMC, I received a call from the BJP leadership…..Amit Shah ji told me to come over to Delhi.

    “I want to work for people. So whatever role is assigned to me, I will accept,” he said.

    According to BJP sources, these TMC leaders were supposed to join the saffron party during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally at Dumurjula in Howrah on Sunday.

    However, Shah’s two-day visit to West Bengal was cancelled at the last minute following a blast outside the Israeli Embassy in the national capital.

    Union minister Smriti Irani will now deputise for Shah at the programme.

    Sources in the BJP said Shah might address the rally on a virtual platform. “The final nod from our national headquarters is yet to come. We have been asked to keep arrangements in place for Amitji’s virtual speech,” said a BJP leader.

  • Bengal BJP trying to rope in Yogi or Rajnath as Shah calls off visit

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/KOLKATA:  Though Union home minister Amit Shah cancelled his trip to West Bengal at the eleventh hour, the BJP’s Howrah  rally on Sunday, where Trinamool Congress functionaries, including two MPs, four MLAs and a former minister, are expected to join the party, will take place as scheduled, BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh confirmed on Friday. 

    “Since the Union home minister’s visit has been cancelled, a senior leader from the party’s leadership will be present in the rally in Howrah to welcome the defectors from the TMC,’’ said Ghosh.

    Sources in the Bengal BJP said they are trying to bring any of the other big leaders like JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh or Yogi Adityanath to the event where the TMC’s functionaries are scheduled to join the saffron camp.

    Shah was set to address two rallies in West Bengal on Saturday and Sunday, and attend several programmes as the BJP steps up its campaign in the poll-bound state where assembly elections are expected to be held in April-May. 

    Shah’s Bengal visit was much awaited event aiming to the Matua vote-share ahead of the upcoming 2021 Assembly elections. 

    As the electorates of the religious sect wanted Shah to announce a deadline of giving them citizenship by implementing CAA, the promise that the BJP had made in 2019 general elections and secured electoral dividend riding on it. 

    During Shah’s visit last month, six TMC MLAs and an MP had joined BJP along with 45 district-level functionaries. 

    Meanwhile, the TMC was on Friday rocked by a fresh bout of desertions as former minister Rajib Banerjee quit the party and several other leaders rallied behind him, deepening the crisis in the party. After quitting the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, Rajib Banerjee on Friday resigned from the party and as MLA of the West Bengal Assembly.

    A slew of disgruntled TMC leaders, including some MLAs such as Prabir Ghosal and Baishali Dalmiya, who was recently expelled from the party and former Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty, spoke out against the TMC leadership.

    Incidentally, Shah was scheduled to address a rally in Rajib Banerjee’s home district Howrah on January. 31. 

  • Mob violence at Singhu, massing of farmers at Ghazipur; Amit Shah cancels Bengal trip

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  A day after the police tried to evict farmers from Ghazipur, action on Friday shifted to the Singhu border — the nerve centre of the ongoing protests against the three farm laws — where a group of ‘locals’ clashed with agitators demanding that they vacate it.

    The Delhi Police and security personnel resorted to lathicharge and launched tear gas shells to control the situation as both sides resorted to stoning and the mob allegedly snatched batons from security forces to attack the protestors.

    The clashes began after more than 100 locals reached the site with placards and the Tricolour around 1.15 pm and shouted slogans like Jai Shri Ram, Goli Maaro Salon Ko, Desh Ke Ghaddaron ko, Khalisthan Khali Karo. They allegedly damaged tents and other paraphernalia of farmers, which led to retaliation.

    In the melee, Delhi Police SHO (Alipur) Pradeep Paliwal was injured as a man allegedly attacked him with a sword.

    “These people carrying national flags came with stones and lathis and asked us (farmers) to vacate the highway. After heated exchange of words, they attacked our tents, pelted us with stones and hit us with lathis,” said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of BKU (Lakhowal).

    who allegedly attacked police Station House Officer (Alipur) Pradeep Paliwal, during clashes between locals and farmers at the Singhu Border in Delhi on Friday;

    The police arrested 43 people in connection with the day’s clashes, including farmer Ranjeet Singh (22) for attacking the SHO. A common FIR charging them with attempt to murder, damaging public property, attacking public servant on duty, etc., has been registered.

    In contrast, the UP-Delhi border at Ghazipur was peaceful, but the crowd swelled in the morning following an emotional appeal by Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union.

    Farmers in batches, small business owners, and social and political activists visited the protest site in droves.

    The camps of protestors now span a distance of 6 km on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Similarly, farmers in large numbers on their tractortrailers from Punjab and Haryana are moving back towards Singhu and Tikri borders.

    With the situation still evolving, Union home minister Amit Shah cancelled his proposed weekend trip to West Bengal.

    Earlier in the day, a mahapanchayat of farmers in Muzaffarnagar decided to throw weight behind the BKU.

    The GIC ground near Mahaveer Chowk, where the meeting took place, was jam packed. The mahapanchayat was called by BKU national president Naresh Tikait after the Ghazipur developments.

    Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh has already announced his support to the BKU and his son Jayant Chaudhary met Tikait at Ghazipur.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Police sent notices through WhatsApp messenger app to nine farmer leaders to join the investigation in connection with the violence at Red Fort on January 26.

  • Bengal polls: Second phase of exodus from TMC likely during Amit Shah’s visit

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Poll-bound West Bengal is likely to witness another phase of the exodus from the ruling Trinamool Congress to BJP during Union Home minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit starting from Saturday. 

    At least two MPs, four MLAs, including a former TMC minister, along with 20 other party functionaries are said to be all set to join the BJP.

    Former minister for forest affairs Rajib Banerjee, who stepped down from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet on January 22 and resigned from the post of MLA and gave up party membership on Friday, has triggered speculations of his defection to the saffron camp.

    During Shah’s Bengal visit last month, six TMC MLAs and a sitting MP joined the BJP along with 45 other district level functionaries.

    “The second round of defection from the TMC will take place during Shah’s rally at Dumurjala stadium in Howrah district on January 31, a day after the Union Home minister’s rally at Bongaon, North 24-Parganas. The upcoming event will be another blow to the TMC ahead of the crucial 2021 Assembly elections,” said a BJP leader.

    Sources in the BJP said other than Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Bally TMC MLA and the daughter of former cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was expelled from the party last week for supporting the former minister, former sports minister Lakshmi Ratan Shukla and Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghosal are queuing up to join the saffron camp on Sunday.

    The Bengal BJP, however, decided to cancel Shah’s roadshow at Uluberia, Howrah, on Sunday as two events were scheduled in the same district. “The Union Home Minister was scheduled to be in the roadshow after addressing a rally at the Dumurjala stadium. Since both the events are in the same district, the participation of our supporters in the roadshow will not be like the previous occasions. The presence of inadequate supporters will send a message to our rival camps,” said another BJP leader.

    Shah and BJP’s national president JP Nadda had recently held roadshows in Bolpur and Burdwan respectively where a large number of BJP supporters turned up.

  • Amit Shah on two-day visit to Bengal, to oversee BJP’s poll preparedness

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah will arrive in Kolkata tonight on a two-day visit beginning on Saturday to take stock of the BJP’s preparedness ahead of the assembly elections in West Bengal.

    His visit comes in the backdrop of growing rebellion in the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) with several ministers and MLAs openly speaking out against the party and the functioning of the state government.

    Speculations are rife that former minister Rajib Banerjee who has resigned as cabinet minister and TMC MLA, expelled TMC MLA Baishali Dalmiya and Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal may join the saffron party during Shah’s visit.

    “On Saturday morning, Shah will be visiting Iskcon, Mayapur. Then he will be going to Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, a bastion of Matuas, where he will address a public rally. Later in the day, he will hold a closed-door meeting with social media cell of the party. He has some other engagements too,” a state BJP leader said.

    Shah will also hold a meeting with party leaders to review its poll prepararedness.

    “On Sunday he will be visiting Aurobindo Bhawan to pay his respects to Sri Aurobindo. Then he will be going to Bharat Sevashram Sangha. From there he will proceed to Howrah where he will address a public meeting,” the BJP leader said.

    Later in the evening, he will be visiting Belur Math. According to BJP sources, there will be “surprises” at Shah’s rally in Howrah.

    “Lists of TMC leaders likely to join our party are doing the rounds in social media. I can only say that there will be several surprises on Sunday,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

    In the biggest single-day exodus from the TMC, political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with 35 party leaders, including five MLAs and an MP, had joined the BJP during Shah’s rally in Medinipur on December 19.

    Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP bagged 18 seats from the state, 14 legislators of the TMC, four from the Left Front and two from the Congress have joined the saffron party.

    Elections to the 294-member state assembly are due in April-May.

  • Bengal polls: To woo Matuas, TMC to hold rally at Shah’s venue in community stronghold

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Political slugfest between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress has intensified ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day West Bengal visit starting from Saturday. 

    The ruling party on Friday decided to organise an event at the same venue in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas, on February 9 where the Union Home Minister is scheduled to address a rally on Saturday (January 30).

    When Shah’s visit is aimed to retain the party’s Matua vote-share that it had bagged in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by promising the followers of the Hindu religious sect, who migrated from Bangladesh, citizenship, the TMC is desperate to win back the community. The saffron camp had promised to implement the contentious CAA and give the Hindu refugees citizenship before last year’s general elections.  

    “Matuas, influenced by BJP’s citizenship promise, changed their political alignment in last year’s election. Now, their dissent is conspicuous and they want Shah, the architect behind the CAA, to announce a deadline. The BJP is on a back foot as the new act triggered nation-wide violence. We have decided to hold a rally at the same place at Thakurnagar in Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency, where Shah will address a gathering, to give the BJP a befitting reply to their misleading politics,” said a senior TMC leader.

    The leader, however, said it is yet to be finalised whether party supremo Mamata Banerjee or her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will address the Bongaon rally.

    Matuas are a deciding factor in 35 Assembly constituencies across the state and the BJP secured the lead in 22 in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In south Bengal, the saffron camp bagged both the Bongaon and Ranaghat Lok Sabha seats where the concentration of Matua electorates is high.   

    Bengal BJP functionaries decided to bring Shah to Matuas’ religious headquarters at Thakurnagar in Bongaon after the local MP Shantanu Thakur had recently said he was not sure what would be the political alignment of the religious sect followers if CAA is not implemented. He also said that Matuas want Shah to visit Thakurnagar and announce the deadline.

    The BJP high-command, including Shah and the party’s national president JP Nadda, have been dodging questions related to the implementation of the CAA during their West Bengal visits. Both Shah and Nadda said the process of preparing the Act was under process and it was being delayed because of Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, other leaders pay tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Affairs Minister, Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders paid tributes to Punjab Kesari and freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary on Thursday.

    Union Home Minister remembered his work during the freedom struggle.

    “Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai ji, a son of our Maa Bharati, who while bearing the cruelty and atrocities of the British rule, worked continuously for the freedom of the people. Lala ji’s sacrifice and the unrestrained struggle for the independence of the country still inspires patriotism and inspiration among the countrymen,” Shah tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

    पंजाब केसरी लाला लाजपत राय जी माँ भारती के ऐसे वीर सपूत थे जिन्होंने अंग्रेज़ों की क्रूरता और अत्याचारों को सहते हुए जन-जन में स्वाधीनता की अलख जगाने का काम किया।देश की आजादी के लिए लाला जी का बलिदान व अप्रतिम संघर्ष आज भी देशवासियों में राष्ट्रभक्ति व प्रेरणा का संचार करता है। pic.twitter.com/wZb308bBBL
    — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 28, 2021

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also remembered Punjab Kesari and said that he instilled a sense of national love within the countrymen.

    “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai, I remember and salute him. During the Indian freedom struggle, he instilled a sense of national love within the countrymen and encouraged the youth to come forward. His contribution will continue to inspire future generations of the country as well,” he tweeted.

    पंजाब केसरी लाला लाजपत राय की जयंती के अवसर पर मैं उन्हें स्मरण एवं नमन करता हूँ। भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम के दौरान उन्होंने देशवासियों के भीतर राष्ट्रप्रेम की भावना भरने और युवाओं को आगे आने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया। उनका योगदान देश की भावी पीढ़ियों को भी प्रेरणा देता रहेगा।
    — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) January 28, 2021

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla offered floral tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai at the Parliament.

    “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of “Punjab Kesari” Lala Lajpat Rai ji, he paid a wreath in the Central Hall of Parliament today. Lala ji’s principles will always inspire us,” he tweeted.

    Union Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal saluted Lala Lajpat Rai.

    “Salute to him on the birth anniversary of Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai who sacrificed his life for the independence of the country. Their lives, ideals and sacrifices will always inspire all of us to work for the progress of the nation,” he said.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also offered floral tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai and remembered his valour and supreme sacrifice.

    “Offered floral tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai, today at the Parliament House. A firebrand nationalist leader, Lalaji’s valour and supreme sacrifice gave new life to India’s freedom struggle,” Joshi tweeted.

    Offered floral tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai, today at the Parliament House. A firebrand nationalist leader, Lalaji’s valour and supreme sacrifice gave new life to India’s freedom struggle. pic.twitter.com/cu0YkDK791
    — Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 28, 2021

    Born on January 28, 1865, Lala Lajpat Rai played a pivotal role in the Indian Independence movement. He was one of the three in the Lal Bal Pal trio namely Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal – social reformers and freedom fighters who helped India gain independence from the British rule. 

  • Home Minister Amit Shah visits hospital to enquire about health of cops injured in Republic Day violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday visited a hospital here to enquire about the health of policemen injured in the violence that broke out during the farmers’ tractor parade in the national capital on Republic Day, officials said.

    Nearly 400 policemen were injured during the tractor parade of the farmers who have been protesting against three central farm laws at Delhi’s borders since November.

    “Meeting the injured Delhi Police personnel. We are proud of their courage and bravery,” Shah tweeted.

    Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava accompanied the home minister.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah coming out after meeting injured Police personnel at Sushruta Trauma Centre. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)

    During the visit, Shah interacted with policemen and also took stock of their health progress from doctors.

    As per the plans, the home minister is visiting two hospitals — Shushrut Trauma Centre and Teerath Ram Hospital — where some of the policemen were admitted for treatment.

    Both the hospitals are located in Civil Lines area in the city.

    The Delhi Police on Wednesday had alleged that farmer leaders made inflammatory speeches and were involved in the violence during the tractor parade by agitating farmers that left 394 of its personnel injured, as it warned that no culprit will be spared.