News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticises BJP for abolishing Planning Commission

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Hitting out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for abolishing the Planning Commission conceptualised by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that her government would come up with a similar body to take forward the nationalistic leader’s ideas and vision.

    She urged Nobel laureate economists Amartya Sen and Abhijit Banerjee and Bose’s grandnephew Sugata Bose, a historian and former Trinamool Congress MP, to advise the state government on this.

    “The Planning Commission has been dissolved by the central government. They have named the new body (which replaced the Planning Commission) Niti Aayog or Niti Niyog, I do not know. It does not have any ideology, nor any method (to work). Earlier, I used to go for meetings of the Planning Commission which sought suggestions from each state. Now we cannot share our views,” Banerjee said.

    The Narendra Modi government disbanded the Planning Commission in 2014 and had formed the Niti Aayog.

    “We will start a Bengal Planning Commission to take Netaji’s vision to the world level,” Banerjee told reporters after a meeting of a committee set up by the TMC government to plan year-long celebrations to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter.

    She also demanded that Netaji’s birthday on January 23 be declared a national holiday.

    The CM also stressed on her demand that the Centre declassify all the files on Netaji.

    “We have already done it (declassified some files). We are demanding that the Centre declassify all files related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,” she said.

    Abhijit Banerjee and other members of the committee attended the virtual meeting.

    Netaji’s birthday on January 23 will be celebrated as ‘Desh Nayak Divas’ in West Bengal, Banerjee said adding that a ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ monument will be soon erected in Rajarhat area of Kolkata.

    The chief minister also proposed forming a ‘Jai Hind Bahini’ along the lines of the National Cadet Corps in state-run schools and colleges in memory of Netaji.

    Elaborating on it, she said the Jai Hind Bahini will be like the government’s flagship ‘Kanyashree’ project.

    Those who join it will get priority in getting scholarships and will be trained by the government.

    “We will be investing the money for the future generation. The colleges and university and the education department will take the initiative to provide fellowships to those in the Bahini,” she said.

    She advocated a short film or a documentary on Netaji for schoolchildren.

    Besides, a CD of songs related to Netaji will also be brought out, she said adding the state government will set up a ‘national university’ named after Netaji.

    “We will set up a national university without taking help from anybody. This university will have links to world class universities like Havard, Cambridge and Oxford,” she announced.

    The chief minister said that on Netaji’s birthday a rally will be organised from Shyambazar in north Kolkata to Red Road in the central part of the city.

    A tableaux on the life of Netaji will be taken out dring the Republic Day parade here on January 26, while during this year’s Independence Day rally will be themed on the nationalistic leader.

    Others who took part in the virtual meeting were the famed painter Suvaprasanna, theatre personality Rudra Prasad Sengupta, author Sirsendhu Mukherjee, actor and danseuse Mamata Shankar.

  • Don’t want TMC in anti-BJP grouping because of strong anti-incumbency against it: Sitaram Yechury

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The CPI(M)’s prime objective is to defeat BJP in the upcoming West Bengal polls but in the pursuit of this it doesn’t want to take along the TMC because of strong anti-incumbency sentiment prevailing against Mamata Banerjee government which would drive people away from us, its General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Monday.

    Besides, the people are well aware of the TMC’s track record in the last 20 years when it had alliance with the saffron party and its leaders served as ministers in the BJP- led NDA coalition, Yechury said.

    Yechury, who was addressing media after attending the party state committee meeting here, said the Marxists will have poll understanding with the Congress and traditonal allies like the other Left parties and non-Left allies like NCP and RJD in Bengal elections.

    “The anti-incumbency sentiment against the TMC government runs so deep and so large that any unity of all the anti-BJP forces will only help the BJP more. It will be counter productive.

    “People have great anger against the TMC. Aligning with Trinamool will therefore only turn people against us and help the BJP,” the Communist Party of India(Marxist) leader said.

    Further elaborating on the issue, Yechury said,”Everyone knows the TMC track record in the last 20 years as how it entered into alliances with the BJP and even served as ministers in the NDA cabinet”.

    He said the BJP and the TMC are trying to turn the approaching elections in Bengal as bipolar event, but the forces opposed to them would “rupture” this.

    “Our objective is to defeat the BJP and isolate the TMC. Give alternatives to people on the issues of their livelihood, focussing on the plank of job, food, health and education,” he said.

    “The issue is whether lives of the people can be bettered after polls. On that issue, there is no solution from either the BJP or the TMC,” he said.

    Farmers agitation against agri laws, demand for proper procurement price for paddy and the issues of migrant labourers would be the dominant narratives in the polls, the CPI(M) leader said.

    The CPI(M) and the Congress, which have agreed to an alliance, are in the process of a seat sharing arrangement for the West Bengal assembly elections.

    “Preliminary discussions have taken place with the Congrees and seat adjustment process is on,” Yechury said.

    To a question if the Congress has asked for 120-140 seats in the polls, Yechury said “seat adjustment process is on. But, there is no such demand from Congress.”

    Elections to the 294-member Bengal assembly is due in April-May this year.

    He blamed the centre for the farmers agitation against the new agri laws.

    Yechury said though the TMC is protesting against the centre on the new agri legislations, but the fact is that the farmers are not getting minimum support price of their produce under TMC regime in West Bengal as well.

    The CPI(M)-led Left Front which included CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc ruled Bengal for 34 years from 1977 and 2011.

    Mamata Banerjee had demolished the left bastion in the state in 2011 and since then she is on the chief ministerial chair.

    The CPI(M) and its allies slide continue in the state politics and they failed to win even a single seat in Bengal in 2019 general elections.

    The Congress managed two seats.

    The BJP has replaced the CPI(M) and the Congress as principal opponent to Trinamool Congress in Bengal winning 18 out of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, only four less than the TMC’s tally of 22.

    Since then the saffron party is making all efforts to win the coming state polls and form its government in Bengal.

    On the issue of DCGI giving nod to vaccines for using in India’s drive against COVID-19, Yechury said “India has a healthy tradition of providing safe scientifically sound vaccination to people as largest vaccine producer.

    “The scientific basis and universal access – there cannot be any compromise on that…In order to be in hurry there shouldn’t be any compromise on safe and scientific trials.”

  • Country is plagued with misogynists from BJP: TMC on Vijayvargiya’s tweet against Mamata

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Women leaders of the Trinamool Congress have slammed BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, accusing him of posting a misogynistic tweet against West Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

    Vijayvargiya, also the saffron party’s Bengal minder, shared a photo of Banerjee, in which she is seen cooking in a tribal village, on Twitter and, in an accompanying statement, said in Hindi, “Didi has already started doing the work she will have to do after 5 months.” 

    Banerjee’s photo was taken at Ballavpur village where she had stopped for some time while returning to Kolkata from Birbhum district last week.

    The assembly election in the state is due in April-May this year.

    Reacting sharply to Vijayvargiya’s post, TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that the country is filled with misogynists from the BJP who think the place of a woman is in the kitchen.

    “If you are a woman and you have aspirations to join active politics, remember – our country is plagued with MISOGYNISTS from BJP like these who plan to send women back to the kitchen,” Ghosh Dastidar tweeted.

    “Can’t imagine the lack of respect that women in Kailash Vijayvargiya family must be facing,” the doctor turned politician said.

    West Bengal minister Shashi Panja said, “BJP shows their true colors again! This is what they think of the only sitting female CM in India. No wonder our women are not safe under their rule! Before your misogyny strikes again, remind yourselves of the Chaiwala who’s now your boss!”

    Actor turned party MP Nusrat Jahan said “Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya’s comments are OUTRIGHT MISOGYNISTIC! BJP crossed the mark by insulting every single woman who cooks, provides for families and has aspirations. Mamata Banerjee is the only female CM in India at present and once again, BJP targets and abuses her. #Shameful.” 

    BJP Mahila Morcha state president Agnimitra Paul, however, wondered how that tweet of Vijayvargiya could be misogynistic.

    “Cooking cannot be a demeaning job. Our mothers and grandmothers cooked for days to sustain the family. Millions of women – working or housewives – cook with passion for their near ones every day. There are thousands of male chefs who are proud of their work. How can the tweet be demeaning or misogynistic?” she told PTI.

    Paul, also a fashion designer, claimed that at a meeting in the past, TMC MP Abhisek Banerjee had asked the crowd if they will wear sari and bangle if attacked.

    “Isn’t that demeaning to Indian women? Wearing sari and bangle is the pride of Indian women. What would the TMC women MPs have to say about that?” Paul asked.

    Mamata Banerjee made a sudden detour and entered the tribal village while returning to Kolkata after wrapping up a two-day visit to Bolpur in Birbhum district on December 30.

    She joined tribal women and cooked vegetables during the surprise visit to the village.

    Vijayvargiya on that day had said the chief minister’s sudden visit to the village was nothing but a “drama”.

    His alleged misogynistic tweet was posted on the next day.

  • Sourav under pressure to join politics: CPM leader’s shocker on former India Captain

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Senior CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya’s statement that BCCI president and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, who suffered a heart attack and is now hospitalised, was under pressure to join politics created a storm on Sunday.

    Speculations were rife that the former batting great will join the BJP ahead of the state assembly elections due in April-May this year.

    But Ganguly himself never made his intentions quite clear about taking the political plunge.

    He underwent angioplasty after a “mild” heart attack on Saturday.

    He is under treatment in a private hospital in Kolkata.

    “Some people wanted to use Ganguly politically. That probably exerted pressure on him. He is not a political element. He should be known as Sourav the sporting icon,” Bhattacharya, the BCCI presidents longtime family friend, said.

    “We should not create pressure on him (for joining politics). I had told Sourav last week he should not join politics and he did not oppose my views,” Bhattacharya who visited Ganguly at the hospital said.

    Reacting to the former minister’s comments, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “Some people see politics in everything due to their sick mindset. Like millions of his fans, we only wish that Sourav recovers fully.” 

    Senior Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee, who also visited the former cricketer at the hospital, said that there had never been any effort to induct Sourav “into our party. We are proud to have him as the icon of sports.” 

    Ganguly’s former teammate and state minister Lakshmi Ratan Shukla, TMC MLA and daughter of late BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Baishali Dalmiya, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and several others also visited him.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday visited the hospital to enquire about his health.

    Ganguly had met Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan a week back “in a courtesy visit”.

    Ganguly is stable and his health parameters are normal, doctors said on Sunday.

    The cricket icon was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries on Saturday, following which a stent was inserted in one to remove the blockage.

    “Ganguly’s coronary angiography was done at 3 pm and his echocardiography will be repeated tomorrow,” a bulletin, issued by the private hospital where he is admitted, said late on Sunday night.

    His blood pressure is 110/80 and oxygen saturation level is 98 per cent, it said.

    Doctors said they will be deciding on conducting another angioplasty after assessing Ganguly’s condition.

    To a question, a hospital spokesperson said the medical board is not thinking about the option of bypass surgery.

    “Our expert panel will decide on the future course of treatment tomorrow,” she said.

    The nine-member medical board will meet on Monday and discuss further treatment plan with his family members, the bulletin said.

    Ganguly had his dinner at 10 pm.

    Meanwhile, fans of the celebrated former cricketer were seen holding posters that read ‘Come back dada’ outside the hospital, which saw a beeline of visitors like Saturday.

    The batting great was rushed to hospital on Saturday afternoon following complaints of chest pain.

  • Alternative policies needed to foil BJP, TMC efforts to turn Bengal polls bipolar event: Sitaram Yechury

    Yechury said that in order to maintain a democratic and secular system, it is imperative to keep the BJP away from the power and defeat it in the elections.

  • TMC forcibly occupied two Zilla Parishads in 2018 panchayat polls: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari

    By PTI
    JHARGRAM: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday alleged that his former party, the ruling Trinamool Congress, had forcibly occupied two Zilla Parishads in south Bengal’s Jangal Mahal region during panchayat elections in 2018 which, he claimed, witnessed “vote loot”.

    Adhikari, who switched sides to the saffron party in December, also accused the TMC leaders of pocketing funds released for various projects of the state and central governments.

    Rejecting the charges, senior TMC leader Tapas Roy claimed that those who joined the BJP raise baseless allegations to strengthen position in their new party.

    Addressing a BJP meeting at Jhargram, Adhikari said, “You know how the TMC had looted votes in the 2018 panchayat polls here. How they had changed the people’s verdict and true results overnight to occupy the two Zilla Parishads. I am giving my word to people that we won’t allow that to happen again.”

    He, however, did not mention any Zilla Parishad.

    Jangal Mahal comprises four districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram.

    Adhikari asserted that the TMC will be defeated by a huge margin in all four seats in Jangal Mahal belt of the district in the assembly polls due in April-May this year.

    “The TMC will be trounced by at least 50,000 votes in each of Nayagram, Gopiballabhpur, Binpur and Jhargram seats in the upcoming assembly elections,” he said at the meeting.

    Adhikari claimed that he has always worked to establish democracy in the area.

    He described the TMC as “Amphan-er tran chor” (Thief of cyclone Amphan relief funds) and alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government has been changing names of central projects such as PM Awas Yojana and projected them as state schemes.

    “However, the affected people, the poor people, are not the beneficiaries. The money is being pocketed by local leaders who are building palatial houses and buying flats in towns and cities,” the former Bengal minister said.

    After May, the BJP will make a list of people who illegally received compensation money from the government after cyclone Amphan, he said.

    He also alleged irregularities in Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), School Service Commission (SSC) and other recruitment tests organised by the state government and said that after coming to power, the BJP will see to it that such tests are held annually in a fair and transparent manner.

    At a meeting in Contai after a road show, Adhikari claimed that once the model code of conduct comes into force before the election, “all miscreants of the TMC will hide. The paramilitary forces will conduct votes and vote looters will face the music.”

    Senior TMC leader Tapas Roy denied the accusations.

    “It seems there is a competition among those who joined the BJP to make wild claims. People of the state will also not accept unfortunate comments against Mamata Banerjee. This is an insult to women,” Roy added.

  • BJP will solve problems of Matuas after coming to power in Bengal: Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

    By PTI
    HOWRAH: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said that the BJP, after coming to power in West Bengal, will redress the grievances of the Matuas who are refugees holding sway in many seats in the poll-bound state.

    Attacking the Trinamool Congress, Maurya alleged that activists of ruling party indulged in violence across the state.

    “The BJP will solve the problems faced by the Matua community after coming to power,” he said at a public meeting at Gangarampur area of Uluberia in Howrah district.

    Maurya and several state leaders of the BJP had lunch at the house of a Matua family in Gangarmpur where a large number of people belonging to the community live.

    The Matuas, who have a sizeable population in the state, are being wooed by both the BJP and the TMC in the run-up to the assembly elections due in April-May next year.

    On the outsider issue, the leader from UP told reporters that the BJP is an all-India party and its leaders can go to any other state in this democratic country.

    The TMC does not have leaders across the country, Maurya said.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and leaders of her party, the TMC, often accuse the BJP of bringing in “outsiders” to the state ahead of the assembly polls due in April-May next year, while the saffron party has raised questions how people from other states coming here can be termed so.

    Around 300 workers of various political parties joined the BJP on Sunday and Maurya handed over the party flag to them.

  • Chhattisgarh BJP in-charge D. Purandeswari reached Raipur, leaders welcomed at airport, will hold meeting at BJP office at 10:30

    Chhattisgarh BJP in-charge D. Purandeswari has reached Raipur this morning, along with his co-incharge Nitin Naveen have also reached Raipur, BJP leaders arrived at the airport and welcomed him. Today, she will hold a meeting of BJP officials in the BJP office at 10:30. During this time, she will also discuss with the officials of division and district level.

    This is a three-day visit of Chhattisgarh BJP in-charge D. Purandeswari, meanwhile she will discuss BJP officials and workers to make the organization stronger. Along with him co-incharge Nitin Naveen, state president Vishnudev Sai will also be present.

  • Actor, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari blessed with a baby girl

    Actor-politician Manoj Tiwari welcomed a baby girl and shared the first picture with a sweet photo on his Twitter page in which he is seen holding the newborn baby in his arms.

    Manoj Tiwari announced on December 30 and people have been pouring in congratulatory messages for him.

    While sharing the first photo with his newborn daughter, Manoj wrote on his Twitter page, “मेरे घर आयी एक नन्ही परी… I am blessed with a baby girl… जय जगदंबे…”

  • CM Bhupesh Baghel said – Bihar needs new engine, ‘double engine’ is outdated

    Two-phase polling of Bihar assembly elections has been completed. Now the third phase is to be voted on November 7. In this sequence, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who came to Bihar for campaigning for the Grand Alliance candidate, had a special conversation and said that Bihar needs a new engine.

    Bhupesh Bhaghel said, “The double engine is outdated which cannot pull the vehicle. In such a situation, the state needs a new engine of sizzling. It is time to turn the rot, otherwise the roti will burn.” At the same time, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav promised to give 10 lakh jobs when the government comes and he said that if the intention is right then it is absolutely possible. We kept our promise to the farmers in Chhattisgarh. Even then the BJP was raising questions.

    At the same time, criticizing the slogan of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ by BJP leaders in the election meetings, he said, “Our ancestors ate sticks for the slogan of Bharat Mata ki Jai and for the tricolor. These people were the informers of the British. Read what Savarkar said about Gau Mata. “