News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • ED questions former Bengal Education Minister in SSC scam, seizes Rs 20 crore from aide

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  A day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of misusing central agencies against her party leaders, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths arrived at former education minister and party secretary general Partha Chatterjee’s house in Kolkata on Friday and interrogated him for nearly 10 hours over alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers in schools through the School Service Commission. 

    The ED recovered Rs 20 crore from one of the locations, owned by a woman known to Chatterjee. “During the course of searches, the ED recovered Rs 20 crore cash from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee. The sum is suspected to be proceeds of SSC scam,” ED stated.

    ED teams, comprising 80 personnel, conducted simultaneous raids at 13 locations, including houses of state minister Paresh Adhikari in Cooch Behar and former advisor of SSC’s screening committee Santi Prasad Sinha.

    Chatterjee, who is now the commerce and industries minister, has been interrogated by the CBI twice in this case.

    While he could not be contacted, Adhikari said, “I am in Kolkata. I heard that ED officials reached my house but I don’t know the details.’’

    Besides, they carried out simultaneous raids in the houses of former advisor of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) Shanti Prasad Sinha, ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education Kalyanmoy Ganguly and nine others, the official said.

    The CBI, as directed by the Calcutta High Court, is looking into the alleged irregularities committed in the recruitment of Group-C and D staff as well as teachers in government-sponsored and –aided schools on recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission.

    The ED is tracking the money trail in the scam.

    “ED is carrying out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board,” the agency said on its official Twitter handle.

    The agency shared four photographs of piles of cash in the denomination of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 besides a number of sealed packets inside a room, without disclosing the quantity or the owner of the place.

    ED sources, however, said that around Rs 20 crore in cash and more than 15 mobile phones were seized from the residence of a woman, a close associate of Chatterjee, in the city’s Tollygunge area following a raid there in the evening, an official said.

    It is learnt that she has acted in several Bengali, Odia and Tamil films in recent years.

    At least 7-8 ED officials reached the Naktala residence of Chatterjee, the former education minister, at around 8:30 am with a few CRPF personnel keeping guard outside.

    They questioned him for more than 11 hours about the alleged scam.

    At one point of time, the senior Trinamool Congress leader complained of uneasiness following which a team of doctors from the state-run SSKM Hospital were called by the ED sleuths, a source said.

    “An ECG was conducted on the minister and his condition was stable,” said the source, who is close to the minister.

    During the interrogation, ED officials took away mobile phones of the minister’s personal assistant as well as the security guards.

    Chatterjee, currently industries and commerce minister, held the education portfolio when the scam was allegedly pulled off.

    He was interrogated by the CBI twice earlier, once on April 26 and then on May 18.

    Raids were also conducted at the residence of one of Chatterjee’s close associates at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, an official of the ED said, though he declined to comment whether the raid was in connection with the probe into the same scam or not.

    The agency sleuths, who raided Adhikari’s residence at Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar district questioned his family members including his daughter Ankita Adhikari in his absence, he stated.

    Ankita recently lost her job as an assistant teacher at a government school where she was appointed through the SSC two years ago after it was found “illegal” by the high court.

    Adhikari who had also been grilled by the CBI earlier told reporters in Kolkata he could not get in touch with his family over the phone.

    “They did not intimate us about the visit to our house today. I am in Kolkata in connection with the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally of the TMC. Had I been around, I would have treated them to muri (puffed rice),” he said.

    ED sleuths also carried out simultaneous raids at the residences of former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya, as well as the board’s interim-president Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi, who is also its secretary.

    The TMC described the concerted raids as a “ploy” by the BJP government at the Centre to harass political opponents.

    “This raid by ED, a day after the spectacular Martyrs’ Day rally that created ripples all over the country, is nothing but an attempt to harass and intimidate leaders of the TMC. “The CBI has already interrogated them (ministers) as part of a court directive and they are cooperating. Now, the ED is being invoked only to discredit them. The money laundering issue is being invented by the BJP,” senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said.

    The BJP, however, alleged that the TMC aided large-scale anomalies in the recruitment process of teachers at the primary, upper primary and secondary levels since coming to power in the state.

    “TMC leaders and people close to them duped lakhs of qualified youths and handed over their jobs to ineligible ones. The CBI and ED are progressing on the right path. More skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard. The BJP has no role to play in the issue,” the saffron party’s national vice-president, Dilip Ghosh, added.

    (With PTI Inputs)

    KOLKATA:  A day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of misusing central agencies against her party leaders, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths arrived at former education minister and party secretary general Partha Chatterjee’s house in Kolkata on Friday and interrogated him for nearly 10 hours over alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers in schools through the School Service Commission. 

    The ED recovered Rs 20 crore from one of the locations, owned by a woman known to Chatterjee. “During the course of searches, the ED recovered Rs 20 crore cash from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee. The sum is suspected to be proceeds of SSC scam,” ED stated.

    ED teams, comprising 80 personnel, conducted simultaneous raids at 13 locations, including houses of state minister Paresh Adhikari in Cooch Behar and former advisor of SSC’s screening committee Santi Prasad Sinha.

    Chatterjee, who is now the commerce and industries minister, has been interrogated by the CBI twice in this case.

    While he could not be contacted, Adhikari said, “I am in Kolkata. I heard that ED officials reached my house but I don’t know the details.’’

    Besides, they carried out simultaneous raids in the houses of former advisor of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) Shanti Prasad Sinha, ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education Kalyanmoy Ganguly and nine others, the official said.

    The CBI, as directed by the Calcutta High Court, is looking into the alleged irregularities committed in the recruitment of Group-C and D staff as well as teachers in government-sponsored and –aided schools on recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission.

    The ED is tracking the money trail in the scam.

    “ED is carrying out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board,” the agency said on its official Twitter handle.

    The agency shared four photographs of piles of cash in the denomination of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 besides a number of sealed packets inside a room, without disclosing the quantity or the owner of the place.

    ED sources, however, said that around Rs 20 crore in cash and more than 15 mobile phones were seized from the residence of a woman, a close associate of Chatterjee, in the city’s Tollygunge area following a raid there in the evening, an official said.

    It is learnt that she has acted in several Bengali, Odia and Tamil films in recent years.

    At least 7-8 ED officials reached the Naktala residence of Chatterjee, the former education minister, at around 8:30 am with a few CRPF personnel keeping guard outside.

    They questioned him for more than 11 hours about the alleged scam.

    At one point of time, the senior Trinamool Congress leader complained of uneasiness following which a team of doctors from the state-run SSKM Hospital were called by the ED sleuths, a source said.

    “An ECG was conducted on the minister and his condition was stable,” said the source, who is close to the minister.

    During the interrogation, ED officials took away mobile phones of the minister’s personal assistant as well as the security guards.

    Chatterjee, currently industries and commerce minister, held the education portfolio when the scam was allegedly pulled off.

    He was interrogated by the CBI twice earlier, once on April 26 and then on May 18.

    Raids were also conducted at the residence of one of Chatterjee’s close associates at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, an official of the ED said, though he declined to comment whether the raid was in connection with the probe into the same scam or not.

    The agency sleuths, who raided Adhikari’s residence at Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar district questioned his family members including his daughter Ankita Adhikari in his absence, he stated.

    Ankita recently lost her job as an assistant teacher at a government school where she was appointed through the SSC two years ago after it was found “illegal” by the high court.

    Adhikari who had also been grilled by the CBI earlier told reporters in Kolkata he could not get in touch with his family over the phone.

    “They did not intimate us about the visit to our house today. I am in Kolkata in connection with the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally of the TMC. Had I been around, I would have treated them to muri (puffed rice),” he said.

    ED sleuths also carried out simultaneous raids at the residences of former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya, as well as the board’s interim-president Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi, who is also its secretary.

    The TMC described the concerted raids as a “ploy” by the BJP government at the Centre to harass political opponents.

    “This raid by ED, a day after the spectacular Martyrs’ Day rally that created ripples all over the country, is nothing but an attempt to harass and intimidate leaders of the TMC. “The CBI has already interrogated them (ministers) as part of a court directive and they are cooperating. Now, the ED is being invoked only to discredit them. The money laundering issue is being invented by the BJP,” senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said.

    The BJP, however, alleged that the TMC aided large-scale anomalies in the recruitment process of teachers at the primary, upper primary and secondary levels since coming to power in the state.

    “TMC leaders and people close to them duped lakhs of qualified youths and handed over their jobs to ineligible ones. The CBI and ED are progressing on the right path. More skeletons will tumble out of the cupboard. The BJP has no role to play in the issue,” the saffron party’s national vice-president, Dilip Ghosh, added.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • BJP will be swept away from power in 2024, pave way for people’s govt, says Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Launching a frontal attack on the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that it won’t get single-party majority in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, as the saffron camp will be “swept away from power” at the Centre.

    Speaking at a massive TMC rally here, Banerjee said the next general election will be held on the mantra of “vote for rejection of BJP”.

    “The BJP will be swept away from power by the people’s mandate in 2024. They will be defeated. I can certainly say that the BJP will not get single-party majority, and once that happens, others will unite to form the next government,” she said.

    “Break BJP’s prison, break its shackles; we have to bring in a people’s government in 2024,” the feisty Trinamool Congress boss said at the Martyrs’ Day rally amid thunderous applause.

    She also criticised the BJP for trying to stifle the opposition by using central agencies and institutions, contending that those who had no role in the Independence struggle are now trying to rewrite the country’s history.

    Banerjee slammed the Union government over the increase in GST rates on pre-packed and labelled food items such as cereals, pulses and flour weighing less than 25 kg, terming it as “anti-people”.

    “What will the people eat when the BJP is implementing GST on everything, even puffed rice and milk powder. How will the poor survive in this country?” she said.

    Cautioning the saffron camp, the chief minister also said if it tries to dislodge the Bengal government “just like in Maharashtra, they would get a befitting reply”.

    “After dislodging the government in Maharashtra, they (BJP) have been speaking of carrying out similar operations in Jharkhand and other states, including Bengal. Let me remind them that this is the land of the Royal Bengal Tiger; if they try to interfere, a befitting reply will follow,” the chief minister added.

    KOLKATA: Launching a frontal attack on the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asserted that it won’t get single-party majority in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, as the saffron camp will be “swept away from power” at the Centre.

    Speaking at a massive TMC rally here, Banerjee said the next general election will be held on the mantra of “vote for rejection of BJP”.

    “The BJP will be swept away from power by the people’s mandate in 2024. They will be defeated. I can certainly say that the BJP will not get single-party majority, and once that happens, others will unite to form the next government,” she said.

    “Break BJP’s prison, break its shackles; we have to bring in a people’s government in 2024,” the feisty Trinamool Congress boss said at the Martyrs’ Day rally amid thunderous applause.

    She also criticised the BJP for trying to stifle the opposition by using central agencies and institutions, contending that those who had no role in the Independence struggle are now trying to rewrite the country’s history.

    Banerjee slammed the Union government over the increase in GST rates on pre-packed and labelled food items such as cereals, pulses and flour weighing less than 25 kg, terming it as “anti-people”.

    “What will the people eat when the BJP is implementing GST on everything, even puffed rice and milk powder. How will the poor survive in this country?” she said.

    Cautioning the saffron camp, the chief minister also said if it tries to dislodge the Bengal government “just like in Maharashtra, they would get a befitting reply”.

    “After dislodging the government in Maharashtra, they (BJP) have been speaking of carrying out similar operations in Jharkhand and other states, including Bengal. Let me remind them that this is the land of the Royal Bengal Tiger; if they try to interfere, a befitting reply will follow,” the chief minister added.

  • Mamata says will comment on emblem row only after studying matter

    By PTI

    DARJEELING: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday refused to comment on the alleged distortion of the national emblem by the Centre, saying she needs some time to study the matter.

    Opposition parties accused the Centre of replacing the “graceful and regally confident” Ashokan lions with those having menacing and aggressive posture, while the ruling BJP asserted that the lions atop the new parliament building are a “scaled-up” version of the original emblem.

    “I will not comment on this now. Let me first study the matter properly. Then I will speak on this,” Banerjee told reporters after meeting Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Raj Bhavan here.

    At least two MPs of her party, however, already attacked the BJP-led central government over the issue.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building.

  • Mamata government to hand out loans to 67 lakh women SHGs ahead of panchayat polls

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Hoping to strike a cord with women prior to the panchayat poll next year, the state government on Monday decided to provide financial assistance to 67 lakh women by offering them loan via self-help groups.

    Women proved to be the Trinamool Congress’ strong vote-bank in last year’s Assembly elections.

    As per plan, financial aid of Rs 17,000 crore will be given to 6.69 lakh self-help groups. In the previous financial year, the volume of financial assistance was Rs 13,000 crore.

    Prior to the 2021 elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised to give monthly dole for women homemakers.  

    After TMC won for a third straight term, she launched the ‘Lakhir Bhandar’, which offers monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 for SC and ST women, and Rs 500 for others.

    According to a TMC leader, “The promise before the Assembly elections proved to be her masterstroke in consolidating women votes in TMC’s favour. Now, the additional Rs 4,000 crore grant for self-help groups is aimed to retain this support for the panchayat polls.”

    The self-help groups in south Bengal districts will be given a target of over Rs 1,000 crore each.

    “These districts are considered our bastions,’’ said the leader.

  • ‘What about Adhikaris, Scindias and Vijayvargiyas?’ Trinamool mocks Shah’s vow to end ‘dynasty rule’

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comment that the BJP will end “family rule” in West Bengal and Telangana, the TMC on Sunday asserted that people of the eastern state rejected the “divisive politics” of the saffron camp in the assembly elections last year and voted the Mamata Banerjee-led party to power for the third consecutive term.

    In his address at the BJP national executive meeting in Hyderabad, Shah called for ending the politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement.

    He also said the party will end “family rule” in Telangana and West Bengal and form governments in states where power has so far remained out of its reach.

    Reacting to Shah’s comments, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “If the BJP holds a mirror to itself, the party will see how it has been abetting politics of dynasty. It inducted the entire Adhikari family of Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in its fold – Suvendu and his two brothers – and Amit Shah had invited Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari in his public meeting. And what about the Scindia family and Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son? In Trinamool Congress, no such things happen.”

    He also claimed that “Shah, whose dream to occupy power in West Bengal was not fulfilled in 2021”, is yet to “digest the humiliating defeat” in the last year’s assembly polls.

    “His comments stem from frustration and desperation,” the TMC leader said.

    The TMC won 213 assembly seats in the last year’s polls, while the BJP bagged 77.

    Later, several saffron camp legislators joined the ruling party.

    Briefing reporters on the Shah’s speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the union home minister cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance”.

    Ghosh also criticised Sarma for “making political statement at the BJP’s national executive meeting at a time when people of his state are affected by floods”.

    “When Assam is reeling under major floods, and lakhs of people are hit by the deluge, the chief minister of the state is busy with making political statement at his party’s meet instead of standing by the side of those who elected him. Here lies the difference between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP”.

  • In a security breach, man gets into Mamata’s residence & lingers for hours before being held

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA: In a security breach at chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence, a Z category security zone in south Kolkata’s Kalighat, a man in his mid-40s was found beside the CM’s official vehicle on Sunday morning. The suspect was handed over to the local police station. The police are questioning the accused to ascertain whether he is mentally unsound.

    Senior police officials, including commissioner of police Vineet Goyal, visited the CM’s residence and reviewed the security arrangement. ‘’We have tightened the security ring around the CM’s residence following the incident of trespassing,’’ said Murli Dhar, the joint commissioner of police (crime).   

    Preliminary investigation revealed the man entered the premises of Mamata’s residence in the wee hours of Sunday.

    “During interrogation, the person admitted that he climbed up the boundary wall of CM’s residence around 1 am and spent the rest of the night hiding at the place where the vehicle was parked. We are surprised to know how did he breach the security and hoodwink the vigil of police personnel,’’ said a senior police officer.

    The officer said police were interrogating the suspect to ascertain the intention of the trespassing.

    “We are also interrogating the police personnel who was on duty at the CM’s residence,’’ said the officer.   

    Recently, an elderly couple was murdered in the same area raising questions about the security arrangement in the locality where the CM resides.   

  • Murmu has better chances to win prez polls after Maha development: Mamata

    Banerjee stressed that “a consensus candidate is always better for the country”.

  • Mamata to use state funds as Centre withholds flow

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Expressing her ire over the Centre’s decision to withhold the release of funds under the MGNREGA scheme to West Bengal over alleged anomalies, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her government would construct village roads using its own funds. She directed the zila parishads and panchayat samitis to utilise their funds for the purpose of constructing roads in rural Bengal.

    The decision of carrying out the works at state’s expenditure seems to be aimed at the panchayat elections scheduled to be held next year. “The central government has stopped the release of funds under the MGNREGA scheme. Construction of roads in villages is the most visible development work in rural Bengal,” Mamata said in an administrative meeting in Burdwan on Wednesday.

    “People get direct benefits of good roads. I am directing the zila parishads and panchayat samitis to carry out the construction of village roads before the panchayat elections,’’ she added. Talking about changing the name of the schemes, the CM said, “In Gujarat and other states, the central schemes are known by different names. Since we contribute 40 per cent of the cost in these projects, there is nothing wrong in it.’’  

  • ‘Centre must extend retirement age of ‘Agniveers to 65 years’: Mamata urges Modi government

    By PTI

    BURDWAN: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Centre to extend the retirement age of soldiers recruited under the Agnipath scheme to 65 years, contending that they will stare at an uncertain future at the end of the four-year term.

    Banerjee also said the BJP-led central government launched the new defence recruitment scheme keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    “My motto is to create more and more jobs unlike the BJP. They are training people for four months and recruiting them for four years. What will these soldiers do after four years? What will be their fate? It’s uncertain. “We demand that the retirement age be extended to 65 years (under the Agnipath scheme),” Banerjee said at an event here.

    It envisages recruiting in the armed forces youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

    For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

    Banerjee had earlier claimed that the BJP was using the scheme to build its own “armed cadre base”.

  • Yashwant Sinha quits TMC, says time to work for greater Opposition unity

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: TMC leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday said that he will “step aside” from the party to work for the larger national cause of greater Opposition unity.

    The former Union minister’s announcement came amid speculation that his name will be pitched by TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the joint opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

    I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step.
    — Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) June 21, 2022
    “I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step,” Sinha said in a tweet.

    Opposition parties are set to meet in Delhi on Tuesday to decide on their joint candidate for the presidential polls scheduled on July 18.