News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Kolkata: Police arrest anti-Agnipath demonstrators near CM Mamata’s home

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Police on Saturday afternoon clashed with agitating members of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO) when they tried to block roads protesting against the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme in the southern part of the city’s Hazra area, a hundred metres from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence.

    Protesting the scheme, the activists demanded that recruits into India’s armed forces be given permanent jobs rather than be taken in under the “Agnipath” scheme which employs a soldier on a contract for four years.

    A huge police force led by senior officers cleared the area, arresting over 20 activists.

    “We will not allow anyone to disturb the law and order here. We will deal with such kinds of attempts very strictly,” the police officer commanding the deployment said.

    All police stations in the city and the districts of West Bengal have been alerted and asked to keep tight vigil on areas under their jurisdiction to avoid any untoward incident, he said.

    The Centre on Tuesday unveiled ‘Agnipath’ scheme for the recruitment in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, in a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process.

    Protestors continued to target railway properties in Bihar and West Bengal on Saturday to vent their ire against the scheme disrupting train services in the eastern region for the fourth day in a row, while demonstrations were held on roads in Odisha and Jharkhand.

    Job aspirants also did push-ups on a road in Bihar capital Patna and on railway tracks in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, while one youth ran 60 kilometres in Odisha’s Nabarangpur as marks of their opposition to the ‘Agnipath’ short-term recruitment scheme.

    In Bihar, protestors torched the Taregana railway station in Patna district and a GRP vehicle while several law enforcers were injured in stone-throwing in Jehanabad when a bandh was also called to press for the demand for rollback of the new scheme for recruitment in armed forces.

    ALSO READ | Agnipath: All you need to know about Army recruitment scheme that has India on the boil

    They also exchanged gunshots with GRP personnel, engaged in heavy stone-pelting and beat up journalists covering the clash.

    In Danapur sub-division, bandh supporters vandalised an ambulance and the driver alleged that a patient and attendants inside were also beaten up by the mob.

    The ECR headquarters in Hajipur said that in view of the prevailing situation, 32 trains have been cancelled.

    The railways have suffered massive losses in Bihar during protests in the last three days.

    More than 60 train coaches, 10 engines and some stations have been torched by groups protesting against the introduction of the new recruitment system wherein 75 per cent of jawans will be retired after four years of service, with no pension benefits.

    Bandh supporters had attacked a police outpost in Jehanabad district, leaving several police personnel injured.

    A large police contingent was deployed in front of the state headquarters of the BJP, which has been at the receiving end of the protests, with many of its senior leaders having been physically attacked and its offices in at least three districts being set ablaze since Thursday.

    In West Bengal, train services on the Sealdah-Barrackpore route in North 24 Parganas district were disrupted for around an hour as a group of anti-Agnipath agitators blocked railway tracks and did push-ups.

    Around 20 protesters blocked both up and down lines at a level crossing from around 10 AM thus also affecting vehicular traffic, a spokesperson of the Eastern Railway said.

    The demonstration affected railway services during office hours, and many commuters waiting at Barrackpore station reached the protest site and an altercation ensued with the agitators.

    The police on Saturday afternoon clashed with agitating members of the All India Democratic Students Organisation and All India Democratic Youth Organisation when they tried to block roads near Kolkata’s Hazra area, a hundred metres from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence.

    In Odisha, a job aspirant ran 60 km in Nabarangpur while a large number of agitators sat in dharna near the revenue divisional commissioner’s office in Berhampur in Ganjam district.

    The agitators including many who cleared the physical tests held earlier, raised slogans at Berhampur demanding withdrawal of the ‘Agnipath’ scheme and demanded at least 15 years of service in the Armed Forces instead of four after selection.

    East Coast Railways has cancelled or short terminated several trains passing through Odisha from Visakhapatnam in view of the protests.

    In Jharkhand, demonstrations were held at Dhanbad and Morabadi in Ranchi while security was intensified in the state BJP headquarters with the deployment of RAF personnel, officials said.

  • ‘Riots handiwork of greedy leaders’: Mamata hits out at BJP

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said that riots are the handiwork of “greedy leaders who have their minds are full of black dirt” and never by people of any religious community.

    “When life has no surety, why should we fight? Why should we spread hatred or kill each other? We must understand it. I am not talking about any particular religion, but about all the religions. Remember it is not the common people who create riots, but it is done by some greedy leaders who have their minds full of black dirt,” she said.

    Banerjee was speaking at a programme at the city’s famed Dakshineswar Temple where she inaugurated a light and sound event besides a book on the history of the temple.

    She reached the temple directly from the airport on her return from Delhi where she went for a meeting of the opposition parties on the July presidential poll.

    She sought to buttress her point by referring to physiology.

    “We do not know how many cells are there inside our brain and how many of them are damaged everyday when people think of evil. Whenever people think negatively, brain cells are damaged. If you think positively then the brain too will give you something in return – it will keep you healthy and happy,” she said and advised youths to concentrate on “constructive” social networking.

    Her comments came in the backdrop of violence across the country over the alleged controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad by suspended BJP leaders.

    She had lashed out at BJP for the “hate speech” and had demanded the arrest of the two suspended leaders of the party – Nupur Sharma and Navin Jindal for it.

    The feisty Trinamool Congress supremo, who was seen at the Eid-ul-fitr prayers at Red Road in the city over the city, dismissed rumours that she offered namaz.

    “I go to attend Iftar parties where all gather to mark the end of fasting. What is the problem? Nobody says anything when I attend Durga Pujas. In our country, we have people of different religions. What is the problem if I go to a Jain temple?” she said.

    Referring to the protests in different parts of the state by a section of unsuccessful Higher Secondary students, the chief minister said “I have never heard such a thing in my life. They are demanding that they be declared successful though they have failed. It is not their fault, but of those who are guiding them”.

    Bengal had witnessed a spree of violent incidents in Howrah and parts of Murshidabad and Nadia districts in protest against Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Mohammad which led the administration to impose section 144 Cr PC and suspend internet connections.

  • Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Mallikarjun Kharge to evolve President consensus

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday fobbed off requests from several parties to become the joint Opposition candidate for the forthcoming Presidential polls, at a two-hour meeting called by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee here. Mamata set the ball rolling by proposing his name and getting the concurrence of several others. But Pawar politely declined.

    The meeting that had representation from 18 Opposition parties urged him to reconsider his decision. But Pawar sought to put a lid on it, taking to his Twitter handle later to say: “I sincerely appreciate the leaders of opposition parties for suggesting my name as a candidate for the election of the President of India, at the meeting.

    However, I like to state that I have humbly declined the proposal of my candidature.” The meeting adopted a unanimous resolution to field a common Opposition candidate in the Presidential elections. It decided to tentatively meet again on June 21, informed CPI MP Binoy Viswam. Mamata, Pawar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge were authorised to consult other parties to evolve a consensus on the matter.

    With Pawar shutting the door, sources said Mamata suggested the names of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and retired diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi for consideration as alternative candidates. The suggestion was met with a stony silence, an opposition MP informed. Kharge said his party has no particular name in mind but will sit with others to play a constructive role to arrive at a consensus if Pawar continues declining the offer.

    Mamata said she will consult other parties that could not make it to the meeting, like AAP, SAD, AIMIM, TRS and BJD. Parallelly, BJP leader Rajnath Singh called up Opposition leaders like Kharge, Mamata and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to build a national consensus on the Presidential elections. He also spoke to JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar.

    Sources said Opposition leaders sought to know the NDA nominee for the high post. BJP chief J P Nadda, too worked the phones, to reach out to leaders of parties like the BJD, YSR Cong, JD(U), RJD, TRS, DMK and others with whom he is has good rapport.

    Too premature to comment: Gandhi“It is too premature to comment,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi, said when asked about his candidature. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and was the consensus opposition pick for Vice President in 2017

  • Sharad Pawar opts out of Presidential fray at Opposition meeting: Sources

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Maharashtra leader and former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday declined West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s offer to be the Opposition’s Presidential candidate, saying he “still has an active political innings to play”, according to sources.

    Pawar, 81, had earlier shut down speculation on the top post at a meeting with his party leaders, who revealed that the NCP leader was reluctant to fight “a losing battle”.

    A crucial meeting of Opposition parties convened by Mamata Banerjee to build consensus on fielding a joint candidate against the NDA in the presidential election here on Wednesday with leaders of at least 17 parties in attendance.

    Leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD and the Left parties attended the meeting called by the Trinamool Congress supremo, while the AAP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Odisha’s ruling BJD skipped it.

    Leaders of Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD and the JMM attended the meeting, which took place on a day the nomination for the Presidential election began.

    Apart from Pawar, NCP leader Praful Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala of the Congress, HD Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S), Akhilesh Yadav of the SP, Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference were among the prominent leaders in the meeting.

    ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar refused to be Opposition’s Presidential nominee, says Yechury after meet

    The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) skipped the meeting at the Constitution Club in the national capital, besides the Aam Aadmi Party, TRS and the BJD.

    The meeting began at 3 pm.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week invited leaders of 19 political parties, including seven chief ministers, for a meeting in the national capital to produce a “confluence of opposition voices” for the election on July 18.

    A day ahead of the meeting, Banerjee and Left party leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence separately to try and convince him to be the common opposition candidate for the top constitutional post.

    With numbers on its side — the ruling NDA has about half the votes of the electoral college — and the possible support of fence-sitters like the BJD, AIADMK and YSRCP, the NDA candidate will likely sail through the contest.

  • Presidential poll: Congress, Left brass to skip Mamata meeting; Akhilesh to attend

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  If all goes well, the opposition will try to build a consensus on Wednesday after Mamata Banerjee-called meeting for putting up the opposition candidate against the ruling BJP-led NDA candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

    The presidential election is scheduled on July 18 for picking up the successor of Ram Nath Kovind, whose term will end on July 24. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to host the meeting she had called to unite 22 opposition parties.

    Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence to convince him to be the common opposition candidate. The Maratha strongman, who has friends across the deeply divided political spectrum, however, turned down the proposal, sources in the opposition camp said.TMC sources said she discussed the strategy for fielding of a consensus candidate with Pawar.

    ALSO READ | Presidential poll: Pawar’s no to becoming Opposition candidate, hectic parleys on ahead of Mamata’s meet

    Mamata’s meeting is likely to be attended by the Congress and Left leaders. Sources in the Congress hinted that Jairam Ramesh, Malliakarjun Kharge or Randeep Singh Surjewala will represent the party at the meeting.

    CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja said the top leadership will not attend the meeting. The CPI(M) will be represented in the meeting by the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, E Kareem.

    ALSO READ: Mamata invites 22 opposition leaders, CMs for meeting on June 15

    Before assigning his party MP for meeting, Yechury wrote a letter to Banerjee calling her decision to host the meeting “unilateral communication.” Apart from leaders from Congress and Left, DMK’s TR Baalu, Shiv Sena’s Subhash Desai, RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, and Mehbooba Mufti have confirmed participation for the meeting. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will also attend, as will Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.

  • Mamata meets Pawar; Yechury says NCP chief said no to being Oppn nominee for prez poll

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Left leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar separately on Tuesday trying to convince the veteran leader to be the joint opposition nominee for the presidential election.

    Pawar, however, refused, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said after his meeting with him. Pawar met Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, and NCP leaders Praful Patel and P C Chacko in Delhi and conveyed to them his decision to not contest the election.

    “I have been informed that Pawar will not be the opposition face for the presidential poll, other names are under consideration,” said Yechury.

    Opposition sources said Pawar was not keen to enter a battle which he is destined to lose at this point in his political career.

    Banerjee is in Delhi for a meeting of non-BJP parties she has convened to formulate a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential poll.

    Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, has convened the meeting on June 15 at the Constitution Club in the national capital for discussions to come out with a consensus opposition candidate. The election of the President of India will be held on July 18.

  • ‘We can’t hold people to ransom by violent protests’: Bengal cleric’s body to Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Stating that people cannot be held to ransom by violence, an association of Muslim clerics on Sunday night urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee not to grant permission to any more rally to protest against controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad by two BJP leaders.

    The Bengal Imams Association also asked members of the community not to fall into the traps of vested interests and indulge in violence.

    President of the association Md Yahia said in a video statement that violence, arson and attacking properties and police personnel by a section of minority community members in the name of agitation have hurt the economy and caused great hardships to the general public.

    “While the comments of Nupur Sharma and another BJP leader are unacceptable and we are awaiting administrative action, we cannot hold people of the state to ransom by violent protests that are taking place in pockets of Howrah, Murshidabad and Nadia districts.

    Setting on fire properties and pelting the police with stones and being lathi-charged by the police cannot boost the image of a devoutly religious man or his icon,” he said.

    Yahia had on Thursday called for protests inside mosques across the state, demanding the arrest of the two BJP leaders, but said the administration is free to take action against people who are blocking roads and inconveniencing the public.

  • Fresh violence rocks Bengal, 60 people arrested, cleric served notice

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: At least 60 people were arrested after a wave of fresh violence in the industrial district of Howrah, parts of Murshidabad district and South 24 Parganas, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to take strict action against “those attempting to instigate riots in the state”.

    Police chiefs were shunted out to bring in officers with “tough” reputations into areas scarred by violence since Friday and the Pirzada of Furfura Sharif, a cleric with political ambitions was served a notice Saturday by the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) Saturday for using children in violent demonstrations.

    West Bengal | Clashes broke out in Murshidabad district. Police personnel at the spot pic.twitter.com/0vHuwGDFzi
    — ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2022
    Suspension of internet services which had been clamped since Friday on Howrah district was extended to parts of Murshidabad district too Saturday. The violent demonstrations and protests are targeted against comments by suspended BJP leader spokespersons on Prophet Mohammad.

    At least 60 people were arrested and booked under IPC sections that deal with rioting, attempt to murder and causing damage to public properties, among others, in connection with violence in West Bengal’s Howrah district, police said on Saturday.

    Widespread violence broke out in Howrah district on Friday over inflammatory comments by now-suspended BJP functionaries Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal.

    Fresh violence was reported in Panchla Bazaar area in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Saturday as protesters clashed with the police and several houses were set on fire, a senior officer said. Protesters pelted policemen with stones, injuring some of them, and also vandalised a BJP party office.

    Several fire tenders were pressed into service as police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse protesters, the officer said, adding the situation was “under control” at the moment.

    “The agitators have been dispersed. Some policemen have been injured in the stone-pelting. We are conducting a route march in the area. The situation is under control,” he said.

    The West Bengal government on Saturday also suspended internet services in parts of Murshidabad district till June 14 to stop the spread of misinformation following violence in Howrah, where such a clampdown is already in force.

    ALSO READ | Bengal violence: Mamata government reshuffles cops in Howrah; internet suspended in parts of Murshidabad

    This followed the arrest of a college girl in Murshidabad district’s Beldanga as well as violent protests and arson in the area.

    The girl was arrested for allegedly putting up a post on her social networking site supporting the views of the now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed, police said.

    Protesters demanding her arrest, clashed with Police and attacked the girl’s house as well as several others in the area.

    Internet services have been suspended in Beldanga 1 block covering Beldanga Police Station area and Beldanga 2 block covering Rejinagar and Shaktipur Police Station areas till 6 AM on June 14, an order stated.

    Internet services have already been suspended in the entire Howrah district till June 13 and Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in several areas such as Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.

    Incidents of violence and protests were reported from South 24 Parganas district’s Kulpi. Protesters attacked MLA Jogaranjan Halder’s vehicle near Amtala, police said.

    Banerjee in a tweet on Saturday claimed that some political parties were behind the violent incidents that rocked Howrah district and promised to take strict action against those attempting to instigate riots in the state.

    She also questioned why common people should suffer on account of a “sin” committed by the BJP, in reference to controversial remarks by suspended and expelled saffron party leaders on Prophet Mohammad which triggered the violent protests.

    “As I have said before, normal life has been affected by violent incidents in Howrah over the last two days. Some political parties are behind this, they want to instigate riots. But this won’t be tolerated and strict action will be taken against those involved. Why should common people suffer because of sin committed by BJP,” Banerjee tweeted in Bengali.

    Following the violence, the state government replaced the Superintendent of Police of Rural Howrah, and the Commissioner of Police of Howrah City.

    Praveen Tripathi, Additional CP of Kolkata Police, was made the new Commissioner of Police of Howrah City.

    ALSO READ | Prophet remarks row: Jharkhand CM orders high-level probe into Ranchi violence

    Swathi Bhangalia, DCP (South West) of Kolkata Police, was made the new SP of Rural Howrah.

    The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) Saturday sent a show-cause notice Md Sanaullah Siddiqui, the Pirzada of Furfura Sharif, as it took suo motu cognisance of the videos on Facebook showing children participating in protests at Domjur in Howrah district where agitators pelted stones, set police vehicles on fire, damaged public property and clashed with police on Friday.

    In its notice, the commission expressed concern over the issue and condemned placing children at risk and directed the superintendents of police of Howrah rural and Barasat police districts, Howrah police commissioner and district magistrates of Howrah and North 24 Parganas to enquire and take appropriate action against those involved in using children for demonstrations.

    The protests kept the state’s political cauldron on the boil as West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar and his supporters were arrested while trying to visit the violence-hit Howrah district where several saffron party offices were attacked, as the district was under prohibitory orders and gatherings of 5 or more people was banned there.

    Majumdar and his companions were however later released.

    Reacting to the violence West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday expressed concern over the “worsening law and order” situation in the state and asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deal sternly with lawbreakers.

    BJP MP from West Bengal, Saumitra Khan, also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding immediate deployment of central forces in violence-hit Howrah.

    Reacting to the developments, TMC chief spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Ray however accused the Governor and the BJP leaders of making provocative statements on the issue.

    “The Governor and the BJP leaders are making provocative statements. They are fanning violence,” he said, wondering why Nupur Sharma had not been arrested as yet.

  • Presidential polls: Mamata invites 22 opposition leaders, CMs for meeting on June 15

    By Online Desk

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to opposition leaders, requesting them to attend a meeting on June 15 convened by her in New Delhi to prepare a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential poll.

    With the Presidential poll round the corner, Banerjee has reached out to the opposition CMs and leaders to participate in the joint meeting in the national capital, according to a statement issued by her party.

    The letter was addressed to 22 Opposition leaders including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.

    “Our hon’ble chairperson @MamataOfficial calls upon all progressive opposition forces to meet and deliberate on the future course of action keeping the Presidential elections in sight, at the Constitution Club, New Delhi on June 15 2022 at 3 PM,” Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress said.

    “With the Presidential election around the corner, Hon’ble CM of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee, with an initiative of strong & effective opposition against the divisive forces, has reached out to the opposition CMs and leaders to participate in a joint meeting,” the party statement said.

    ALSO READ | BJP may have upper hand in close Presidential battle

    Poll for the President of India will be held on July 18, the Election Commission announced on Thursday, with 4,809 members of the electoral college comprising MPs and MLAs set to elect the successor to incumbent Ram Nath Kovind. The counting of votes will take place on July 21.

    A senior member of the state cabinet, on condition of anonymity, said that the purpose of the mission is basically to consider some names which can be proposed as a unanimous opposition candidate.

    “There might be discussion on whether there is a possibility for the opposition parties to announce the name of their candidate before BJP announces their nominee,” he said.

    He also said that preliminary discussions between Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have already been made about the probable names of candidates.

    “In her two-day New Delhi tour she is expected to hold meetings with leaders of other anti-BJP forces,” the member of the state cabinet said. However, he refused to name those opposition leaders with whom communication had been made for fixing meetings with Mamata Banerjee during her New Delhi tour.

    The fact that Mamata Banerjee will go all out in playing a leading role in forging opposition unity on the issue of presidential polls was made clear by her in March this year.

    Soon after BJP clinched victory in the assembly polls in four out of five states, including Uttar Pradesh, Mamata Banerjee said on the floor of the assembly that the game is not over yet since BJP will not be able to get its candidate elected in the presidential polls with support from other parties.

    Sources said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge talked to Banerjee over the phone and that the Trinamool Congress chief wanted the opposition to come up with a consensus candidate for the top post.

    Kharge’s discussion with Banerjee came a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi talked to the West Bengal chief minister as well as Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, besides NCP leader Sharad Pawar and CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, asking them to organise a common meeting to discuss the issue of a joint presidential candidate, the sources said.

    Kharge spoke to Tiruchi Siva of the DMK, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Elamaram Kareem of the CPI-M and Binoy Viswam of the CPI on Friday.

    He will also hold discussions with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in this regard later.

    He said he will be holding talks with other opposition leaders soon.

    Sources said the opposition leaders would be meeting soon to discuss the issue and come out with a consensus candidate for the top constitutional post in the country.

    Kharge had on Thursday called on NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai and discussed with him the issue, after Sonia Gandhi asked him to hold talks with all like-minded parties on the possibility of fielding a common candidate for the presidential poll.

    He said Pawar also supported the idea.

    Pawar indicated that the presidential poll issue may gain momentum after June 20, when polls to 10 seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council will be held.

    “Our focus currently is on the elections to Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council,” Pawar told reporters.

    Kharge said he will also meet Thackeray to discuss the issue.

    “We will fix a meeting to discuss the possibility of fielding a common candidate,” he added.

    Election for the next President of India will be held on July 18 in which 4,809 electors comprising MPs and MLAs will vote to elect incumbent Ram Nath Kovind’s successor, the Election Commission announced on Thursday.

    Kovind’s term ends on July 24.

    Going by its strength in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as well as in many state assemblies, the BJP is in a comfortable position to ensure the victory of the candidate nominated by it in the upcoming election.

    (With PTI and Agencies Inputs)

  • BJP sinned, why should people suffer?: Mamata on Prophet row violence

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that some political parties were behind the violent incidents that rocked Howrah district and promised to take strict action against those attempting to instigate riots in the state.

    She also questioned why should common people suffer because of “sin” committed by the BJP, in reference to controversial remarks by suspended and expelled party leaders on Prophet Mohammad which triggered the violent protests.

    “As I have said before, normal life has been affected by violent incidents in Howrah over the last two days.Some political parties are behind this – they want to instigate riots. But this won’t be tolerated and strict action will be taken against those involved. Why should common people suffer because of sin committed by BJP,” Banerjee tweeted in Bengali.

    Protests erupted in several parts of Howrah district on Friday over controversial remarks by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Naveen Jindal on Prophet Mohammad.

    Agitators resorted to stone-pelting, setting police vehicles on fire and damaging public property during violent protests and clashes with the law enforcers in the district.

    Internet services have been suspended across the district till June 13 and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC imposed in several areas such as Uluberia, Domjur and Panchla till June 15.

    Common people had to suffer as road and railway tracks were blocked by protesters in the district.

    Several local and express trains were cancelled due to the violence.