News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Mamata Banerjee has excellent vision for TMC’s future; hope to be helpful, says Sushmita Dev

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former Congress leader Sushmita Dev, who joined the TMC on Monday, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has an “excellent vision” for the party’s future and hoped that she would be helpful in that regard.

    Dev, who was the chief of the women’s wing of the Congress, joined the TMC in the presence of senior party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien in Kolkata.

    “We warmly welcome the former President of All India Mahila Congress Sushmita Dev to our Trinamool family,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said in a tweet.

    A former MP, Dev was the national spokesperson of the grand old party and the chief of the All India Mahila Congress.

    She sent her resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, sources said, but offered no reason for her quitting.

    “Met TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and had a good discussion with him. He has an excellent vision and clarity for the party. Then the three of us met the (West Bengal) chief minister. She clearly has an excellent future vision for the party and I hoped that I would be helpful in that regard. “I would be meeting the press in Delhi On Tuesday and answer all questions,” Dev said in a video statement released by the TMC.

  • After quitting Congress, Sushmita Dev joins TMC in presence of Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Shortly after quitting the Congress, former Assam MP Sushmita Dev on Monday met TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at his office in south Kolkata and joined the Trinamool Congress party.

    According to sources in the grand old party, Dev, who had been serving as the All-India Mahila Congress chief, sent her resignation to party chief Sonia Gandhi late on Sunday.

    A senior TMC leader said she might meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later in the day.

    “Dev visited Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office during the day and held a meeting with him in the presence of other senior functionaries. She may also meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna later today,” the TMC leader said.

    We warmly welcome the former President of All India Mahila Congress @sushmitadevinc to our Trinamool family!Inspired by @MamataOfficial, she joins us today in the presence of our National General Secretary @abhishekaitc & Parliamentary Party Leader, Rajya Sabha, @derekobrienmp. pic.twitter.com/JXyMJLIf52
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 16, 2021
    Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Bora told reporters in Guwahati that the former MP, who was also a national spokesperson of the grand old party, had to quit as “she is suffering from depression”.

    Bora also asserted that Dev was given “adequate importance” by the party high command, and any “political reason” couldn’t have prompted her exit.

    “This (resignation) is a sign of her depression. One cannot comprehend how much a defeat can affect a person, if he or she hasn’t seen Sushmita. Perhaps, she is lacking the self-confidence to re-build the party’s support base in Silchar once again,” he claimed.

    ALSO READ | Congress moves on with ‘eyes wide shut’: Kapil Sibal after Sushmita Dev quits party

    Dev lost her Silchar Lok Sabha constituency to BJP’s Rajdeep Roy in 2019 General Election.

    Asked whether her departure will hurt the Congress, the Assam unit chief said, “When a family member leaves, it is never nice. We have to work on finding more leaders like her.”

    In her letter to Gandhi, Dev said she was beginning a “new chapter in my life of public service”.

    “I cherish my three-decade long association with the Indian National Congress. I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service,” she said in the letter.

    She offered no reason for quitting the party.

    The Congress maintained that no letter has been received from her but wished her well.

    Party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he and other party leaders have tried to reach out to her but her phone was switched off.

    “I am unable to speak to her as Sushmita ji’s phone is switched off. We have tried to reach out to her.

    “Sushmita ji is a very dear friend. She is extremely versatile, talented and capable. Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji have always appreciated it,” he told reporters when asked about her resignation.

  • Mamata will be key architect of change in government at Centre in 2024: Trinamool

    The party also said on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day that the opposition across the country is trying to come together on one platform and float an alternative front.

  • Strengthen voices against all forces that try to stifle freedom: Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday called for strengthening voices against all forces that try to stifle freedom.

    She unfurled the National Flag and took salutes from various police wings during a parade on Red Road here on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day.

    The chief minister also awarded various police personnel for their gallantry and paid floral tributes at the Police Memorial and a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, whose 125th birth anniversary was celebrated this year.

    Though Banerjee did not address the people, she tweeted, “On the 75th Independence Day, let us all come together to strengthen our voices against all forces that aim to stifle our freedom.

    We must never forget the sacrifice of those who fought a long and hard battle for this day.

    Warm wishes to all my brothers and sisters.

    Jai Hind!” Colourful tableaux themed on various schemes and campaigns of the state government were taken out at the event.

    Many dignitaries, including Chief Secretary H K Dwidevi, Home Secretary B P Gopalika and Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra, were present at the programme.

    Meanwhile, community clubs and social organisations also took out rallies, while the National Flag was hoisted at educational institutions and government offices.

    Various political parties also observed the day their offices.

  • TMC likely to join Sonia Gandhi’s virtual meet for opposition leaders

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress has received an invite to a virtual meet for opposition leaders by Congress president Sonia Gandhi slated for August 20, a political aide of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee confirmed.

    The TMC is likely to join the meeting.

    Gandhi has called the meet in the midst of a political row over alleged phone tapping of opposition leaders, judges and journalists and rowdy scenes in Parliament.

    While the agenda of the meeting is not known, it is expected to discuss a raft of issues irking opposition parties besides helping build bridge to forge opposition unity.

    ALSO READ | Uddhav Thackeray to attend Opposition meeting called by Sonia Gandhi

    The DMK, NCP and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha are among parties that have been invited, according to multiple sources.

    Banerjee too had last month, during a trip to Delhi, made a pitch for opposition unity.

    The West Bengal chief minister had, besides meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central ministers, held parleys with Congress’ Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and Abishek Manu Singhvi.

    She also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and DMK leader Kanimozhi, besides making telephone calls to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.

    More recently, on Thursday, the TMC came out against the suspension of the Congress’ Twitter handles, displaying what many saw as signs of a rekindling of a spirit of opposition unity.

    Banerjee’s advisor and political campaign pundit Prashant Kishor has also been reaching out to various opposition leaders, while Pawar has also held a meeting with eminent persons and opposition leaders.

    Political analysts see these meetings as essential stepping stones to forging unity among political parties ahead of a raft of state assembly elections including in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, in the next three years leading to national elections in 2024.

  • West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee dismisses rumours about ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ Scheme

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday dismissed rumours that all taxes need to be cleared for availing benefits of the “Lakshmir Bhandar” (Lakshmi store) scheme and said a complainant can dial her office for redressal of her grievances.

    The chief minister’s comment came in the wake of allegations of cut money being demanded in the districts though she did not cite any specific instance.

    Addressing a press meet at the state secretariat, the chief minister said, for enrolling on the scheme the beneficiaries will only have to fill up the form at “Duare Sarkar” (government at doorsteps) camps to be held for one month from August 16.

    Around 1.6 crore people are expected to be a part of the West Bengal government scheme, which was a part of the Trinamool Congress’ election manifesto, aimed at providing financial assistance to women heads of families in the age group of 25-60 years.

    Under the initiative, the state government will provide Rs 1,000 per month to women heads of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, and Rs 500 to those belonging to the general category.

    Asking people not to be swayed by any misinformation, Banerjee said “the form for ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ will be free of cost and will be only available from ‘Duare Sarkar’ camps.

    “There will be a unique ID given on the form which will be linked with AADHAAR. Only that form will be accepted.”

    If someone collects the form from outside, printed by any agency, that will not be accepted, the chief minister said.

    Banerjee said a rumour was being spread in parts of North 24 Parganas district that one has to clear taxes to avail the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme.

    “But it is false,” she said. Women not employed in government services or permanent private-sector jobs, and not getting retirement benefits will be eligible for the scheme, she added.

    “In case anyone has any complaint, she can call the toll free number at the chief minister’s office. Any grievance will be dealt with on the lines of ‘ Didi ke Bolo’ (tell Didi) helpline (launched two years back),” she added.

    While “Lakshmir Bhandar” is a financial benefit scheme for women, the “Duare Sarkar” camp was announced last year as an outreach programme.

    Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari said the chief minister has broken her promise within three months of returning to power.

    Referring to the ‘Laskhmi Bhandar’ scheme announced by Banerjee, he said before the elections, the party had promised a minimum income for all women in West Bengal if it comes to power.

    About five crore women are residing in West Bengal.

    but after coming to power, the number of women beneficiaries of the scheme has been reduced to 1.6 crore, he said.

    Adhikari said the yearly outgo for the scheme will be Rs 15,000 crore and will add to the state’s debt burden to a great extent.

    The chief minister further said, to reach essentials at the doorsteps of people, “Duare ration” will be launched from the day of “Bhai Phonta” (a festival when women pray for their brothers’ long life and good health).

    The “Duare Sarkar” camp will be held till September 15 where people will get information about 18 schemes, including “Swastha Sathi”, “Khadya Sathi”, Caste certificate, “Sikshasree”, and “Kanyashree”.

    Already 17,107 camps have been shortlisted but the figure will rise as many areas are still submerged, she said.

    The chief minister also said as per a revised notification of the Union government, the state has declared August 20 as a holiday on the occasion of Muharram instead of August 19 as announced earlier.

  • Calcutta HC adjourns Mamata’s plea against Nandigram polls results to November 15

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday accepted the plea by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari seeking adjournment of the hearing of CM Mamata Banerjee’s petition challenging the election result of Nandigram Assembly constituency where she lost to her former lieutenant-turned-BJP leader. 

    Adhikari moved the adjournment petition on the ground that a transfer plea has been filed by him before the Supreme Court.

    The court adjourned the matter to November 15.

    Lawyer Jaydip Kar, who appeared on behalf of Adhikari, said in his submission that a compliance report regarding the payment of cost imposed by the court had not been filed by the petitioner (Mamata). 

    Earlier, justice Kaushik Chanda had imposed costs to the tune of Rs 5 lakh on Mamata after recusing himself from adjudicating upon the election petition. Mamata’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi had raised objections regarding the political inclination of Chanda.

    The court directed Mamata to file the compliance report before the next date of hearing.

  • Atrocities on Tripura TMC workers to have repercussions in Delhi: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Asserting that the Trinamool Congress will overcome opposition from the BJP and win the assembly elections in Tripura, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned of repercussions in Delhi if there are atrocities against TMC workers in the northeastern state.

    At least 14 leaders and workers of the TMC, including those injured in an alleged attack by BJP workers, were arrested in Tripura’s Khowai district on August 8 for “violating Covid norms”.

    Senior TMC leaders from West Bengal are of late visiting the NE state where the assembly election is due in 2023.

    Claiming that around 2 lakh people owing allegiance to the BJP had come to West Bengal from outside the state and even from abroad during the assembly election held earlier this year, Banerjee wondered why TMC leaders cannot go to Tripura which is ruled by the saffron party.

    “We will certainly go and win the election in Tripura.

    The fight in Tripura will continue,” Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, said.

    “If there are atrocities in Tripura, its repercussions will be felt in Delhi,” she said without elaborating.

    Banerjee was talking to reporters after visiting injured TMC workers, who had been flown to Kolkata for treatment from Tripura, at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

    Accusing the BJP of running an anarchic government in the NE state, she claimed that the Biplab Deb dispensation does not allow any voice of opposition to it.

    In a not so veiled threat of a tit for tat against the BJP, the chief minister said, “If they think that by registering an FIR, they will arrest them (TMC leaders) when they land there, they (BJP government) must remember that we also have the law in our hands here.

    We don’t want to apply it and hope that charity begins at home.

    ” The Tripura Police on Tuesday registered FIRs against TMC all India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, minister Bratya Basu and other senior leaders of the party for allegedly preventing government servants from discharging their duties at Khowai police station on August 8.

    Abhishek Banerjee, who is the West Bengal CM’s nephew and the de facto number 2 in the party, and others had gone to the police station to meet the apprehended TMC workers.

    The TMC supremo said that state Education Minister Bratya Basu will go to Tripura on Friday.

    The Tripura Police had also arrested some TMC workers from West Bengal on various charges.

    They were later granted bail by a district court in Tripura.

    Claiming that the BJP government in the northeastern state was indulging in atrocities there, Banerjee said, “I want to ask the (Union) Home Minister (Amit Shah) what is he going to do now? How many human rights teams, tribal commission, women’s commission teams have gone there and how many cases have been filed in courts?” A committee formed by the National Human Rights Commission on the instruction of the Calcutta High Court had visited West Bengal last month to probe allegations of violations of human rights during post-poll violence in the state.

    Those who went to talk to officials at the police station were arrested as if they are criminals while those who attacked TMC workers in Tripura are roaming freely, the chief minister claimed.

    To a question on the Election Commission seeking views of political parties on holding assembly by-polls in Covid time, she said, “We will inform (the EC)”.

    Seven assembly seats are lying vacant in West Bengal due to deaths of candidates or resignation of MLAs.

    A TMC parliamentary party delegation met the EC in Delhi last month to press for its demand for holding by-polls to the vacant assembly seats in the state at the earliest.

    The TMC is keen on the by-elections as Banerjee, who lost the assembly election from Nandigram, will have to get elected within six months to continue as the chief minister.

    In that case, the by-polls must be conducted by November 5.

    The by-elections are due in the constituencies of Khardah, Gosaba, Shantipur, Jangipur, Samserganj, Dinhata and Bhabanipur.

    Banerjee is expected to file nomination from Bhabanipur in Kolkata, which was vacated by winning TMC candidate Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, days after the results were declared.

    Banerjee said that she will get a CT scan done of her leg which was injured during campaigning for the West Bengal assembly elections in March.

    The chief minister also visited her ailing sister at the state-run hospital.

    PTI AMR NN NN 08121946 NNNN

  • UPSC’s test questions on poll violence in Bengal ‘given by the BJP’: Mamata

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The competitive exam for jobs in the central police forces has become the latest point of conflict between the BJP-led central government and West Bengal.

    CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is preparing questions for the aspirants on behalf of the BJP. She made this allegation while referring to questions on “poll violence in West Bengal” asked aspirants in exams for jobs in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

    “The UPSC is asking BJP’s questions. UPSC used to be an impartial body but the BJP is giving its questions to ask. The questions are politically motivated. The question paper also asked candidates to write on the protests by farmers. BJP is destroying institutions such as the UPSC which conducts national exams for civil services,” Mamata said.

    ALSO READ | Bengal BJP renames ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ as ‘Shahid Samman Yatra’

    The post-poll violence became an issue in Bengal’s political circuit after the recent Assembly elections in which Trinamool Congress came to power for the third straight term. Mamata and the TMC claimed that the reports of post-poll violence has been exaggerated by using fake videos and images and most of the incidents took place when the state police force was under the control of the Election Commission. 

    The BJP accused the ruling party of perpetrating the attack on their supporters.

    The BJP sharpened its attack on the TMC after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) formed a committee last month on the order of Calcutta High Court and conducted a probe before submitting a report before a five-judge bench. In its observation on the basis of the report, the high court had said the situation in the state was a manifestation of “law of ruler” instead of “rule of law”.    

    Castigating the NHRC committee’s report, Mamata had labelled one NHRC member as a BJP man. “I think he has gone by the BJP version and contributed his political allegiance in the report,” she alleged last month.

  • ‘Insulted by elements in party’: Activist-turned-Trinamool MLA writes to Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Dalit activist-turned-Trinamool Congress MLA Manoranjan Byapari has kicked up a fresh storm by alleging in a Facebook post that he was being continuously insulted “by four-five elements” of the party and said that he wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her intervention.

    While the TMC leadership said Byapari, also an exponent of Dalit literature, should not have gone public with his grievances, the BJP said he is welcome to join the saffron party.

    In another post around a month back, the first-time MLA had vented his frustration saying he might have made a mistake by joining active politics.

    “Don’t be angry with me for not getting Duare Bidhayak (MLA on your doorstep) service. Be infuriated with those – four/five elements – who are continuously spreading canards against your representative whom you have given a huge mandate amid a massive campaign by the BJP,” Byapari said in the new post addressing the people of his Balagarh constituency in Hooghly district.

    Efforts are on to derail the services people get in a planned manner, he claimed in the post uploaded on Tuesday.

    Asked what prompted him to make such comments, Byapari told reporters on Wednesday, “Some elements who did not allow many voters to cast votes in 2018 Panchayat polls using guns and muscle-power are still active in the party organisation in my constituency.”

    They don’t want that the state government’s social welfare projects “initiated by our leader Mamata Banerjee” to reach the needy, he claimed in the post.

    Byapari said he has sent a letter to Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, drawing her attention to the issue.

    “We must be careful in inducting people as some will do the TMC more harm than good,” he said without naming anyone.

    Reacting to Byapari’s post, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said that he should have discussed the issue in the party’s forums without going public.

    “He is a writer, a creative person. He might have hurt for something. But he should have discussed his grievances within the district unit, within the state unit. He didn’t do that and instead, went public and wrote to the party supremo. This is not done,” Chatterjee added.

    BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said that if Byapari finds himself suffocated within the TMC, he will find breathing space in the saffron party.

    The MLA who had in the past worked as a rickshaw-puller and tea seller to make ends meet, said in a post on July four: “So many people out there are distressed and sad. They assume I have a magic wand. Alas, I don’t.”