News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Half of BJP MLAs want to be with TMC: Saugata Roy

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  The Trinamool Congress claimed half of the BJP’s MLAs are in touch with its leadership and a decision on whether all of them will be inducted is yet to be taken. The party also said it was not happy with the Calcutta High Court’s recent order observing that the state government is in denial mode on the issue of post-poll violence.

    “More than half of BJP’s newly elected MLAs are in touch with our party, expressing their willingness to join. The party is yet to take a stand on this issue. It is the chief minister who will take the final decision,’’ said TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy.

    Ever since her stupendous victory in the Assembly elections, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has opened the door only for Mukul Roy. Many BJP MLAs, who had defected from the TMC, said they were not happy with the saffron camp’s political narrative.

    Former minister Rajib Banerjee, who joined the BJP ahead of the elections, said he was not happy with the party’s divisive politics. Roy also said the party was not happy with the Calcutta High Court’s observation on post-poll violence. “The observation and order was given by a bench of five judges which include acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal. We wrote to the Chief Justice of India seeking removal of Bindal.”

    ALSO READ | No bypoll? Mamata Banerjee has a workaround, says Trinamool

    Last month, TMC MLA and  Bar Council of West Bengal chairperson Ashok Kumar Deb had alleged that Bindal was biased in the hearing of some prominent cases. Condemning the HC order engaging the National Human Rights Commission to submit a report, Roy said there was no need to engage the NHRC. “Such order is suitable when there is no government. We have a stable government and the state has its own human rights commission.” 

  • No bypoll? Mamata Banerjee has a workaround, says Trinamool

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  Amid allegations that the entire Uttarakhand drama was directed at denying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee an opportunity of getting elected in a bypoll citing the ongoing pandemic, the Trinamool on Sunday appeared unfazed.

    “If the bypoll is not conducted, she will resign two days before the stipulated time of six months ends and take oath as chief minister again after two days,” said party MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy. Mamata narrowly lost in Nandigram, which is why she has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of assuming office.

    That deadline ends on November 5. Another option is the revival of the state Legislative Council, which was decided during her first cabinet meet after being sworn in as CM for the third time. She could take that route like Uddhav Thackeray did in Maharashtra without fighting a by-election. But there is a catch. ‘’The proposal to revive the Vidhan Parishad has to be approved by Parliament.

    Since BJP has majority in Parliament, we will wait for approval. Bengal had a Legislative Council since Independence, so there should not be any issue in its revival,’’ said Roy. The Upper House was abolished in Bengal after the United Front government came to power in 1969.

    In Uttarakhand, when Tirath Singh Rawat resigned as chief minister saying by-elections could not be held within six months of his taking oath of office due to the Covid pandemic, the Congress alleged that the real aim was to stop Mamata from getting elected as an MLA and compel her to step down.

  • Mamata Banerjee government caught on wrong foot in denial of post-poll violence: HC

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Taking note of an interim report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the post-poll violence in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday said it prima facie appears to have caught the Mamata government on the wrong foot as the administration stayed in denial and tried to conceal more than reveal.

    The five-judge bench castigated the government for its failure to create an atmosphere of trust to rehabilitate people displaced by the violence.

    “In the violence, a number of persons were killed. Many suffered sexual violence and grievous injuries. Even minor girls were not spared. They have been brutally assaulted sexually. Properties of many of them were damaged and a number of them were forced to leave their houses and even migrated to neighbouring states. Till date, the state has not been able to create an atmosphere that could build confidence of the sufferers to return back to their homes or carry on their occupations,’’ the bench observed.

    Following a slew of petitions on post-poll violence, the bench had directed the NHRC on June 18 to constitute a committee to study the situation.While the state authorities had argued that they had received no complaints of violence, the State Legal Services Authority and the NHRC were flooded with petitions from the affected people when a mechanism was created to approach them, the court noted. “People are afraid to even disclose their identity to apprehending threat to their life and property,” it pointed out.

    The bench directed the state government to register all complaints of post-poll violence reported to the police or the NHRC, ensure medical treatment to all victims and provide ration even if the affected people have lost their ration cards. “Some are facing difficulty in getting their ration as their ration cards have been taken away by the goons,’’ the court noted, citing the report.

    The bench issued notice to IPS officer Rashid Munir Khan, DCP (south suburban division), asking why he should not be hauled up for contempt of court for violating specific orders issued by it to give full protection to the visiting NHRC team.Atif Rasheed, a member of the NHRC committee, was obstructed and he and his team members attacked on June 21 in Jadavpur area. No police protection was provided to them though prior notice was given to the local police by the NHRC, the court pointed out.

    ‘More to conceal than to reveal’“The NHRC committee has also recorded in the interim report that different authorities have failed to respond to the queries raised by it. It shows there is more to conceal than to reveal,” the five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court observed

  • Bengal Post-poll violence: SC seeks Centre’s response for imposing President Rule in state

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking direction to the Centre to impose President’s Rule in West Bengal in view of deteriorating law and order situation due to the post-poll violence which started on May 2, the day of assembly election results.

    The plea also sought direction to the Centre to deploy armed/paramilitary forces in the aid of the administrative authorities to bring normalcy in the state and to save it from internal disturbances.

    Besides, the PIL has sought setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probing the causes and reasons of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari issued notice to the Centre, West Bengal and Election Commission of India on the plea, which also sought to central and state governments to award compensation to the victims and their family members after ascertaining the nature of loss sustained by them in post-poll violence in the state.

    Advocate Hari Shankar Jain — appearing for petitioners Ranjana Agnihotri, a UP based practicing lawyer and social worker Jitender Singh — said that the plea is against post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    The bench said, “We are issuing notice to respondent number 1, (Union of India), respondent number-2 (West Bengal government) and Respondent number 3 (Election Commission of India).”

    The bench, however, did not issue notice to respondent number 4 — Mamata Banerjee as the president of Trinamool Congress Party (TMC).

    The plea filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain said that the PIL has been filed in extraordinary circumstances as thousands of residents of West Bengal are being terrorized, penalised and tortured by the workers of TMC for supporting the opposition party- Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) during the assembly polls.

    “The petitioners are espousing the cause of thousands of citizens of West Bengal who are mostly Hindus and are being targeted by Muslims to take revenge for supporting BJP as they want to crush Hindus so that for years to come the power may remain with the party of their choice,” the plea said.

    The plea sought from the court “directing the central government to exercise its power conferred by Article 355 and Article 356 keeping in view the deteriorating condition posing a threat to sovereignty and integrity of India”.

    It said that soon after the declaration of assembly polls result on May 2, the TMC workers and supporters started creating chaos, unrest and setting the houses and properties of Hindus on fire, looting and plundered their belongings for the simple reason that they had supported BJP in assembly polls.

    The plea said that in an attempt to create terror and disorder in the society at least 15 BJP workers/ sympathisers/supporters have lost their lives and a number of them were seriously injured.

    “The government and administration remained silent spectators and no protection was provided to the victims by them.

    The government, officials and the administration and the police are supporting workers of TMC, due to which the life, liberty, prestige, dignity and modesty of women are being taken away as is evident from the fact that number of persons were harmed and mercilessly murdered and no steps were taken for their safety,” the plea said.

    It added that no appropriate action was taken against the culprits, due to which the life, liberty, dignity of the women and children are in peril and the future of Hindu residents is in jeopardy.

    “In these circumstances, immediate intervention of the court is required and the court may issue command to the opposite parties is required and the court may issue command to the opposite parties so that the government of West Bengal functions in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and in case of continued violation the government of India may be directed to take appropriate action under Article 355 and 356 of the constitution,” it said.

    The plea alleged that during the assembly elections which were held in April, the TMC party had contested the polls purely “on communal basis arousing the feelings of the Muslims and appealing to them to remain united and vote for their party for their better future”.

    It said that subsequently BJP made a complaint to ECI against the communal appeal made by TMC party and the poll panel failed to hold free and fair election conforming the democratic norms and failed to enforce the mandatory provision of section 123 of Representation of People Act which has to be implemented during the election.

    The plea said that a seven-judge bench of the top court had in 2017, in the Abhiram Singh case, ruled that no person can be allowed to contest election by making religious appeal.

    “The election commission remained a silent spectator and the provision (of RP Act) was flagrantly violated”, it said, adding that the Muslim population is about 30 per cent in West Bengal due to “illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingia Muslims have been registered as voters without making any proper scrutiny and enquiry and in about 100 constituencies Muslims votes decide the fate of the candidates.

    The top court is already hearing a batch of pleas related to post-poll violence in the state and seeking probe by an independent agency into the alleged killing of BJP workers and sympathisers.

  • Mamata Banerjee launches scheme to provide soft loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to students for higher studies

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched the ‘Student Credit Card’ scheme, under which pupils will get soft loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies.

    Banerjee’s cabinet had last week approved the scheme, which was promised in the TMC’s manifesto for the recently concluded assembly elections in the state.

    “I am delighted to announce that the Government of West Bengal has launched the Student Credit Card scheme today.

    To make the youth of the state self-reliant, soft loans of up to Rs 10 lakh will be provided to them with an annual simple interest,” she said during the launch of the programme at the state secretariat Nabanna.

    “Anybody who has spent 10 years in West Bengal and is within the age limit of 40 years can avail the loan which will be available for undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral study in India or abroad,” Banerjee said.

    Students will be given 15 years to repay the loan, she added.

  • 15000 cases of post-poll violence in West Bengal, 7000 women molested: Fact-finding team report

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday promised to take action on the report of a fact-finding team which claimed that there were 15,000 incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal in which 25 people were killed and 7,000 women were molested.

    According to Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, the report of the civil society group — Call for Justice — headed by former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice (Retd) Permod Kohli stated that the magnitude and reach of the post-poll violence touched many villages and towns all across West Bengal simultaneously beginning the night of May 2 when the results of the assembly elections were declared. “This is a clear indication that most of the incidents are not sporadic but premeditated, organised and conspiratorial,” the report stated.

    The five-member team included two retired IAS and one IPS officers. “The Home Ministry will study the report and will try to implement its recommendations,” Reddy told reporters after the group submitted it to him.

    The report was prepared after the five-member team visited West Bengal and met a cross section of people there. Citing the report, Reddy said 16 districts of the state were affected by the post-poll violence. “The report said that due to the post-poll violence, many people have left their homes in West Bengal and had taken shelter in Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha,” he said.

    According to the report, some of the hardened criminals, mafia dons and criminal gangs who were already in police records allegedly “led and carried the deadly attacks unhindered, (which) reveals that there is clear political patronage even before the elections and same being used to silence the political rivals”.

    The report claimed the incidents of targeted destruction and vandalisation of properties, residential and commercial, have the sole purpose to deprive people of their livelihood and choke them economically. It claimed that the worst-affected people are those who depend on day-to-day work or business who are pushed into financial degradation and unmitigated misery.

    “In most of the cases, victims were afraid to lodge a complaint with the police either due to fear of reprisal or due to the lack of faith in the police. Those victims who gathered courage and went to report, police either turned (them) away to settle the matter with the culprits or flatly refused to register the case. Many people left their homes and villages to safer destinations and took shelter in camps within and outside the state,” the report said.

    The fact-finding team suggested that the report should be placed before the Supreme Court.

    In the light of overwhelming, ample, substantial and convincing evidence, the Supreme Court may consider constituting a special investigation team (SIT) immediately and monitor its work either through a sitting judge or a retired judge of the Supreme Court for fair investigation and early justice, the team said.

    They also suggested that the central government should initiate disciplinary proceedings on those delinquent officers, including all-India service officers, who failed to discharge their duties in protecting lives and destruction of properties.

  • Kolkata vaccine scam: CM Mamata says govt has no role, calls accused ‘more dreadful than terrorist’

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Describing the arrested vaccine scam accused Debanjan Deb as “more dreadful than a terrorist”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she has asked the police to take the strictest action against him.

    Banerjee said that the Trinamool Congress government has no role in organising the fake Covid vaccination drive and rejected the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe on the matter.

    Deb, who impersonated as a joint commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to set up camps where people were administered fake Covid-19 vaccines, was arrested last week.

    “The state government has no role in it. People have to understand it. Several people who look decent cheat people. I do not consider them as human. They forge signatures of chief ministers and the prime minister. Such people are more dreadful than terrorists.

    ALSO READ | Kolkata vaccine scam: Accused told police he wrote to Serum Institute for Covishield

    “We have taken very strong action against him. I have spoken to the (Kolkata) Police Commissioner thrice. An SIT has been formed and investigations are on. All those who have helped him will also face strong action,” she said.

    The chief minister said that the police and the KMC cannot shrug off their responsibilities in this matter.

    Dismissing the BJP’s demand for a CBI investigation into the matter, Banerjee claimed without elaborating that saffron party leaders had helped several traitors in the state.

    On those who have been “inoculated” in the dubious camps organised by Deb, she said that an expert committee will decide whether or not they need to be given vaccines again.

    The police arrested the 28-year-old man on June 23 for allegedly posing as an IAS officer and organising a COVID-19 vaccination camp in Kasba area, where actor and Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty had also got her jab.

    She had fallen ill on Saturday.

    “I have spoken to Mimi and enquired about her health. She has a gall bladder-related problem,” Banerjee said.

    Chakraborty, who was invited to attend the camp, had said she became suspicious about the vaccination process as she did not receive the customary SMS that is sent to people after they are administered a dose, and informed the police.

    Later, the police also arrested three associates of Deb and included the charge of attempt to murder along with other sections of the IPC against them.

  • ‘Governor is corrupt’: Fresh war of words erupts between Mamata, Dhankhar

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: A fresh spell of war of words erupted between governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday after the latter branded the former a “corrupt man” and also accused him of being in the chargesheet of the Jain Hawala case.

    Mamata also attacked the governor over his three-day north Bengal visit. She alleged that it was part of the BJP’s game to split the northern part of the state from the rest. BJP MP in north Bengal John Barla recently demanded that the northern part of the state should be made a Union Territory.  In retaliation, Dhankhar termed the allegation as “far from the truth”. The governor said the attack on him was a fallout of his letter asking Mamata to make changes in the draft of his Assembly speech scheduled on July 2.

    “I have written three letters to the Centre requesting the removal of the governor. I am sorry to say that he is a corrupt man. His name was in the chargesheet of the Hawala Jain case. Why should he dictate us terms even after we came to power with a huge mandate?” Mamata asked.

    Dhankhar said, “Her statement is unfortunate. It was not expected from a senior politician of her stature. Her allegation over the Hawala case is far from fact. My name was not mentioned in the chargesheet. Besides, all those whose names were mentioned in the chargesheet were acquitted.” 

    Referring to Dhankhar’s comment on conducting an audit of north Bengal’s autonomous district council Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the Bengal CM said the governor’s north-Bengal tour should be brought under the scanner. “Who accompanied him during the visit, how much is the expenditure for the visit and whom he met there — all should be probed. He met BJP’s MPs, MLAs, and block presidents. His visit was aimed to separate north Bengal from the rest of the state,” Mamata hit out. 

    Shortly after Mamata’s allegation, Dhankhar held a press conference at Raj Bhavan. “There was no audit in the GTA since 2017. The autonomous body GTA has been reduced to a government department and people say it has become a den of corruption and nepotism. The CAG should conduct GTA’s audit. I shall not bow down. I am not wearing kid’s gloves. I will do all I can in my command,” he retaliated.

  • No iota of truth: Dhankhar rejects Mamata’s claim he was named in Jain Hawala case chargesheet

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Rejecting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that he was a “corrupt” man who was charge-sheeted in the Jain Hawala Case, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday accused her of spreading “lies and misinformation”.

    Dhankhar described Banerjee’s accusations against him as a “knee-jerk reaction” to his raising questions over the contents of the speech he is supposed to read out at the start of the upcoming assembly session.

    “The allegations levelled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee don’t have an iota of truth. It is unfortunate that she is spreading misinformation and misinterpreting facts. It doesn’t suit a chief minister to make such allegations,” he told reporters.

    Earlier in the day, Banerjee alleged at a press conference that Dhankhar is a “corrupt” man and was named in a charge-sheet in the 1996 Jain Hawala case.

    “She should name the chargesheet in which I was named. I was never named in any of the chargesheets in the Jain Hawala Case,” he said while referring to Banerjee as her “younger sister”.

    Jain Hawala Case was a huge politial and financial scandal in the 1990s in which money routed through hawala channels was claimed to have been given to top politicians across various parties.

    Those named included L K Advani, V C Shukla, Sharad Yadav, and many more.

    However, the charges against them didn’t stand legal scrutiny and the case fell through.

    Dhankhar, who shares a strained relationship with the state government, said he was handed over in the afternoon the governor’s speech to be read out in the assembly.

    “Just 10 minutes before her press conference, I received a call from her. I put forward some questions regarding the governor’s speech. She said she has nothing to do (with the speech) as the cabinet had passed it. It seems her comment at the press conference was a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.

  • Narada case: CM Mamata Banerjee, others file fresh pleas before Calcutta HC for submitting affidavits

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Law Minister Malay Ghatak and the state government on Monday filed fresh applications before the Calcutta High Court for submitting affidavits before it in connection with the CBI’s plea for transfer of the Narada sting tapes case, as per a direction of the Supreme Court.

    Annulling the high court’s June 9 order refusing to take reply-affidavits of the state, the chief minister and the law minister, the apex court had on June 25 asked a five-judge bench of the high court to decide afresh their pleas before making a decision on the CBI petition seeking transfer of the case.

    The investigating agency has sought transfer of the Narada case from the special CBI court here to the high court.

    The next hearing of the Narada sting tapes case in the five-judge bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal is scheduled on Tuesday.

    ALSO READ | Bengal Governor corrupt, named in the chargesheet of 1996 Hawala Jain case, claims CM Mamata Banerjee

    Following the apex court’s order, the state government, the chief minister and the law minister filed fresh applications on Monday for filing affidavits.

    Three appeals including one by the state government were filed before the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s denial for filing of affidavits by Banerjee and Ghatak in their role on the day of arrest of West Bengal ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee on May 17 by the CBI in the Narada sting case.

    In its transfer application of the Narada case from the special CBI court here to the high court, the investigating agency has made the chief minister and the law minister parties in the matter.

    The probe agency claimed that while the chief minister had sat on a dharna at the CBI office here soon after the arrest of the four accused, Ghatak had been present at the Banskhall Court premises during the virtual hearing of the case before the special CBI court there on May 17.

    The five-judge bench of the high court, comprising ACJ Bindal and justices I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Arijit Banerjee, had granted interim bail on May 28 to the four Narada scam accused.

    The special CBI court had granted them bail on May 17 itself, but the order was stayed by the high court, which remanded them to judicial custody They had been placed under house arrest on May 21 by the high court, modifying its earlier order of stay on the bail.

    The Narada sting operation was conducted by journalist Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favours At that time, the four arrested politicians were ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government.

    The sting operation was made public ahead of the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal.