News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Mamata roasts EC over not clubbing final-phase Bengal polls amid COVID-19 second wave

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: In a direct attack on the Election Commission for not clubbing the last three phases of Bengal Assembly elections in the wake of the second Covid wave, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that it was aimed to give advantage to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    While addressing a rally at Jiaganj, Murshidabad, a region dominated by minorities, Mamata said the poll panel did not listen to Trinamool Congress’s request for conducting the last three phases either in one go or in two phases.

    She also alleged the BJP was hatching a conspiracy to trigger communal discord in Bengal.

    “We requested the Election Commission to reconsider its poll schedule. We requested them to club the last three phases considering the pandemic situation. But the poll panel did not pay any heed to our plea. They decided not to change the schedule of the last three phases. It is to help the BJP and PM Modi so that he could keep visiting the state and address more rallies,’’ Mamata said.

    She said her party had already decided not to organise mega rallies in Kolkata.

    “We will hold only one rally on April 26 in Kolkata. In districts, I have shortened my speeches while addressing rallies,’’ she said.

    Mamata has lambasted the election panel on several occasions in the recent past accusing it of acting at BJP’s behest.

    While addressing the rally, Mamata urged the people of the minority-dominated area to be alert as the BJP was “trying to trigger communal discord”.

    “The BJP is trying to trigger riots in Bengal. Do not fall in their trap. Be alert and do vote,’’ she said.

    In the wake of the second Covid wave, the CPI-M has already announced it would not organise any major rally or road show. It will be more focused on small street corner meetings and using social media platforms to carry out its campaign.

    The TMC shot off a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab on Tuesday, urging him to consider the party’s request amid the steep hike in Covid-19 cases.

  • Bengal polls 2021: CM Mamata Banerjee terms PM Modi’s government as ‘monumental incompetence’

    By PTI
    BHAGAWANGOLA/ SAGARDIGHI/ FARAKKA: Calling the Narendra Modi-led dispensation a government of “monumental incopetence’, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allowed open market sale of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India.

    Banerjee also hinted that election schedules were being drawn up to assist BJP, while voicing her displeasure at the rejection of her proposal to club elections in the remaining three phases.

    Addressing an election meeting at Bhagwangola in Murshidabad district, the Trinamool Congress supremo said the prime minister had exported vaccines to other countries to boost his image while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal have struggled to get doses they required to combat the Covid pandemic.

    “Yesterday the PM said the medicine (vaccine) will be available in open market. Where is the open market, where is the availability? You have already shipped out the majority of stock to foreign destinations,” she alleged.

    The central government had gifted COVID vaccines to a number of countries including neighbouring nation and allowed export to many more including to Brazil and South Africa earlier this year. Terming the Narendra Modi-led NDA government as a “government of monumental incompetence”, Banerjee said “We are facing a huge deficit in vaccines due to the faulty planning.”

    The TMC supremo said more that COVID cases are being reported from Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and Asansol belt and the state government is trying to manage the crisis from a limited stock. “For six months the Central leadership did not bother to plan, they were busy plotting electoral battles in Bengal,” Banerjee alleged.

    Turning her guns on BJP, she claimed the party brought in “lakhs of people from outside the state to help in campaigning and many of these people were infected with COVID-19”. “These people will leave but they have spread the virus and the onus to manage the new crisis will be on us. Bengal’s Covid situation was firmly under control but now the rate of infection is rising again,” she said.

    However, she advised people not to panic, adding, “We will again bring it (pandemic) under a tight leash.”

    Stating that she had learnt that elections to two assembly seats in Murshidabad, which were countermanded due to the deaths of candidates, may be held on May 13, Banerjee said “If Eid takes place on May 13, the EC should decide on a voting date keeping in mind the need of voters to celebrate the festival.

    Referring to erosion of Ganges river in Murshidabad and Malda districts, Banerjee said, “Only Central (policies) can stop the erosion. Under the terms of the Indo-Bangla water treaty, Bangladesh was given Ganges water, but as the Centre did not dredge the Farakka barrage, it has silted. This has caused regular flooding in Bihar, Murshidabad and Malda whenever there are heavy rains in Bihar. The Centre should carry out dredging of Farakka on an urgent basis,” she said.

    The Trinamool Congress supremo said, “We need to have a Ganga Erosion Board to work on war footing.” Urging the electorate to see Bengal doesn’t fall into the hands of “rioters”, the chief minister alleged she had reports that there were plots to engineer riots on Ram Navami. “Please be on guard. Don’t fall prey to any bid to pit Hindus against Muslims,” she said.

    Banerjee also urged the people “not to vote for the Left, Congress or other Sanjukta Morcha candidates who are the other face of BJP”.

    At another rally in Farakka also in Murshidabad district, the chief minister accused BJP of opposing her proposal to club the remaining three phases of polling in view of a spike in COVID cases. She also hinted that the poll schedules were drawn up to help the BJP. “Some candidates were infected with COVID, two died…The EC fixes the schedule to help Modibabu (Narendra Modi),” she alleged.

    “If election takes place, there has to be campaigning. One day voting would have reduced the spread of infection and helped people, Banerjee reasoned,” she added.

    Elaborating on her claims about secret understanding between parties of Sanjukta Morcha and BJP, she said at Sagardighi, “Iit is nothing but another morcha with BJP’s blessings.”

  • Centre’s vaccine policy appears hollow, without substance: CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hitting out at the Centre’s new vaccine policy and terming it “hollow, without substance and a regrettable show” of evasion of responsibility.

    The central government on Monday announced that everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1, liberalising the vaccination drive to allow states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.

    “I am informed that the central government has announced the much-delayed universal vaccine policy on 19th April, 2021, which appears to be hollow, without substance and a regrettable show of evasion of responsibility by the central government at a time of crisis,” Banerjee said in the letter.

    She also reminded the prime minister that she had in a letter dated February 24, 2021, requested his intervention to allow West Bengal purchase vaccines directly with state resources and give free vaccination to people of the state.

    “No response was received from your end. Now when the number of cases in the second wave of COVID is spiralling like anything, the Centre has chosen to tactically indulge in empty rhetoric and shy away from its responsibility for making available vaccines to the people of the country,” Banerjee wrote.

    She pointed out that the announcement made on Monday did not address major issues like ensuring quality, efficacy, stable flow of supply of required number of doses by the manufacturers and also the price at which the vaccines are to be purchased by the states.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi should resign owning responsibility for COVID surge; no response on 5.4 cr doses demand: Mamata

    “It is apprehended that the announced policy might lead to unscrupulous mechanisms in the market, including pricing of vaccines as it appears to be based on market prices which may put the common people under huge financial burden.

    “More importantly, the supply would also become very erratic because the vaccine manufacturers are hardly prepared to scale up their production capacities to the desired levels to meet the nationwide demand,” the West Bengal chief minister said.

    She added that the required vaccines are not currently available in the market and requested for steps to ensure their availability at the earliest.

    “In sum, I would earnestly request you to kindly ensure a fair, transparent and credible vaccination policy addressing all the issues outlined above, which would enable the people of the country to get vaccines urgently at affordable prices as per current scale as applicable,” Banerjee said.

    ‘Allowing open market sale of vaccines after depleting stocks’

    Banerjee also accused the Prime Minister of allowing open market sales of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India.

    Addressing an election meeting here, the Trinamool Congress supremo said the prime minister had exported vaccines to other countries to boost his image while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal have struggled to get doses they required to combat the Covid pandemic.

    “Yesterday the PM said the medicine (vaccine) will be available in open market.

    Where is the open market, where is the availabilty? You have already shipped out the majority of stock to foreign detinations,” she alleged.

    The Central Government had gifted Covid vaccines to a number of countries including neighbouring nation and allowed export to many more including to Brazil and South Africa earlier this year.

    Terming the Narendra Modi-led NDA government as a government of monumental incompetence”, Banerjee said “we are facing a huge deficit in vaccines due to the faulty planning.

    The TMC supremo said more Covid cases are being reported from Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and Asansol belt and the state government is trying to manage the crisis from a limited stock.

    “For six months the Central leadership did bother to plan, they were busy plotting electoral battles in Bengal, Banerjee alleged.

    Turning her guns on BJP, she claimed the party brought in “lakhs of people from outside the state to help in campaigning and many of these people were infected with Covid.

    These people will leave but they have spread the virus and the onus to manage the new crisis will be on us.

    Bengal’s covid situation was firmly under control but now the rate is infection is rising again.

    However, she advised people not to panic, adding we will again bring it (pandemic) under a tight leash.

  • BJP seeks action against Mamata for statement ‘amounting to incite mutiny in CAPF’

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The BJP on Monday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer accusing Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of making a statement that amounts to incite “mutiny” in the central armed police force (CAPF) deployed in West Bengal for the assembly elections.

    Alleging that Banerjee, through her comment as published in a vernacular daily on Monday, has also violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the BJP called for action to be taken against her by the Election Commission.

    The BJP claimed that at a public meeting in Nadia district, the chief minister appealed to the CAPF personnel “not to shoot on the orders of the BJP. They are today but will not remain tomorrow.”

    In its complaint to the CEO, the saffron party alleged that the statement casts aspersions on the authority of the Election Commission.

    “The CAPF personnel during the election duty remain under the overall supervision of Commission and their superior officials deployed on ground,” the BJP said, adding that political parties who are stakeholders in the elections have no command over the forces deployed.

    “This amounts to incitement to mutiny in barely concealed language,” the complaint by the BJP over Banerjee’s alleged statement said.

    The BJP claimed that Banerjee made the statement on Sunday in reference to the firing by CAPF in Cooch Behar district on April 10 during polling, “violating provisions of Model Code of Conduct and provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951.”

    Four persons were killed in the firing which took place during the fourth phase of polling.

    “The statement deserves to be condemned and much stricter action is to be taken against her,” the BJP demanded in the complaint.

    The Election Commission had banned Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours last week over her remarks against central forces and a statement that had “religious overtones”.

  • Central forces on Bengal poll duty should undergo COVID-19 test, demands Didi

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Her first request to hold the last three phases of Assembly polls together was turned down. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday again urged the Election Commission to truncate the process, suggesting that things be wrapped up in two days, to check the spread of Covid-19.Vocal as usual against Narendra Modi and BJP and accusing them of spreading the disease in Bengal, Mamata also demanded that central security personnel on election duty be subjected to RT-PCR tests.

    Around 1,100 companies of Central forces from CISF, BSF, CAPF and police from other states are on duty in Bengal elections from March 27 to April 19.

    Each company has around 100 personnel.

    This means over one lakh security men from other states, who are moving around in different parts of Bengal.

    Sources in Central forces confirmed that they have not undergone RT-PCR tests.

    Speaking in Malda district, Mamata said considering the Covid-19 situation, the Centre should have advised the Election Commission.

    “Over one lakh personnel of Central forces are roaming from one place to another. I demand RT-PCR tests for them. They have come from other states. How will we know their health condition?”

    Reiterating TMC’s demand to shorten the election process in view of the pandemic, she said: “With folded hands, I request the Commission to hold the next three phases on a single day. If not possible, conduct it in two days and save one day. It will help check the infection to an extent.’’

    Indicating that the Commission may have decided against clubbing the three phases at the behest of BJP, Mamata urged the poll body to pay attention to the larger picture.

    “Please don’t take decisions based on what BJP says.”

    TMC and BJP are locked in a war of words over the increasing Covid cases in Bengal.

    While Mamata is accusing BJP of spreading infection by bringing in outsiders, PM Narendra Modi questioned her seriousness, pointing out that she skipped two meetings of chief ministers convened recently to discuss ways to check the virus.

  • ‘Don’t panic, no lockdown in Bengal now’: Mamata says taking all Covid control measures 

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday ruled out any possibility of lockdown in the state in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19.

    The state government is taking all necessary actions to combat the pandemic and there is no need to be panicky, she said.  The government is increasing the number of ‘safe homes’ for Covid patients with mild symptoms and hospital beds for serious patients, Banerjee announced.

    “The state government is taking all necessary actions to combat the second wave of Covid. There is no need to panic. At present, we have 2,000 serious patients including those with comorbidities. In this fight, vaccines, oxygen, and Remdisivir medicine are needed and there is a shortage of these. I have already written to the Prime Minister regarding this. I have requested him to provide us with these things immediately. We are trying to buy these from outside but it is not available in the market,” she said in a press conference in Malda.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi responsible for second wave of COVID-19, alleges Mamata Banerjee

    She announced that 50% of state government employees will go to offices while the will rest work from home. The summer vacation in schools, where classes were going on for students of Class IX to XII, will start from Tuesday and will continue till June, till the further order.

    The CM said her government has increased the number of beds to 1,000 in the last four days and 3,500 more beds will be arranged in the next few days. “About 100 government hospitals including ESI ones, are prepared for Covid patients. We have also spoken to 58 private hospitals to ensure more Covid beds. We will use hotels as hospitals if needed,” she added.

    Referring to the space crunch at ‘safe homes’, Mamata Banerjee said many establishments are presently being occupied by the Election Commission. “The EC has taken many houses for the election. So, there are fewer homes. We have 11,000 beds in 200 safe homes. The control room is working daily, 400 ambulances are working. There is a telemedicine system. 1600313442222-This phone number is working 24 hours each day”

  • West Bengal polls 2021: PM Modi responsible for second wave of COVID-19, alleges Mamata Banerjee

    By ANI
    NADIA: Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that he is responsible for the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

    Addressing a public meeting in Kaliganj, the chief minister said, “Why did not you (Prime Minister) make plans to stop corona in the last 6 months?… You have to answer this. The Prime Minister is responsible for the second wave of COVID-19. If he would have taken responsibility at the right time then this would not have happened.”

    Banerjee urged the Election Commission to club the remaining phases of the West Bengal Assembly polls into a single round in view of the surge in the COVID-19 cases. “With folded hands, I request the Election Commission to hold three phases of polls on a single day or in two days. Please do not play with the lives of people,” she said at a public meeting in Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur.

    The chief minister later on Monday held a press conference in Kolkata to brief the state government’s measures against the intensifying pandemic situation.

    ALSO READ| Vote for BJP to end ‘tolabaji, tushtikaran, tanashahi’ prevailing under Mamata Banerjee’s rule: Nadda

    Asked about whether to impose Night Curfew, she said, “The night curfew is not the solution. We should remain alert. There is nothing to panic about. We have increased 20 per cent beds in hospitals. We have decided to start summer vacation for all schools from tomorrow till June.”

    The poll-bound West Bengal reported 8,419 fresh COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths on Saturday, the state health department informed on Sunday. “There are 49,638 active COVID-19 cases in West Bengal, while with 28 new, deaths the death toll in the state has gone up to 10,568,” the health department said.

  • Mamata Banerjee urges EC with ‘folded hands’ to curtail Bengal poll schedule amid COVID-19 surge

    By PTI
    CHAKULIA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Election Commission to re-consider its decision to stick to the original poll schedule, as she stressed that wrapping up the last three phases of polls on a single day or at least in two days would check the spread of COVID-19 to a certain extent.

    Indicating that the EC may have decided against clubbing the remaining phases at the behest of the BJP, Banerjee, while addressing her rally here in Uttar Dinajpur, requested the poll panel to prioritise public health.

    “With folded hands, I request the EC to hold the next three phases on a single day. If not one day, conduct it in two days and save one day.”

    ALSO READ | Summer vacation in Bengal schools to start from April 20 in view of rising COVID-19 cases

    “Please don’t take your decision based on what the BJP says….Please ensure that you protect public health by curtailing the poll schedule, even if it is by one day,” the TMC supremo said.

    The CM further said that she and other leaders of her party would not hold any rally in congested areas.

    Banerjee lambasted the Narendra Modi government for “not taking adequate measures in the past six months to avert vaccine crisis”.

    Calling the BJP a party of “rioters and war mongers”, she told people gathered at the rally, “Don’t allow them (saffron party leaders) to turn Bengal into Gujarat.”

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Reached out to PM Modi for additional vaccines, medicines, says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for additional vaccines and medicines in the wake of spiraling COVID-19 cases in the state.

    She also said the state government will spell out measures to deal with the second wave of the pandemic later in the day.

    “With the massive surge in #COVID19 cases across India, GoWB is taking all necessary steps to protect its people. I’ve reached out (to) the PM to help us with additional medicines and vaccines required,” Banerjee tweeted.

    “I have also directed all the top officials to make elaborate arrangements & step up their efforts at every level to deal with #COVID19 situation in WB,” she added.

    ALSO READ: CM Mamata Banerjee warns CAPF of legal consequences after election

    Banerjee had on Sunday said TMC would organise small meetings in Kolkata and she would give short speeches in rallies in districts where polling would be held in the remaining three phases, keeping in mind the coronavirus situation.

    Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Mamata Banerjee will NOT campaign in Kolkata anymore. Only one ‘symbolic’ meeting on the last day of campaigning in the city on April 26. Slashes time for all her election rallies in all districts. Restricted to just 30 minutes.”

    West Bengal on Sunday registered its highest single day spike of 8,419 fresh cases and at least 28 fatalities.

  • CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi, seeks adequate supply of COVID vaccines to West Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to ensure an adequate supply of COVID vaccines, medicines and oxygen to the state, which has been reporting a sharp spike in fresh infections.

    In her two-page letter to the prime minister, Banerjee said that vaccines, medicines and oxygen are of paramount importance to contain the second COVID wave.

    Noting that vaccination is of top importance in densely populated West Bengal and particularly Kolkata, she, however, lamented, “Unfortunately for us, the supply of vaccines from the Centre has been scarce and erratic, which is negatively affecting our vaccination programmes.”

    ALSO READ| PM Modi should resign owning responsibility for COVID surge; no response on 5.4 cr doses demand: Mamata

    Claiming that West Bengal is one of the best performers in vaccination in the country, she said that the state is, however, now suffering due to an uncertain supply of vials from the Centre. “We have to vaccinate around 2.7 crore people for which we need 5.4 crore doses. We request for an urgent intervention to ensure that the state gets its requirement of vaccine doses fulfilled at the earliest,” she wrote.

    She complained that her government wants to purchase the doses from state funds and had earlier written to the prime minister about it but did not receive “requisite clearance” yet. Banerjee also urged Modi to ensure a steady supply of essential medicines to combat the surge in coronavirus cases.

    “The supply of essential medicines like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab is extremely scarce and uncertain today, which has been a matter of grave concern for the doctors here. We need around 6,000 vials of Remdesivir and 1,000 vials of Tocilizumab every day,” she wrote.

    “Presently, only 1,000 vials of Remdesivir are available every day and no fresh supply of Tocilizumab is coming. It may be seen that the relevant authorities step up their efforts to ensure a steady supply of these most essential supplies of medicines as soon as possible,” she said.

    Banerjee also requested the prime minister to increase the oxygen supply to the state. “The state is willing to extend its resources to the fullest in tandem with the Centre to tackle the pandemic the country is facing now and overcome it,” she added.

    Besides, her letter also held Bengal visit by “outsiders” for election purposes responsible for the steep rise in cases, an issue she has been raising while addressing rallies. 

    The two-page letter to the PM says, “You must recall that I had written to you on February 24, 2021 to allow the state to purchase vaccine doses directly using state funds. However, the state has not received the requisite clearance yet. In the mean time, number of cases in the state has also begun to increase, particularly in view of coming of large number of outsiders to the state for election campaign and other purposes at the behest of some political parties.”

    A TMC leader said Mamata is likely to use her letter to the PM to sharpen attack on the Centre. “This is why, she reminded the Centre about her communication on February 24 seeking nod for purchasing vaccines directly,” he said. Countering Mamata’s allegation that BJP was responsible for the rising cases in the state, PM Modi said the CM had skipped  two meetings chaired by him to discuss the scenario.

    West Bengal, where an eight-phase assembly election is underway, registered its highest single-day spike of 7,713 new cases on Saturday.

    (With ENS inputs)