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Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • WB polls: Mamata Banerjee ‘clean bowled’, BJP completed century already: PM Modi at Bardhaman

    By PTI
    BARDHAMAN (West Bengal): Drawing a cricket analogy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday the people of Bengal have hit so many fours and sixes in the first four phases of the assembly polls that the BJP has already completed its century and the TMC is on course to being wiped out.

    He came down hard on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of instigating people against central forces on election duty in the state.

    The prime minister also launched a blistering attack on Banerjee, saying she did not care to express regret after a “leader very close to her” called Scheduled Castes “beggars”.

    “People of Bengal hit so many fours and sixes that BJP has already completed a century (of seats) in the first 4 phases of assembly polls. They have wiped out the TMC in half the match (aadha mein poora saaf).

    “People of Bengal have clean bowled Didi in Nandigram and have asked her entire team to leave the field,” he told an election rally in Bardhaman.

    Mocking TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s “Ma, Mati, Manush” slogan, the prime minister said, “Tormenting ‘Ma’, looting ‘Mati’ (motherland) and bloodshed of ‘Manush’ (people) is its reality.”

    Alleging that Banerjee incited people against central forces, he referred to the killing of four people in the firing by CISF personnel in Cooch Behar on April 10.

    “Your (Banerjee’s) policies have snuffed out the lives of children of countless mothers,” he said.

    Modi castigated Banerjee over a TMC leader and candidate’s comments against the Scheduled Castes equating them with beggars.

    “Didi calls herself a Royal Bengal Tiger.

    You tell me is it possible for someone to say such things without her permission? Such comments hurt the soul of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

    You have committed the biggest mistake, the biggest sin by insulting Dalits, Didi,” Modi said. Accusing Benerjee of dividing people, Modi said “Jukto koro-Seva Koro” (uniting people and serving them) is his motto.

    “Didi knows Congress could not return once ousted, Left could not return once removed from power, you too will never be able to bounce back,” he said.

  • Shah blames Mamata for Sitalkuchi violence, says her ‘advice to gherao central forces instigated attack’

    By PTI
    SANTIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that her advice to gherao central forces had instigated people to attack CISF in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi that led to four deaths in firing by security personnel.

    He also accused the TMC supremo of doing appeasement politics even in case of deaths.

    “Mamata Banerjee had advised people to gherao central forces. Is that not responsible for the deaths in Sitalkuchi? Her advice had instigated the people to attack the CISF,” Shah told reporters after a roadshow in Santipur in Nadia district.

    Apart from the four deaths in what the CISF described as a “self-defence action”, a BJP worker was also shot dead by unidentified persons in the same Sitalkuchi assembly constituency during the fourth phase of voting on Saturday.

    Shah alleged that Banerjee did appeasement politics by paying tributes to the people killed in the CISF firing but did not condole the death of the BJP worker, identified as Anand Barman, as he was from the Rajbongshi community who are not her vote bank.

    “Attempts are being made to politicise the Sitalkuchi killings. Mamata Banerjee had paid tributes to four persons who were killed in the CISF firing but did not condole the death of Anand Barman as he is a Rajbongshi and is not fit for her vote bank. It is very unfortunate to see appeasement politics even in case of deaths,” he said.

    Noting that polling in the first three phases was by and large peaceful, Shah appealed to all the political parties to abide by the Election Commission rules in the next four phases.

    Banerjee, while addressing a rally at Baneswar in Cooch Behar district on April 7, had alleged that CRPF personnel were harassing and killing people at Shah’s behest.

    She had advised people to “form groups to gherao central forces and keep them busy by talking to them”, while others will quickly go to polling stations and cast their votes.

  • ‘EC trying to suppress facts by barring entry of politicians’: Mamata on Cooch Behar firing

    By PTI
    SILIGURI: Describing the incident of firing in Cooch Behar as a “genocide”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said the Election Commission has restricted the entry of politicians in the district for 72 hours as it seeks to “suppress facts”.

    The TMC supremo, while addressing a press meet here, claimed that central forces “sprayed bullets aiming at the torso of the victims” in Sitalkuchi area, when the fourth phase of polling was underway in the state.

    “There was genocide at Sitalkuchi. I would like to visit Sitalkuchi by April 14. The EC is trying to suppress facts by restricting entry in Cooch Behar. We have an incompetent home minister and an incompetent central government,” Banerjee said.

    Four persons died on Saturday when CISF personnel opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles”, the police had said.

    “The CISF doesn’t know how to handle situations. Since the first phase of elections, I had been saying that a section of the central forces are committing atrocities on people. I had flagged the issue in Nandigram, but none paid attention to my words,” she stated.

    The feisty TMC chief also spoke to the brother of one of the deceased over a video call, in the midst of the press meet, and promised all help to the bereaved family.

    The man, on his part, was heard saying that the jawans had opened fire on the voters.

    “He (one of the four killed in firing) was standing in a queue when the jawans opened fire. His wife is pregnant. They also have a three-year-old child. Our parents are shocked and devastated,” the man told the CM.

    Banerjee asked a local TMC leader, who made arrangements for the video chat from Sitalkuchi, to send her a copy of the FIR filed in connection with the incident.

    “I will be addressing election meetings today, but with a heavy heart. The episode keeps haunting me,” the CM said, adding that party workers will stage protests against the incident across the state.

    Taking to Twitter, Banerjee, in a jibe at the poll panel, also said that the “EC should rename MCC (Model Code of Conduct) as Modi Code of Conduct!”

    “BJP can use all its might but NOTHING in this world can stop me from being with my people & sharing their pain. They can restrict me from visiting my brothers & sisters in Cooch Behar for 3 days but I WILL be there on the 4th day!,” she posted on the microblogging site.

  • ‘Rename Model Code of Conduct as Modi Code of Conduct’: Mamata’s jibe at EC

    Mamata Banerjee had said that she will hold a protest rally in Cooch Behar on Sunday against the firing incident and visit the homes of the deceased.

  • Cooch Behar firing: Mamata Banerjee questions self-defence version of central forces, orders CID probe

    By PTI
    SILIGURI: Questioning the version that central forces fired on voters “in self-defence” in Cooch Behar district killing four persons, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that her government will initiate a CID probe into the incident.

    Banerjee said that there is no video footage or any other proof to substantiate the claims of the central forces.

    Four persons were killed as central forces opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles” near a booth in Sitalkuchi constituency in North Bengal when polling was underway.

    According to official sources, the preliminary report submitted by the EC’s special police observer Vivek Dubey said that a huge mob of around 350-400 people had gheraoed the central forces, following which they fired in “self-defence”.

    “Where does this theory (of firing in self-defence) come from? Who was injured on their part? Is there any footage? After killing those people, they were supporting the act,” she told reporters at Siliguri, the largest city of North Bengal.

    ALSO READ | West Bengal polls: EC bans entry of politicians in Cooch Behar district for 72 hours

    A CID probe will be initiated to find out the circumstances behind the incident, the CM added.

    “The police are under the Election Commission now.

    But as the head of an elected government, it is my duty to order a probe by an organisation like the CID to find out who were behind the incident, how it took place and other details,” she said.

    Banerjee demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the firing incident, and wondered whose “direct interference into the functioning of the Election Commission and central forces” led to the excesses.

    “Instead of lying that the security personnel fired in self-defence, the prime minister should have visited the Mathabhanga Hospital where the bodies are kept.

    He should have met the injured and the family of the deceased,” she said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election meeting at Siliguri earlier in the day and extended his condolences to the bereaved families, besides urging the Election Commission to take action against those responsible for the incident.

    Banerjee said that she would visit Mathabhanga Hospital on Sunday morning.

    “The PM and the (Union) home minister are threatening us every day. It is Article 356 type situation in the state,” she said.

    Article 356 of the Constitution is invoked to bring a state under President’s Rule.

    “The officers appointed by the EC ahead of the election are reporting to the union home ministry, not to the (state) government,” Banerjee said.

    Describing this as a “shameful act”, she appealed to chief ministers of states ruled by non-NDA parties to see how the BJP is allegedly ruining democracy.

    Banerjee said that Officer on Special Duty Ashok Chakraborty who was posted in her security was on Friday removed days after his retirement from the Railway Protection Force, EC Special Observer Vivek Dubey was brought back for the second time after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls despite his superannuation years back.

    Wondering how many times Modi had visited other poll- bound states including Left-ruled Kerala, she said, “They (BJP) are targeting Bengal as I am fighting the battle, a woman is fighting them alone.” On the EC’s notice to her for allegedly violating the model code of conduct for her remarks on central forces, Banerjee said that she did not break any norm.

    “I only appealed for fair election as security forces are terrorising people at the instruction of Amit Shah.

    I came across this in Nandigram (her constituency) during the second phase of polling,” she said.

    She claimed that 18 people were killed in violence since the first phase on March 27 and 13 of them were TMC workers.

    “They (EC) are accusing me of violating the model code while in reality, I am speaking against this spiral of violence,” Banerjee said.

    “I am only asking people to come out to vote in large numbers. I am telling people that one vote will be the reply to one bullet. I am only insisting that the EC should not act in a one-sided manner,” she said.

    Banerjee said that the TMC will hold demonstrations demanding Shah’s resignation in every block of the state from 2 pm on Sunday.

  • ‘Did not violate model code, IPC’: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to EC on her remarks on CAPF

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Defending her remarks on central armed police forces, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is learnt to have told the Election Commission on Saturday that she has the highest regard for CAPF but there have been serious allegations against them of intimidating and influencing the electorate to cast their vote for a particular political party.

    Responding to a notice issued by the poll panel on Thursday, the Trinamool Congress chief denied the contents of the EC communication which sought an explanation over her “prima facie completely false, provocative and intemperate statements” against the central armed police forces deputed on election duty in the state.

    ALSO READ| Bengal poll booth violence: CM Mamata Banerjee questions central forces’ version, orders CID probe

    Banerjee also urged the poll watchdog to rescind its notice, contending she has not violated the model code or the various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

    She claimed that a girl was allegedly molested by an unidentified CRPF personnel in the early hours of April 6 at Ramnagar, under Tarakeshwar police station and the matter was reported to the police which lodged an FIR.

    She claimed that the TMC had complained with the state chief electoral officer. But till date, no tangible action has been taken nor an advisory or instruction issued by Election Commission to the central forces in this regard. “I have the highest regard for the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and commend and laud their contributions to the safety and security of the country,” she said in her reply.

    West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee replies to Election Commission notice to her on her remarks on CAPFs. She states, “There has been no effort to incite/influence the electorate against CAPFs. It is clear I haven’t violated Model Code of Conduct.” pic.twitter.com/KnwrryG5gI
    — ANI (@ANI) April 10, 2021

    But during the first three phases of polls in West Bengal, there have been serious allegations of CAPF resorting to intimidation of voters by exerting force, influencing the electorate to cast their votes for a particular political party, Banerjee is learnt to have alleged her reply.

    She claimed that her party has also lodged several complaints but only a few were redressed. To drive home her point that she did not instigate people to carry out violent acts against the central forces, Banerjee also reproduced certain portions of her speech in her reply to the EC.

    “I tell you ladies, a group of you go and restrain (gherao) them while another group will go to cast their votes. One group will restrain them and another group will go to cast their votes. Don’t waste your vote. If you engage yourself only in restraining them, they will be happy that you did not cast your vote. This is their plan. It is the plan of the BJP,” she added.

    ALSO READ| Bengal polls 2021: CM Mamata Banerjee demands Amit Shah’s resignation over firing incident

    “And your plan will be that you will not be scared if they try to intimidate you coming to your village on the one hand, on the other you just talk to them. Talking to them will tantamount to restraining them. You don’t have to gherao them literally,” according to the portion of her speech cited in her reply.

    She said that in her speech she had only called upon the voters, specifically women voters, “to protest democratically by gherao if and when somebody (including CAPF) created any obstruction in their right to vote”.

    She said “gherao” is one of the democratic ways of registering public protest and there is no reason why gherao should be considered illegal. Banerjee said the term “gherao” has been a part of the political lexicon of West Bengal since late 1960.

    She said it has been used to connote peaceful “satyagraha” against authorities and she referred to “gherao” in her speech by way of verbal engagement and not a literal gherao.

    ALSO READ| West Bengal poll firing: Trinamool Congress seeks explanation from EC over death of four

    The TMC chief again targeted the Centre and the CAPF on Saturday after four people were killed in firing by CISF personnel allegedly after coming under attack from locals who “attempted to snatch their rifles” in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district during the fourth phase of polls.

    Banerjee said her government will initiate a CID probe into the incident and questioned the central forces’ version of firing in self-defence.

  • Bengal poll booth violence: CM Mamata Banerjee questions central forces’ version, orders CID probe

    By PTI
    SILIGURI (WEST BENGAL): Questioning the central forces’ version of firing on voters in self-defence in Cooch Behar that killed four people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her government will initiate a CID probe into the incident.

    ALSO READ| Mahayagya of ‘Asol Paribartan’ will begin in West Bengal from May 2: PM Modi

    Banerjee said there is no video footage or any other proof to substantiate claims of the central forces. “Where does this theory come from? Who was injured on their part? Is there any footage? After killing those people, they were supporting the act. A CID probe will be initiated to find out the circumstances behind the incident,” she told reporters here.

    Four people were killed as central forces opened fire allegedly after coming under attack from locals, who “attempted to snatch their rifles”, police said.

    ALSO READ| West Bengal elections: EC orders adjournment of polls at polling station no 126 at Sitalkuchi

    Banerjee reiterated her demand for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the firing incident in Cooch Behar, and wondered whose “direct interference into the functioning of the Election Commission and central forces” led to the excesses.

  • Mahayagya of ‘Asol Paribartan’ will begin in West Bengal from May 2: PM Narendra Modi

    By ANI
    NADIA (WEST BENGAL): As polling for the fourth phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections is underway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the ‘mahayagya’ of ‘Asol Paribartan’ will begin in the state from May 2.

    Speaking at a public gathering in Krishnanagar, he said: “BJP is the only party in the country which has been receiving ideological energy from West Bengal. From May 2, the ‘mahayagya’ of ‘Asol Paribartan will begin in Bengal. This mahayagya will teach a lesson to appeasers, extortors and those who neglect Bengal.”

    Election results will be declared on May 2. “Now, with the mantra ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwaas’, the double engine of development will take place, meaning the Centre and Bengal will have BJP government,” he added.

    ALSO READ| Bengal polls 2021: PM Modi condoles death in CISF firing, blames Trinamool Congress for violence

    PM Modi stressed that the state will move towards peace and tranquility after decades of bloodshed, fear and violence and will complete the concept of ‘Sonar Bangla’. “Now, the holy stream will be freed from mafia rule, cow smuggling and intruders. People will decide the government, not the extortionists. Police decisions will be decided by the police themselves, not the extortionists. The storm of Baisakh will uproot the TMC government and its goons from Bengal,” he mentioned.

    Earlier today PM Modi slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for ‘insulting’ the Scheduled Caste (SC) community of the state. “The thinking of Didi and TMC leaders are coming out in the open. A video is going viral on social media where a leader close to Didi can be seen insulting members of the Scheduled Caste community. She had said the SC community in Bengal acts like beggars. Didi, such arrogance! Such thinking!” said the Prime Minister while addressing a public meeting in Siliguri.

    Voting is underway in 44 constituencies in five districts of West Bengal during the fourth phase of the state Assembly polls. Among the 44 constituencies, nine are in Howrah, 10 in Hooghly, 11 in South 24 Parganas, five in Alipurduar and nine in Cooch Behar.

  • Bengal polls 2021: CM Mamata Banerjee demands Amit Shah’s resignation over firing incident

    By PTI
    BADURIA/ HINGALGANJ (WEST BENGAL): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over firing by central forces at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, killing four people.

    ALSO READ| Bengal polls: PM Modi condoles death in CISF firing, blames Trinamool Congress for violence

    Banerjee, speaking at a public meeting at Baduria in North 24 Parganas, said she would be leaving for Cooch Behar after attending rallies, and would visit spot where central forces opened fire during polling.

    Appealing to people to remain calm, Banerjee alleged that central policemen shot dead people standing in a queue to vote and demanded “Shah should resign” owing responsibility for the incident “which is dastardly, cold-blooded and unprecedented”.

    She said TMC would bring out protest rallies throughout the state on Sunday and asked party activists to wear black badges and peacefully protest the killings from 2 pm to 4 pm. Earlier speaking at Hingalganj, the chief minister claimed “the central forces opened fire on people standing in a queue to vote, killing 4 in Sitalkuchi”.

    ALSO READ| TMC asks EC to act against BJP ‘goons’ creating ‘ruckus’ in Cooch Behar

    She said that she had long apprehended that the forces’ would act in such a manner. “As BJP knows it has lost the people’s mandate, they are conspiring to kill people,” Banerjee added. She alleged this was part of a conspiracy hatched by the Union home minister.

    “However, I would ask everyone to remain calm and cast their vote peacefully. Avenge the deaths by defeating them,” she said.

    Banerjee said that the death toll in this election was far higher than that in the Panchayat elections held three years ago. “If you count the total number of killings since the elections began some 17-18 persons were killed. At least 12 people belonged to our party alone,” he said.

    CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF PHASE-IV OF BENGAL POLLS

    Banerjee said the EC too owed the people an explanation on today’s incident. “We are not in charge of the administration. The EC is in charge of administration. They have removed the senior IPS Surajit Kar Purakaystha. They have removed my OSD Ashok Chakraborty, who is a lower ranked retired officer from RPF. Yet the EC bringing in retired officers to oversee polls here,” she said.

  • Prashant Kishor audio chat leak: Poll strategist claims BJP will not cross 100 seats in West Bengal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Reacting to his leaked ‘Club House room’ audio chat, Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Saturday reiterated that BJP will not cross 100 seats in West Bengal Assembly elections while adding that the BJP should show courage by sharing the full chat instead of selective part.

    “I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than the words of their own leaders! They should show courage and share the full chat instead of getting excited with the selective use of parts of it. I have said this before and repeating again – BJP will not CROSS 100 in West Bengal,” tweeted Kishor.

    An audio chat of ‘Club House room’ involving Prashant Kishor and a few journalists was leaked on social media. “There is no anti-incumbency against Modi. Modi has become a cult in the country. Modi is popular in Bengal. The Hindi speaking people is the core support base of BJP in Bengal. Modi is very popular here. Modi and Mamata are equally popular in Bengal,” Kishore said in that conversation.

    “When we made a survey and asked people whose government will be formed in Bengal. The outcomes predominantly come in favour of the BJP. The majority says BJP’s government will be formed. There are sufficient workers of BJP on the ground. If we leave one or two districts, everywhere there are strong cadets of BJP,” added Kishor.

    “Suvendu is not a factor. Hindus, schedule caste, Dalit and Hindi speaking population are the key factors. Around 50-55 per cent of Hindus are voting for BJP. There are around one crore Hindi speaking population in West Bengal. Matuas will predominantly vote for the BJP. When we made a survey and asked people whose government will be formed in Bengal. The outcomes predominantly come in favour of the BJP. In-ground there are workers of BJP,” explained Kishor.

    He further said the parties like Congress, Left and TMC has been practising appeasement politics in West Bengal. “For the last 20 years, there has been a blatant effort to appease the minority. The entire political ecosystem in Bengal be it Left, Congress or Didi have been to grab the Muslim votes. There is some element that BJP is exploiting. And that element is coming from the blatant misuse of minority politics,” he stated.

    The election strategist was roped in by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021.

    The election strategist was roped in by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021 and had indicated in the past that he will quit the space if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) performs any better in the state than his prediction.

    As a political strategist, Kishor worked with many parties to win the elections. He helped Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar to win the Assembly polls in 2015. Following this, Kumar appointed Kishor as the vice president of JDU.

    However, Kishor was expelled from JDU in January 2020 over his disagreement with the party on the issue of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Recently he has been appointed as the Principal Advisor by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls in the state.

    Last year, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin had announced his party’s collaboration with Prashant Kishor’s poll strategy group Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) for the 2021 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

    Voting for 44 constituencies in West Bengal’s fourth phase Assembly elections began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security. This phase of the elections will witness an intense battle between 373 candidates in 44 constituencies of the state across five districts – Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

    Among the 44 constituencies, nine are in Howrah, 10 in Hooghly, 11 in South 24 Parganas, five in Alipurduar and nine in Cooch Behar. A total of 1,15,81,022 voters will participate in this phase, out of which 2,63,016 are first-time voters.

    The fifth phase of the Assembly elections will commence on April 17. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.