Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Mamata government runs on 3T model of ‘Tolabaji, Tanashahi, Tushtikaran’: Amit Shah

    By PTI
    SITALKUCHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of running the TMC government in the state on the 3T model of ‘Tolabaji’ (extortion), ‘Tanashahi’ (dictatorship) and ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement).

    Shah exuded confidence that Banerjee, who is contesting her former lieutenant and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram seat, will lose from the constituency in Purba Medinipur district.

    Identifying cross-border infiltration as the biggest problem of the north Bengal region, which he claimed faced injustice at the hands of the TMC government, the Union home minister promised to completely stop illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh if the BJP is voted to power in the state.

    He also promised that the BJP will spend Rs 2,000 crore annually on north Bengal’s development and establish an AIIMS to cater to the medical necessities of the people of the region.

    Addressing an election rally in Coochbehar district’s Sitalkuchi, situated near the India-Bangladesh border, he said, “Cross-border Infiltration is north Bengal’s biggest problem.

    ALSO READ | Bengal, Assam polls: Doom of Opposition in Modi’s crystal ball

    The TMC government can never stop it, only we can.”

    “Mamata Banerjee runs the state government on the 3T model of ‘Tolabaji’ (extortion), ‘Tanashahi’ (dictatorship) and ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement),” he said.

    Exuding confidence of coming to power in the state with a massive mandate, Shah said, “We are winning in the first two phases of elections (held on March 27 and April 1). Mamata didi is losing in Nandigram.”

    Shah accused the TMC government of meting out injustice to the north Bengal region.

    “Mamata didi has done nothing for the development of the region.

    After coming to power, the BJP will constitute a North Bengal Development Board and spend Rs 2,000 crore annually on the region’s development.

    “We will also establish an AIIMS, which will cater to the medical necessities of not only Coochbehar district but also of the entire region,” he said.

    The constituencies in Coochbehar district will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 10.

    Results of all the 294 assembly seats will be declared on May 2.

  • Bengal polls: Trinamool MP writes to official fearing disruption of ‘communal harmony’ in Nandigram

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dibyendu Adhikari has written to the District Magistrate of East Midnapore and the District Election Officer over the security situation in Nandigram after reports of chaos during the second phase of polling and has requested to take precautionary measures in advance.

    “Considering the present political situation in the area, I personally apprehend that existing communal harmony may be blatantly disrupted…I request you to take precautionary measures in advance,” read the letter written by Adhikari on Thursday.

    “I therefore earnestly request your good office to take precautionary measures, well in advance, to maintain existing communal harmony for the greater interest of integrated and peaceful life of the people here,” his letter further read.

    TMC, on Thursday, had complained to the Election Commission that it had received a report from its representatives about Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) “jamming” eight booths in the Moyna constituency and said, “a mob of BJP workers has entered the booth”.

    The complaint said that BJP workers “are attempting to take control of EVM and are rigging the booth”.

    It had also alleged that Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed at the booth had not taken any action.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who talked to media persons in Nandigram after casting her vote, said that the party lodged 63 complaints with the Election Commission.

    Nandigram witnessed a high-voltage “Khela” (game of power) on Thursday in the second phase of West Bengal assembly polls and saw a direct contest between Mamata Banerjee and her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December last year.

    The third phase of polling will be held on April 6.

  • TMC dismisses PM Narendra Modi’s speculation, says Mamata Banerjee not contesting polls from another seat

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a dig at TMC boss Mamata Banerjee, sought to know if she would contest the polls from another seat, implying her loss in Nandigram is imminent, the ruling camp in Bengal clarified that she harboured no such intention.

    Sporadic incidents of violence, allegations of booth capturing and clashes on Thursday marred the second phase of assembly polls in Bengal, especially in the high-profile Nandigram constituency, even as 80 per cent turnout was recorded till 5 pm.

    ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee’s body language shows that she has accepted defeat in Nandigram, says PM Narendra Modi

    The EC has sought a report in connection with an incident in the Boyal area of Nandigram — where the feisty TMC chief was held up for more than two hours following a siege allegedly laid by saffron camp supporters.

    BJP leader Jaiprakash Majumdar, echoing the prime minister, said that Banerjee is “likely to contest from another seat after sensing defeat in Nandigram”, an assertion rejected by the TMC leadership.

    Slamming the BJP for “causing disturbance” in the high-stake constituency — where the chief minister is pitted against her protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari — TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said the PM must “apologise for such wild and baseless claims”.

    ALSO READ: Battle for Nandigram – Massive face-off between Mamata and Suvendu on polling day

    “What happened today in Nandigram reflects BJP’s frustration. The party will lose the election not just from the Nandigram constituency, but also other seats that went to polls in the first two phases,” he told reporters.

    Another TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said the question of Mamata Banerjee fighting from another constituency does not arise as she will be winning the Nandigram seat comfortably.

  • Mamata Banerjee’s body language shows that she has accepted defeat in Nandigram: PM Modi

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Amid Mamata Banerjee’s claims of ‘rigged’ polling at Nandigram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Trinamool Congress supremo stating that her body language indicated that she had accepted defeat in the East Midnapore seat.

    “Everyone has seen what has happened in Nandigram. She (Mamata) is the opinion poll, she is the exit poll. Mamata didi your body language is showing you have accepted your defeat in Nandigram,” said Modi, while addressing a rally in Mathurapur, South 24 Parganas.

    ALSO READ | Battle for Nandigram: Massive face-off between Mamata and Suvendu on polling day

    The Prime Minister in his speech said polling in Nandigram reflected Bengal’s mood. “What happened in Nandigram is the reflection of what Bengal wants now. Didi first changed her constituency and later realised, it was her wrong decision. Didi always stands as a barrier in the path of development. She destroyed Bengal’s industries. She run the government for 10 years without any planning. BJP will be focused on Bengal’s development after wresting power,” he said.

    Reiterating BJP’s claim to whitewash the TMC-led government, Modi said, “The people of Bengal have decided to bring change in Bengal. The BJP will come to power in Bengal with more than 200 seats.”

  • Stand vindicated on Nandigram’s truth: CPM after Mamata-Suvendu war of words on 2007 violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused her then confidant and present rival Suvendu Adhikari of being involved in the 2007 violence in Nandigram, the CPI(M) on Thursday said the remarks vindicated the party’s stand and “exposed the truth about the incident” in which 14 people lost their lives.

    At a public meeting on Sunday, Banerjee accused both Suvendu Adhikari and his father Sisir Adhikari of allowing the police to enter Nandigram in 2007.

    She also accused the father-son duo of allowing “police wearing slippers” to enter the village in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district.

    Fourteen villagers protesting against land acquisition in Nandigram were killed, many by police firing, on March 14, 2007.

    The Left Front, led by the CPI(M), was in power in West Bengal then.

    Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the comments finally “vindicated” his party’s stand on the incident that occurred more than a decade ago.

    “From the right-wing RSS, the fundamentalist forces to the ultra-Left and the Maoists — all ganged up, brought in illegal arms to create this unrest in Nandigram in 2007. Now, everything is exposed. Both Mamata and the Adhikaris have confirmed this.

    “There are reports that Suvendu Adhikari has claimed Mamata knew the value of every bullet that was fired and the names of those on whom they were fired on. This is the fact, we had said it then and it was correct. The truth has been exposed but it took them more than 10 years to admit this,” Yechury told PTI.

    He also said Thursday’s violence in Nandigram will have an effect on polling.

    “Violence is still underway in the town and people are not being allowed to vote. The Election Commission is silent on the matter,” the Left leader said.

    Speaking of Banerjee’s letter to opposition parties, calling for a unified fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said the CPI(M) was pushing for such a stand from all the secular, non-BJP parties in the run-up to the 2019 general election.

    He also said his party had not received any such letter from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo.

    The CPI(M) was quick to latch on to Banerjee’s comments to train its guns on the TMC.

    On its verified Facebook page, the party wrote that Banerjee’s speech had proved that “her TMC” plotted a deep-rooted conspiracy and the then opposition party in West Bengal was behind the killings of the 14 villagers in Nandigram in 2007.

    Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Nandigram on Thursday even as Banerjee, the TMC candidate from the seat, and Adhikari, the BJP nominee, fanned out to various polling booths to take stock of the situation after reports of stray violence and booth “jamming” (a bid by the workers of a political party to crowd out voters from a polling booth by forming long queues) emerged.

    Such incidents were reported despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) being clamped in the entire Nandigram constituency to prevent possible violence.

    In the Boyal area of Nandigram, villagers alleged that BJP supporters stopped them from going to the polling booths.

  • Gehlot echoes Mamata, says Centre making states financially weaker

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has supported Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the central government is making states financially weaker. Gehlot took to social media on Thursday and asserted that he has echoed the same issue of states getting step-motherly treatment from the Centre on many occasions. 

    Gehlot tweeted his dismay at the Centre’s double standards and remarked: “On the one hand, the prime minister talks about cooperative federalism and on the other hand the states are being made financially weak.” 

    अधिकतर केन्द्र प्रवर्तित योजनाओं में भी राज्य का हिस्सा बढ़ाते हुए केन्द्र के अंश को कम किया गया है। इन सबका प्रतिकूल असर राज्यों के राजस्व पर हो रहा है।
    — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) April 1, 2021

    The CM also said that the Centre has increased the share of states in centrally-sponsored schemes and reduced the Centre’s share which has adversely impacted the revenue of states. He also asserted that many states are not getting their full share from GST revenues. 

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot lends support to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee​; says democracy under threat

    In addition, Gehlot pointed out that the Centre has imposed cess on diesel and petrol and reduced basic excise duty. It has also increased the special excise duty and additional excise duty. Therefore, the share of states has significantly been reduced. 

    Gehlot also tweeted details about devolution, divisible pool, and the change that has been affected the sharing pattern of centrally-sponsored schemes. 

    On Wednesday, Gehlot had supported TMC chief Mamata Banerjee over her concerns on democracy and the Constitution. Gehlot, who was campaigning for the Congress in Assam, had asserted, “What Mamta Banerjee has rightly said that the Central government is working to weaken states. The Centre should think to strengthen the states instead of weakening them.” 

    Gehlot was reacting to a letter written by Mamata Banerjee to several non-BJP leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, wherein she had alleged that the Centre-state relations were at their worst since Independence.

  • Complaint filed in court against Mamata Banerjee for ‘goons from Bihar’ remark

    By PTI
    MUZAFFARPUR: A complaint was filed on Thursday against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before a court here, assailing the alleged disparaging remarks she recently made about people from Bihar during campaigning for assembly elections.

    The petition was filed before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate by Sudhir Kumar Ojha, a local advocate, who took exception to the TMC supremo speaking about “goons from Bihar and UP” being brought in by the BJP, which has emerged as the principal challenger to her party.

    Ojha, known for frequently coming up with petitions against politicians, movie stars and foreign heads of state, few of which go past the admission stage, has prayed for directions to the police that an FIR be lodged against Banerjee.

    He has sought lodging of a case against Banerjee under IPC sections 147 and 148 (rioting), 295 and 295(A) (deliberate insult) and 511 (attempt to commit an offence).

    The matter is likely to come up for hearing on April 8.

  • Sporadic violence mars second phase polling, Mamata hits out at EC over inaction to complaints

    By PTI
    NANDIRGAM/KOLKATA: Heavy voting amidst sporadic violence, marked the second phase of polling to the West Bengal assembly, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Election Commission over inaction to complaints filed by her party.

    Sporadic violence and minor clashes were reported from various constituencies, including the high profile Nandigram, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is locked in a high-stakes electoral battle with her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP.

    An agitated Banerjee slammed the Election Commission for not taking any action despite lodging several complaints and threatened to move court over it.

    Amongst the complaints were allegations of “booth capturing” and massive fake voting in Boyal.

    “We have lodged 63 complaints since morning. But not a single action has been taken. We will move court over it. This is unacceptable. The EC is working as per Amit Shah’s instructions,” she said while sitting outside booth number 7 in Boyal in Nandigram, where her partymen alleged many voters were unable to cast their ballot.

    “Goons from other states are creating ruckus here,” she said.

    Banerjee also rang up the West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to complain about the situation.

    Dhankar tweeted soon afterwards to state “Issues flagged @MamataOfficial a while ago on phone have been imparted (sic) to the concerned.

    ” “We have recorded 58 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the 30 seats where polling is underway for the second phase,” an Election Commission official said.

    The constituencies where polls are being conducted include nine seats each in Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts, eight in Bankura and four in South 24 Parganas.

    Strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols has been ensured in all places, officials said.

    Both Banerjee and Adhikari fanned out to various polling booths in Nandigram to take stock of the situation after reports of stray violence and booth `jamming ‘, a bid by workers of one party to crowd out voters from a polling booth by forming long queues.

    Surprisingly these incidents occurred despite Nandigram constituency being placed under Section 144 to contain possible violence.

    In the Boyal area in Nandigram, villagers alleged that BJP supporters had stopped them from going to the polling booths.

    As soon as Banerjee reached Boyal, BJP supporters greeted her with “Jai Shri Ram” slogans.

    Supporters of BJP and TMC allegedly indulged in violence, as TMC leaders demanded re-polling in booth number 7 of the village.

    Police and Rapid Action Force were rushed to the spot to control the situation, amidst incidents of alleged stone pelting.

    However, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh dubbed the allegations as baseless.

    “The allegations are baseless. It seems she has accepted the defeat,” he said.

    According to EC officials said they would look into the complaints.

    Around 57 per cent of electors exercised their franchise till 1 PM in the agrarian constituency in Purba Medinipur district, an Election Commission official said.

    A TMC election agent’s mother was seen pleading before the EC officials not to ask her son to go to the election booth and alleged that he has been “threatened last night by opposition parties”.

    Protesters also blocked the road in Nandigram’s Block 1, alleging Central forces stopped them from going to the polling stations.

    “The CRPF personnel accompanying Suvendu Adhikari stopped us from casting our votes,” a protester said.

    On the other hand, Suvendu Adhikari’s car, was attacked, and stones were pelted while he was visiting booths in the assembly constituency.

    Two separate stone-pelting incidents took place in Takapura and Satengabari in Nandigram.

    His vehicle was gheraoed at various locations as TMC supporters shouted slogans against the BJP leader.

    Security forces patrolling the area dispersed the mob.

    “I am used to such protests by TMC goons.

    They are all followers of Mamata begum (Mamata Banerjee).

    Let them do whatever they want till the results are out on May 2,” Adhikari told reporters.

    Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Keshpur assembly constituency Tanmay Ghosh’s vehicle was vandalised allegedly by the Trinamool Congress supporters, police said.

    Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.

    More than 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates in the 30 constituencies for which voting ends at 6.30 pm.

    Meanwhile, protesters blocked the road in Nandigram’s Block 1, alleging, central forces stopped them from going to the polling stations.

    “The CRPF personnel accompanying Suvendu Adhikari stopped us from casting our votes,” a protester said.

    In the Gosaba area of South 24 Parganas, clashes were also reported between TMC and BJP supporters.

    While in the Mahisadal seat, the TMC alleged that BJP workers had stopped voters from going to the polling stations.

     

  • Bengal elections: State witnesses close to 38% polling till 11 am, skirmishes reported in Nandigram

    By PTI
    NANDIGRAM/KOLKATA: The second phase of polling in West Bengal’s eight-phase elections, including in the high-stakes Nandigram seat, recorded a high voter turnout of 37.4 per cent till 11 am.

    Though the situation was tense in a few areas with a few skirmishes reported, tight security cover in all 30 constituencies which went to polls averted any major incidents.

    “We have 37.42 per cent voter turnout till 11 am in all seats where polling is underway for the second phase. The polling so far has been peaceful,” an Election Commission official said.

    The constituencies where polls are being conducted include nine seats each in Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts, eight in Bankura and four in South 24 Parganas.

    Strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols has been ensured in all places, officials said.

    More than 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates in the 30 constituencies for which voting ends at 6.30 pm.

    The entire Nandigram constituency where chief minister Mamata Benrjee is locked in a high-stakes electoral battle with her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari now with the BJP, has been placed under Section 144, to avoid any untoward incident.

    However, protesters blocked the road in Nandigram’s Block 1 alleging Central forces stopped them from going to the polling stations.

    “The CRPF personnel accompanying Suvendu Adhikari stopped us from casting our votes,” a protester said.

    The BJP however denied the allegations.

    In another incident, a person was detected with a fake voter ID and was subsequently arrested.

    Banerjee decided to stay at her `war room’ in the Reyapara area in Nandigram during the polls, to monitor the situation, according to party sources.

    The chief minister is slated to later visit various polling booths.

    Around 35 per cent of electors exercised their franchise till 11 am in the agrarian constituency in Purba Medinipur district, , an Election Commission official said.

    Barring an incident in the Bhimkata area in Nandigram where the BJP candidate faced an agitation by a group of TMC workers who shouted slogans against him, there were no incidents of face-offs or skirmishes in Nandigram, he added.

    However, TMC alleged the BJP had threatened its polling agents in various booths in Nandigram Block 2.

    “Our agents were not allowed to enter several polling booths in Nandigram Block -2. Voters have also been stopped from exercising their franchise in some areas. We will lodge complaints with the EC,” a TMC leader said.

    Adhikari cast his vote soon after polling began on Thursday morning and claimed he would win the seat by a record margin.

    Meanwhile, the Keshpur area in Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district remained tense after a TMC worker identified as Uttam Dolui was stabbed to death late last night, hours before polling started in the area, police said.

    Dolui’s family alleged that BJP “goons” attacked him to create tension in the area and intimidate voters ahead of the polling.

    The BJP however denied both the allegations.

    In Sabang seat in the West Midnapore district, BJP candidate Amulya Maity made a counter allegation that TMC had not allowed his booth agents to enter their designated booths.

    The TMC too denied the allegations.

    Meanwhile, in Debra seat, police detained BJP’s Mandal president Mohan Singh- for allegedly getting within 100m of a polling booth.

    In the Mahisadal seat, the TMC also alleged that BJP workers had stopped voters from going to the polling stations.

    Meanwhile, a BJP worker, identified as Uday Dubey, was found hanging near the Reyapara area in Nandigram Block-1.

    The BJP alleged that Dubey had ended his life after being threatened by TMC workers.

    Villagers in the Boyal area in Nandigram also alleged that BJP supporters had stopped them from going to the polling booths.

  • Battleground Nandigram: Mamata to stay for whole day, TMC complains agents not allowed in several booths

    By PTI
    NANDIGRAM: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to stay at her war room in the Reyapara area during the polls on Thursday in the Nandigram assembly constituency where she is locked in a fierce prestige battle with confidante-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP.

    She is monitoring the situation in the high-profile constituency where polling began at 7 am as local TMC leaders complained of their election agents not being allowed to enter several booths, according to the party sources.

    There have been no reports of violence or clashes among political activists in the constituency, barring an incident in the Bhimkata area in Nandigram where the BJP candidate faced an agitation by a group of TMC workers who shouted slogans against him, an Election Commission official said.

    Around 17 per cent of electors exercised their franchise in the first two hours of the polling in the agrarian constituency in Purba Medinipur district, he said.

    According to the TMC sources, Banerjee, who had earlier decided to leave the area for campaigning in North Bengal after the polling ended at 6:30 PM on Thursday, changed her plans this morning.

    “She has decided to stay back and leave tomorrow. Banerjee will monitor the situation in the area, and if needed, she will go to spots,” a senior TMC leader accompanying her said.

    Banerjee, who has camped in Nandigram since March 27, had on Wednesday alleged that goons from other states have come to Nandigram to foment trouble and intimidate the voters.

    Meanwhile, the TMC alleged that its polling agents have been threatened by the BJP in various booths in Nandigram Block 2.

    “Our agents were not allowed to enter several polling booths in Nandigram Block -2. Voters have also been stopped from exercising their franchise in some areas. We will lodge complaints with the EC,” a TMC leader said.

    The BJP, however, denied these allegations.

    Adhikari cast his vote soon after polling began on Thursday morning and exuded confidence of winning the seat by a record margin.

    “I am confident about my victory and not here to make any personal attack like my opponent. You have seen how people were coming out in the area as I went there to cast my vote,” he added.

    Meanwhile, a BJP worker, identified as Uday Dubey, was found hanging near the Reyapara area in Nandigram Block-1.

    The BJP claimed that Dubey had suspectedly ended his life, as he was being constantly threatened by the TMC goons.

    The ruling party in West Bengal termed the allegation as “baseless”.

    A team of police personnel has been deployed there to avoid any untoward incident.