News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • Mamata has neglected state’s culture, its icons and women: Modi

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: As elections come closer, voices are getting louder and allegations are flying in thick and fast. Narendra Modi on Monday launched another scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, refuting her claim that she is fighting for ‘Bengali pride’. The Prime Minister accused her of neglecting the state’s culture, its icons and women and promoting ‘cut money culture’.

    “The state government’s cut money culture has vitiated the atmosphere to such an extent that you cannot even take a house on rent without paying it….You cannot rent a house without the syndicate’s permission,” Modi alleged. He was addressing a rally at Dunlop ground in Hooghly district, after inaugurating an extended stretch of Kolkata Metro connecting the famous temple of Dakshineshwar with the city and its suburbs.

    Mamata has often called BJP a party of outsiders from Gujarat, who do not understand the cultural plurality of Bengal. Reacting to that, Modi accused Mamata of neglecting the state’s heritage. “I have been told the house where Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Vande Mataram is in abysmal condition. The man who injected life into the freedom struggle…his house is a victim of neglect. It’s an insult to Bengali pride,” Modi said.

    Opening a new line of attack, Modi said a large number households in rural Bengal were deprived of the Centre’s pipeline water supply project Jal Jeevan Mission. “I am making a revelation that will surprise the country. Around 3.6 crore rural households have been brought under the water supply project. But in Bengal, only nine lakh households have received direct drinking water. The Central government sanctioned `1,700 crore. Only `690 crore have been used. The rest is drained out,’’ said Modi.

    Looking to garner the support of women voters, Modi said Mamata is responsible for the plight of rural homemakers, who struggle to fetch drinking water.  This is considered to be a move to blunt the TMC’s election slogan —  Bangla Chay Banglar Meye (Bengal wants its own daughter as CM).

    TMC said Modi’s comments are ‘a bag of lies’. “The PM delivers a speech that fails #FactCheck,” the party’s Parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien tweeted. Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “Modi should first explain why his government has failed to control fuel prices.”

  • CBI grills sister-in-law of Mamata’s nephew in coal pilferage case

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: With less than two months to go for the Assembly polls in West Bengal, a team of eight CBI officers grilled the sister-in-law of Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee, at her south Kolkata residence in connection with a coal pilferage case.

    Meanwhile, the ED issued notice to the daughter of Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim in connection with suspicious fund siphoning overseas.

    The CBI had on Sunday issued a notice on Abhishek’s wife Rujira in the coal smuggling case. She responded on Monday saying she would be available at her residence from 11 am to 3 pm to reply to CBI’s questions.

    The CBI team had to wait outside the housing complex of Maneka Gambhir, Abhishek’s sister-in-law, for over 20 minutes as the guards did not allow the vehicles of the central agency to enter. The security guards told the officers that the journalists would enter the premises if their vehicles were allowed. However, the officers got of their vehicles and walked into Maneka’s apartment.

    ALSO READ | Illegal coal mining in Bengal: SC seeks CBI’s reply on plea challenging its jurisdiction to probe

    “We interrogated her for three hours and recorded her statement. She co-operated with us,” said a CBI officer, adding the agency might interrogate her again, if necessary.

    The CBI had registered an FIR in November 2020, against businessman Anup Kumar Majhi alias Lala and two general managers and security officials of the Eastern Coalfield Ltd (ECL). It is alleged that Manjhi is involved in illegal mining and theft of coal from leasehold mines of ECL.

    Since the FIR was lodged, the BJP, without naming Abhishek Banerjee, has been alleging involvement of several Trinamool Congress leaders and the “nephew”, who, they claimed, were instrumental in siphoning off the money earned from the sales of smuggled coal into the fund of the ruling party. In all the campaigns, BJP’s national leadership never missed opportunities to hit out at the Bengal CM on her nephew issue.  

  • Bengal polls: Mamata govt deprived state of Centre’s piped water scheme, says Modi

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government has deprived a large section of households in rural Bengal of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, Centre’s piped water supply project. He claimed that more than Rs 1,000 crore, sanctioned for Bengal to implement the project, has been drained out.

    “Today, I am making a stunning revelation which is going to surprise the country. Around 3.6 crore rural households have been brought under the water supply project. But in Bengal, only 9 lakh households have received direct drinking water supply in their homes. The central government had sanctioned Rs 1,700 crore for the project but, unfortunately, only Rs 690 crore have been duly used and rest is drained out,” said Modi while addressing a rally in Hooghly’s Dunlop ground.

    Modi held the Bengal government responsible for the plight of the rural homemakers who struggle to fetch drinking water. “Women are forced to walk to distant places to collect drinking water every day. They struggle to get drinking water. Aren’t they daughters of Bengal? People of Bengal will not forgive and they will give a reply to this injustice in the upcoming Assembly elections,” lashed out Modi.        

    ALSO READ | West Bengal has made up its mind for ‘poriborton’, says PM Modi 

    The PM’s narrative linking ‘daughters of Bengal’ is said to be a smart move to blunt the TMC’s recent election slogan — Bangla Chay Banglar Meye (Bengal wants its own daughter) — projecting Mamata Banerjee as the CM face in the upcoming elections and branding BJP a party of outsiders. “He (Modi) highlighted the plight of Bengal’s woman to counter the ruling party’s slogan,” said a BJP leader.

    Modi also launched a bitter attack on the issue of lack of industrialisation in Bengal while addressing the rally on the ground of Dunlop factory, the tyre manufacturing unit that has been lying closed.  

    “During my visit to foreign countries, I found there is no lack of interest in investing in Bengal. But in past one decade, the state administration has failed to work for the interest of people and stood as a barrier on the path of infrastructural development. The TMC’s ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’ slogan doesn’t exist here anymore. All these years, the TMC has submerged into cut money, syndicate and appeasement, debunking the interest of the common people. Now, even if someone wants to rent a building, he is to pay cut money,” Modi said.    

    Signifying the importance of Hooghly, the PM reminded how jute industries used to be a thriving business on the banks of the river. “The industrial zone is limping and suffering from a development crisis. People are forced to go to other states to earn a living. After wresting power in Bengal, the new government will prioritise the infrastructural development and bring back Bengal’s glory in the field of investment,” the PM said in his speech.

  • Not afraid of anyone, can’t be initimidated with jail: Mamata, nephew Abhishek hit out at Centre

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Amid rising political temperature in poll-bound West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that she is not afraid of anyone and cannot be intimidated with jail or anything else.

    She asserted that her mother tongue Bangla has taught her to fight like a tiger and not to be afraid of rats.

    Holding out a challenge without naming any one or political party as the state prepares to go to polls shortly, the Trinamool Congress supremo said that they have not learnt to lose.

    “Don’t try to intimidate us with jail, we have fought against guns and are not afraid of fighting against rats,” she said.

    “As long as there is life in me, I will not be afraid of any intimidation,” the feisty Bengal leader said at a programme here on International Mother Language Day celebrated on February 21.

    A few hours before the programme, the CBI had served notice to her nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife and sister-in-law for questioning in connection with a case of alleged coal pilferage.

    Maintaining that she is accepting all challenges on the historic February 21, she said “Let there be challenge in (20)21, let us see whose strength is more; there will be only one game in (20)21 and I will be the goalkeeper in that match and want to see who wins and who loses.

    “We have not learnt to lose and they won’t be able to defeat us,” Banerjee said without naming anyone.

    The ruling TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party are engaged in a fierce battle for winning the coming assembly elections in the state.

    “My mother tongue Bangla has taught me to fight like a tiger and not to be afraid of rats,” she said, maintaining that she can speak so loudly and with pride because of the sweetness and beauty of the Bengali language.

    Banerjee said that she will give the slogan “Joy Bangla” even if she is sent to jail.

    The BJP has opposed the use of the slogan claiming that it is associated with Bangladesh.

    The TMC supremo and her party have been accusing the BJP of bringing outsiders into Bengal for the coming elections.

    The TMC launched its campaign slogan “Bengal wants its own daughter” Saturday, which the political analysts claimed is an attempt to rake up Bengali sentiments before the elections.

    “I love Bengali language and respect other languages also; why should I say Bangal and not Bangla?” she asked.

    The chief minister said that her government’s proposal to change the name of West Bengal to ‘Bangla’ has been lying with the central government for four years.

    She questioned whether the proposal is not finding favour because there is a Bangladesh.

    “We are a state and that is a country, there is Punjab in Pakistan and there is Punjab in India also,” she said, wondering what problem is there in changing the state’s name to ‘Bangla’.

    Banerjee said the state can also be called “Bangla Pradesh” like Andhra Pradesh or Himachal Pradesh.

    “I have always been seeing deprivation and a step-motherly attitude towards Bengal,” she said.

    Her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday asserted that the party will not be cowed by the CBI notice to his wife Rujira, asking her to join the probe in a coal pilferage case.

    The notice had asked Rujira to be present at their Harish Mukherjee Road residence at 3 pm to reply to queries related to the case of theft of coal from the mines of Eastern Coalfields Ltd in West Bengal “If they think they can use these ploys to intimidate us, they are mistaken.

    We are not the ones who would ever be cowed down,” Abhishek, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said in a tweet.

    “We have full faith in the law of the land,” he said, attaching a copy of the CBI notice in the tweet.

    Later in the day, the central probe agency also summoned Abhishek Banerjee’s sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir to join the probe.

    Gambhir was served a notice at her south Kolkata residence, to appear on Monday.

  • Mamata becomes ‘beti’ from ‘didi’ in TMC’s new poll slogan; says ‘Bengal wants its own daughter’

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Facing a resurgent BJP as the main challenger in the upcoming assembly polls, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday unveiled a poll slogan- “Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chaye”, portraying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its mascot with focus on women voters and Bengali sub-nationalism.

    The slogan, which translates to ‘Bengal wants its own daughter’, presents the transformation from her popular image of ‘didi’ (elder sister) to ‘Nijer Meye’ (own daughter), was officially launched at the party’s headquarters off EM Bypass.

    Party sources said that the slogan aims at reaching out to the women voters, who comprise nearly 49 per cent of an estimated 7 crore electorate.

    The slogan is also expected to further sharpen the party’s focus on the Bengali sub-nationalism and its repeated instances on “insider versus outsider” debate, in a bid to counter frequent visits by senior BJP leaders from outside the state for poll campaigning.

    The BJP, however, claimed that the ruling party needed a new slogan as old ones have failed.

    The TMC supremo’s photo along with the slogan was put up on hoardings across Kolkata.

    “The people of the state want their own daughter who has been by their side for the last several years as their chief minister.

    We don’t want outsiders to call the shots in Bengal,” TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

    The TMC is engaged in a bitter political fight with the BJP and projects the opposition party’s leaders as outsiders on “election tourism” to the state.

    “This change from Didi to Nijer Meye aims to strengthen the connection with women voters on the one hand, and on the other hand, it also smacks of Bengali sub- nationalism.

    It projects Banerjee as the daughter of Bengal, someone who is our own, while branding the BJP as a party of outsiders,” political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said.

    The feisty TMC boss shares a special bond with the women voters of the state since the 1980s when she made her debut in electoral politics, political observers said.

    “The upcoming election is not a big factor for the Trinamool Congress.

    The entire country is watching how the Constitution can be protected, and the outcome of the polls will prove that,” TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Subrata Bakshi said.

    He said the chief minister has already a submitted a report card of the work done in the last 10 years to the people of the state.

    “Which state has done so much? None,” Bakshi claimed.

    The BJP, however, mocked the slogan and claimed that the people of the state want freedom from her.

    “What happened to other slogans that the TMC had earlier launched? All seem to have failed. Now they are presenting this new drama,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

    The TMC’s slogan of “Bodla Noy Bodol Chai” (Don’t want revenge but change), ahead of the 2011 polls had turned out to be crucial in reaching out to the masses who toppled the Left Front government after 34 years in the state.

    The slogan, of “Chup Chap Fuley Chap” (vote for TMC in silence) is also considered iconic during the Left rule.

    However, “Ma, Mati, Manush” (mother, land and people) — the slogan Banerjee gave during the anti-land acquisition agitation of the mid-2000s became the party’s ideology, helping it win rural Bengal along with the urban areas, election after election.

  • Bengal polls: BJP challenges Mamata to announce she will contest only from Nandigram, TMC hits back

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The BJP Saturday challenged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to announce that she will contest the coming state election only from Nandigram if she is confident of her victory, prompting TMC to hit back and ask the saffron party to first name its chief ministerial candidate.

    BJP national general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya in a tweet asked Banerjee to announce whether she will be fighting only from Nandigram.

    The Trinamool Congress was quick to hit back saying it wondered why BJP is scared of declaring its Nandigram candidate or its chief ministerial face.

    BJP has not announced its candidate for the seat and has said it will choose its chief minister only after coming to power in the state.

    Banerjee had announced at a TMC rally at Nandigram in January that she will contest from the seat.

    Nandigram had witnessed anti-farmland acquisition movement in 2007 in the aftermath of the then Left Front government’s plan to acquire land for a special economic zone.

    TMC rode the crest of the movement and came to power in the state in 2011 ending the 34-year rule of the LF.

    In 2016 the Nandigram seat in East Midnapore district was won by the then TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, who recently switched over to BJP and has publicly vowed to defeat Banerjee by 50,000 votes.

    Vijayvargiya in his tweet said “Mamata Banerjee has announced to contest assembly elections from Nandigram.

    But, she did not say that she will contest from here only! If she is confident of her victory, make this announcement too! Otherwise, it will be understood that you do not trust Nandigram!”.

    BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra said if TMC did not announce it now, it will be understood that that Banerjee will fight the election from more seats.

    “If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is sure of her victory in Nandigram she should announce that she will contest only from the seat.

    This way she cannot deny her statement on the issue ater.

    Or else it is not unknown what they (TMC) will do next,” he posted on the micro blogging site.

    The TMC shot back saying “Why is BJP scared of declaring its Nandigram candidate? Or even its CM face? Mamata Di (eder sister as she is called by TMC workers and leaders) is TMC’s face for all the 294 seats.

    “BJP should first announce whom they will field against Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

    We are all set to win big,” it said in a statement.

    After having a limited presence in the politically polarised state for decades, the BJP has emerged as TMC’s main rival.

    It had won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 general elections in West Bengal.

    The saffron party leaders are upbeat that the party will be able to end Banerjee’s 10-year rule in the state polls.

    Election to the 294-member state Assembly is due in April-May next year.

  • Bengal Assembly polls 2021: PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee to address rallies at same venue

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address an election rally at the same venue in Hooghly district within 48 hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit there on February 22.

    The selection for the public rally at the Dunlop factory ground in Sahaganj by the Trinamool Congress is said to be a reflection of an intensified slugfest between the ruling party and the BJP in the state.

    The BJP strategically picked the Dunlop factory ground, known as an industrial zone, as the prime minister is likely to address the rally Bengal’s poor performance in attracting investments during Banerjee’s rule. Modi’s last public rally was in East Midnapore district which is known as an agricultural region.

    “The decision of holding the rally at the same venue is part of our aggressive campaign strategy against the BJP. We have decided to address rallies from the same place where the BJP will try to mislead the people with a bunch of lies. It will strengthen our counter-attack to the BJP,’’ said TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy.

    Two days after BJP’s state and national functionaries visited the ground, TMC leaders also went there.It will be the first time the Bengal CM will address a poll rally from a place where Modi will be present.

    Sources in the BJP said Modi is likely to unleash an attack on Banerjee for driving out Tata Motors from Singur in Hooghly district and the subsequent impact on Bengal’s investments.

    Senior BJP leaders, including national vice-president Mukul Roy, have already announced that the party will bring back Tata Motors to Singur if it comes to power.

    “Standing on the same ground, the CM will reply to the allegations that Modi is likely to make in his speech. We will follow the practice of selecting the same venues for organising rallies ahead of the Assembly elections,’’ said a senior TMC leader.

    Shah summoned in defamation case 

    A designated MP/MLA court in   West Bengal issued summons to Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday to appear either personally or through a lawyer before it on February 22 in connection with a defamation case lodged against him by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. The special judge of MP/MLA court at Bidhannagar directed that Shah is “required to appear in person/by pleader” at 10 am on that day.

    MHA sends 12,000 CAPF troops to Bengal 

    The Centre has ordered deployment of around 12,000 troops  of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal ahead of the state elections and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, according to government sources. As many as 115 companies of paramilitary forces are being sent to West Bengal in view of the multi-phase election, a senior government functionary said, adding that the forces will join duties from February 21. 

    BJP youth leader arrested with cocaine in Kolkata 

    BJP’s youth-wing leader Pamela Goswami was arrested with cocaine from south Kolkata’s upscale New Alipore area on Friday. Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, was along with a friend, identified as Prabir Kumar Dey, in her car when they were nabbed. Around 100 gm of cocaine was allegedly found in her handbag, and other parts of the car.

  • Mamata Banerjee likely to skip Niti Aayog meeting on February 20

    By PTI
    KOLAKTA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to skip the Niti Aayog’s governing council meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20, sources said on Friday.

    The council, the apex body of the government’s think tank, includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories (UTs), several Union ministers and senior government officials.

    The prime minister will chair the Saturday’s meeting, where issues related to agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing and human resource development will be discussed, according to an official statement.

    “Mamata Banerjee may not attend the Niti Aayog’s February 20 meeting,” a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity.

    Banerjee had earlier skipped the Niti Aayog’s meetings and termed it as a “fruitless” exercise, alleging that the body has “no financial power” and cannot support the state plans.

    The sixth meeting of the governing council will witness the entry of Ladakh for the first time, in addition to the participation of Jammu and Kashmir as a UT, the statement said.

    This time, other UTs headed by administrators have also been invited to join, it added.

    The governing council meets regularly and its first meeting took place on February 8, 2015.

    However, the council did not meet last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Bengal polls: Mamata refutes Shah’s allegations, says Home Minister ‘lying’

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Retaliating Amit Shah’s attack on her, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said never before she saw such a Union Home Minister who lies to a great extent. She refuted Shah’s allegation of poor governance following cyclone Amphan.

    “He (Shah) is saying we don’t allow the celebration of Durga and Saraswati Pujas. I never saw a Home minister who lies to this extent. They have no idea about Ma Durga. Every year, we give financial grants to 28,000 clubs to organise Durga Puja. You are talking about Saraswati Puja. Do you know how to chant the mantra of Saraswati Puja?” asked the CM.

    Claiming her government’s success in dealing with cyclone Amphan, Banerjee said the lives of 10 lakh people were saved because of her government’s efforts. “The Prime Minister’s visit to Amphan-ravaged areas was a drama. The Rs 1,000 crore fund given by the central government was part of the due of the state government,” she said.

    ALSO READ | Bengal polls: Amit Shah pledges scheme for fisherfolk, 33% women’s quota in govt jobs

    Replying to Shah’s allegation of political violence, the Bengal CM said, “The BJP is bringing people from outside. You are accusing others of attacking your men. First, you control yourself. Remember, an injured tiger is more dangerous. We will win the upcoming Assembly elections with the highest margin.”

    Hitting back on her alleged minority appeasement politics, Mamata accused a section of BJP leaders of playing the card of divisive politics. “Some people are trying to do politics with the minorities. The BJP is funding the game. The Rath Yatra event of BJP was a flop one. They are doing politics on the line of religion,” she added.      

    Mamata castigated Shah’s announcement promising welfare schemes for fishermen. “BJP’s second-in-command went to Gangasagar. When the fishermen are attacked by tigers in the district, none of the BJP leaders are seen here,” she said.  

    Referring to farmers’ agitation, the CM took a jibe at the saffron camp. She said: “Your party was wiped out from Punjab by the farmers. You cannot handle the farmers’ agitation and dreaming of capturing power in Bengal.”

  • ‘Your son earning crores. How?’ Mamata after Shah says her nephew siphoning off govt fund

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Union Home minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were locked in a war of words while addressing two separate rallies in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday over the issue of the former’s son and the latter’s nephew.

    Shah accused Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is an MP, of siphoning off the central government’s grant meant for the people saying that after BJP comes to power in the state, it will put all culprits behind the bars. The CM hit back at Shah’s saying that his son will also not be spared for earning crores.

    Without naming Abhishek, the Union Home Minister, while addressing a rally at Namkhana, said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government gave West Bengal a financial assistance of Rs 3,59,000 crore in last five years for the people. But the money was siphoned off by the nephew and his men. If the BJP wrests power in Bengal, the new government will find the culprits even if they take refuge under the ground and put them behind the bars.”

    In retaliation, Mamata hit back and targeted Shah’s son Jay Shah. “Every day you (Shah) raise nephew issue. Your son is earning crores of money. How? Your son will also not be spared.”

    Reiterating Bengal BJP’s allegation over the issue of corruption in distributing relief for cyclone Amphan victims, Shah said the Centre’s grant for the cyclone victims were stolen by the nephew and Trinamool Congress’s musclemen. “The money sent by Narendra Modi’s government for Amphan victims was snatched away by the nephew and TMC’s goondas. After coming to power, BJP government will conduct a thorough probe into it,” he said while addressing the rally in Abhishek’s Lok Sabha constituency.

    A few km from Shah’s rally venue, Mamata hit back at Shah while addressing a gathering in Pailan in the same district. “My family will not do anything for which the image of Bengal will be maligned. Everyone in my family is involved in politics. Abhishek doesn’t get any favour from me. Abhishek is facing their attacks because of me.”

    In a reply to Shah’s allegation that she wants to see her nephew as the Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata said, “I haven’t made Abhishek deputy chief minister.”