News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

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

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Union Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced a slew of promises in a bid to woo the support of fishermen and women who are aspiring for government jobs.

    While addressing a rally at Namkhana, South 24-Parganas, Shah said if the BJP wrests power in Bengal, a separate ministry will be set up for the fishermen, and 33% of government jobs will be reserved for women. 

    “Fishermen are forced to bribe to Trinamool Congress’s musclemen for venturing into the sea. After overthrowing the TMC-led government, the fishermen’s plight will end. The Namkhana area will be made a separate district and the area will be made an integrated fishery zone,” Shah said.

    The Union Home Minister also announced a beneficiary scheme like the PM Kishan Samman Nidhi. He said it will be introduced if the BJP is given an opportunity to rule the state. “Like the scheme for farmers, fishermen will get Rs 6,000 assistance every year and the sum will be credited to their bank account directly,” he said.

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

    The delta region of the district has a sizable number of people who depend on fishing for their livelihood. In a bid to woo their support, Shah had lunch at a house of a fisherman in Namkhana.

    Shah also alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government is not allowing Hindu festivals and indulging in political violence which has so far claimed the lives of 130 BJP workers.

    “Shouldn’t Durga Puja be conducted in West Bengal? However, the court’s permission is needed for it. Shouldn’t Saraswati Puja take place here? She (Mamata) has stopped it. Didi, Bengal knows you stopped Saraswati puja in schools,” he lashed out.

    Shah on Thursday flagged off the fifth and final phase of five Parivartan Yatras from Namkhana. In the morning, he visited Bharat Sevashram Sangha in south Kolkata, and before addressing the rally, he went to Kapil Muni Ashram in Gangasagar, a popular religious destination of Hindus.

  • Outsiders will have to return after Bengal assembly polls: Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Hinting at BJP leaders visiting the state from other states before the West Bengal assembly election, the president of All India Trinamool Youth Congress Abhishek Banerjee Thursday said that “outsiders” will have to return after the state assembly poll.

    Banerjee was speaking at a TMC rally at Pailan in South 24 Parganas district where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was on a visit during the day to flag off the fifth and last rathayatra of BJP before the state election due in April-May.

    The BJP had failed to make any dent in the district though it had emerged as the main opposition in the state after the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

    The ruling Trinamool Congress has often referred to BJP leaders from other states as “outsiders”.

    “Those coming here are not aware of the unique culture of Bengal but are making promises of making the state Sonar Bangla (prosperous Bengal).

    Our leader Mamata Banerjee will score a hattrick this time and outsiders will have to return yet again. It is a matter of time,” Banerjee, who is the nephew of the chief minister, said.

    ALSO READ | First fight Abhishek, then me: Mamata Banerjee challenges Amit Shah

    TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee will seek to be returned to power for the third consecutive time in the coming poll.

    “Why can’t they (BJP) make Sonar Uttar Pradesh, Sonar Rajasthan or a Sonar Haryana. I urge the people of West Bengal not to fall prey to their false campaign.

    The people must make sure that communal forces don’t raise their ugly heads in the state”, he said.

    Referring to the exodus from TMC, including ministers, Banerjee said that BJP has reached such a state that it was poaching leaders from the party to fight the state poll.

    “We will fight the saffron party tooth and nail. I am sure Trinamool Congress will get not less than 250 seats in the polls. The fight is to protect Bengal’s rich culture,” he asserted.

    West Bengal has a total 294 seats in the assembly.

    Referring to the state government’s health scheme ‘Swasthya Sathi’, he claimed that nearly ten crore people in the state have been given the cards to avail benefits under it.

    The scheme, which was launched in 2016, was expanded by the TMC government in November 2020 to cover the entire population of the state and has a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family.

    The state government will fund the scheme.

    “On the other hand, Ayushman Bharat health scheme (of the Centre) is not for all. Those having scooters or smartphones are not eligible for it. But Swasthya Sathi card is for all – no exclusions”, the TMC MP said.

    Even West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s family members have opted for the Swasthya Sathi card, he claimed.

    Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promising the people before the 2014 general election that every person’s bank account will be credited with Rs 15 lakh and assuring two crore employments per year.

    “How many jobs have been created in the last seven years (since 2014)?” he asked.

  • First fight Abhishek, then me: Mamata Banerjee challenges Amit Shah

    By PTI
    PAILAN: Hitting out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘Didi-Bhaipo’ jibes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday challenged him to contest an election against her nephew Abhishek Banerjee and then think of fighting her.

    Addressing a party rally in Pailan in the South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said that Abhishek could have taken the easy route of being an MP by choosing to be a Rajya Sabha member but he fought the Lok Sabha election and got the people’s mandate.

    ALSO READ | Bomb attack on Zakir Hossain a big conspiracy: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    “Day and night they are talking about Didi-Bhatija. I challenge Amit Shah, contest against Abhishek Banerjee first and then me,” she said, amid a loud cheer from supporters.

    BJP leaders, including Shah, have often accused Banerjee of dynasty politics, alleging that her ‘Bhaipo’ or nephew has received preferential treatment and will eventually be made the chief minister of the state.

    “How come your son became a part of the cricket administration and made hundreds of crores of rupees?” Banerjee said, in a direct attack at Shah.

    She also challenged the home minister to get her into politics and toil to hold public offices.

    Banerjee exuded confidence that her party will break all records of past elections in the state, get most of the votes and win the highest number of seats in the upcoming polls.

  • Bomb attack on Zakir Hossain a big conspiracy: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the attack on the state labour minister as a deliberate and well-planned act to eliminate a member of her cabinet. 

    Calling the attack on Zakir Hossain a ‘big conspiracy’, Banerjee also alleged that there were no railway police personnel present at the station when the incident took place.

    Three state agencies—Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Task Force (STF) and Counter Insurgency Force (CIF)—took the charge of the probe into the incident. The police, however, are yet to ascertain the reason behind the attack on Hossain.

    “I have gathered information from the local people which suggests the explosion was triggered from a distance. This is a big conspiracy. It is surprising that the railway had no information that the minister would board a Kolkata-bound train from the station. The railway authorities are taking the incident lightly,’’ said Mamata after visiting Hossain in SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.   

    Hossain and 25 others, who were accompanying him, were injured when crude bombs went off as soon as he arrived Nimtita railway station around 9.30 pm on Wednesday. The minister was brought to SSKM Hospital and others were admitted to healthcare units in Murshidabad district.

    Doctors at SSKM Hospital said Hossain received splinter injuries on his legs and hands. “His one finger and left ankle were also badly damaged because of the impact of the explosion. A board comprising six doctors have been formed to oversee Hossain’s treatment,” a doctor said.

    The chief minister announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for severely injured and Rs 1 lakh who suffered minor injuries.

    BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh described the incident as a reflection of the state’s lawlessness. “Even the ministers are not safe in the state,” he said.

    State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded proper probe into the incident.

  • Bengal to witness clash of titans as Mamata and Amit Shah to address rallies in same district on Thursday

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A head-to-head political battle will play out on Thursday in Kolkata’s neighbouring South 24 Parganas district where Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to address rallies separated by some distance.

    It is for the first time in the run up to the assembly elections that Banerjee and Shah will be holding rallies in the same district and more or less at the same time in the afternoon.

    Shah is scheduled to arrive in Bengal tonight on a two-day visit starting from Thursday.

    He is scheduled to visit Kakdwip area near Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district, where he will flag off the final leg of the five phases Parivartan Yatra of the BJP in the state.

    “He will arrive in Kolkata tonight. On Thursday he will visit Kapil Muni Ashram.From there he will go to Namkhana where he will address Poribartan Yatra,” a senior state BJP leader said Wednesday.

    ALSO READ | Bengal polls: Actor Yash Dasgupta, six others from Tollywood join BJP

    Shah is also scheduled to have lunch at the residence of a migrant labourer and later take part in a roadshow, he said.

    Meanwhile, Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the local party MP, is slated to address a party workers meeting at Pailan in South 24 Parganas on Thursday.

    “It will be a politically important day tomorrow.

    Both Shah and Didi will address rallies in the same district,” a senior South 24 Parganas TMC leader said.

    After having a limited presence in politically polarised Bengal for decades, BJP has emerged as the main rival of the ruling Trinamool Congress after winning 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019 general elections, only four less than the TMC tally of 22.

    With the BJP’s strength increasing in the state in the last few years, its leaders are upbeat that the party will be able to end Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s 10-year rule in the state polls.

    Election to the 294-member state Assembly is expected in April-May this year.

  • Protesting para teachers step into creek near Mamata Banerjee’s house to seek salary hike

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A section of para teachers on Tuesday staged a unique protest to press for their demands by stepping into a canal that flows past the residence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

    The group of contractual teachers of government-run schools in the state held placards in support of their demand for a salary hike, in the portion of the waterbody in front of Banerjee’s residence, a high-security zone, officials said.

    The protesters were later dispersed by police and disaster management personnel, they said.

    Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra and other senior officials are at the spot, where security has been beefed up following the incident.

    Contractual teachers have been holding a sit-in in the metropolis for more than 70 days, demanding immediate wage revision.

    Banerjee had recently announced a three per cent annual pay hike for para teachers in the state budget, but they asserted the raise is not enough.

    The education department had increased the salary of para teachers at the primary level from Rs 5,954 to Rs 10,000 a month, and for those at the higher secondary level from Rs 8,500 to Rs 13,000.

    With the assembly elections round the corner, it has snowballed into a major political issue with the opposition BJP and Left Front accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of turning a blind eye to the plea of the para teachers.

  • Bengal polls: Mamata takes a cue from Jayalalithaa, launches Rs 5 meal scheme for poor

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  Rice, daal, subzi and egg curry for Rs 5! Taking a leaf out of the book of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jaylalithaa, Mamata Banerjee launched a meal scheme for the poor on Monday. Called ‘Maa’, this subsidised meal package comes months before the Assembly elections in West Bengal. The state government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the project.

    CM Mamata Banerjee inaugurates a hospitalin Kolkata on Monday | Bibhash lodhJayalalithaa had initiated a similar scheme in Tamil Nadu, offering food at cheap rates, aimed mainly at the poorer section. The outlets were popularly known as Amma Canteen. It is believed that this concept played a significant role in AIADMK’s sweeping success in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, when they bagged 37 of 39 seats in the state. With elections knocking on the doors of West Bengal, this move by the chief minister seems to be targeting the same objective.

    The Maa kitchens will be functional from 1 pm to 3 pm and food will be given on a first come first serve basis. To begin with, there will be 16 kitchens in Kolkata and one in each of the 23 district headquarters. Shortly, the initiative will be spread to all the municipal areas in the state, said an official of the state government. In all, there would be around 180 kitchens across the state.

    “The target beneficiaries of the scheme are daily wage earners and poorly paid workers. These people find it difficult to afford a regular meal even in cheap eateries. This new scheme will help them,’’ said Mamata, while inaugurating the scheme virtually from the state secretariat. The state government has engaged self help group workers to run the Maa scheme. “Fund will not be an issue. We have chalked out a detailed plan. We have our own mechanism of procuring ingredients to run the scheme,’’ said Mamata.

    Leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress described this as a masterstroke by Mamata, who had earlier announced free health insurance protection for the people of the state ahead of the elections. “The health insurance scheme received very good response. Going by initial reactions, the food scheme will also be a success. Sure it will give us electoral dividends,” said a TMC leader.

  • ‘Didi’s messenger’ hits road to counter BJP blitzkrieg ahead of West Bengal Assembly polls

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: After  more than one lakh persons downloaded and accessed Trinamool Congress’ app called Didir Doot (Didi’s messenger) in the last one week, the ruling party flagged off a vehicle under the same banner on Saturday.

    It is said to be CM Mamata Banerjee’s initiative to blunt the impact of BJP’s ‘rath yatra’ held recently under the banner of Parivartan Yatra across the state. The vehicle will travel to all districts in the state and district-level functionaries will play the role of Didi’s messengers.

    “Didir Doot application, which was launched on February 4, has been installed by more than a lakh users in just eight days. It’s a first-of-its-kind mobile application designed for the people of West Bengal to directly connect them to Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and contribute in achieving her mission and vision for the state,” TMC said in a statement.

    ALSO READ| TMC MP Mahua Moitra writes to Delhi Police chief, asks him to withdraw security personnel from her home

    A ruling party leader said users can directly connect with the CM via streaming and video conferencing. “People can stay updated with the CM’s initiatives and recent events. Users can be updated with latest developments through news feeds, photos, videos and infographics,” he said.

    This is not only meant to be an outreach drive but also an initiative to showcase the development work carried out by the regime of Mamata. Slugfest in the cyber world is becoming intense everyday ahead of the upcoming elections.

    Union Home minister Amit Shah, during his visit to the state on February 11, instructed party workers to circulate at least 50 lakh content per hour on the party’s social media platforms.

  • TMC launches ‘Didir Doot’ app in bid to blunt BJP’s rath yatra impact

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: After more than a lakh people downloaded and accessed Trinamool Congress’s app titled ‘Didir Doot’ (Didi’s messenger) in past one week, the ruling party flagged off a vehicle under the same banner on Saturday. The move is said to be Mamata Banerjee’s counter initiative to blunt the impact of BJP’s Rathyatra event under the banner of Parivartan Yatra across the state.

    The vehicle will travel all 23 districts across the state and district level functionaries will play the role of Didi’s messengers in their respective districts.

    “Didir Doot application, which was launched on February 4, has been installed by more than a lakh users in just eight days. Didir Doot is a first-of-its-kind mobile application designed for the people of West Bengal to directly connect with Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and contribute to achieving her mission and vision for the state,” TMC said in a statement.

    A leader of the ruling party said through the application, the user can directly connect with Bengal CM via streaming and video conferencing. “The people can stay updated with the chief minister’s initiatives, recent events, and progress. Users can be updated with the latest development across the state through news feeds, photos, videos, and infographics,” he said.

    The vehicle under the banner of ‘Didir Doot’ will not only be an outreach drive but also an initiative to showcase the state government’s slew of projects and development works carried out during the regime of Mamata Banerjee.

    “BJP’s rath yatra is a drive to mislead the people of Bengal. The application was launched to counter the saffron camp’s propaganda on social media platforms and the vehicle under the same banner will perform the same act in ground reality. Our district level functionaries will travel in their areas and reach out to the masses. They will also take down the grievances and suggestions by the common people,” said another TMC leader.           

    The slugfest in the cyber world and reality is becoming intensified day by day ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Union Home minister Amit Shah, during his visit to the state on February 11, instructed the workers of the party’s cyber cell to spread at least 50 lakh content per hour on the party’s social media platforms.  

  • ‘Send 50 lakh messages every hour’: Shah asks Bengal BJP to intensify cyber slugfest 

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Union Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday instructed BJP’s social media workers to send 50 lakh contents per hour ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

    Inaugurating a new App titled Modi Para (Modi locality), Shah set up a target of 2 crore people and asked the party workers to include them in cyber activities. He also directed the workers to divide the saffron camp’s cyber soldiers in Bengal into four groups to carry out activities of preparing content, spreading it on social media platforms, analyzing the content politically, and study people’s reactions.

    The BJP’s Bengal chapter has an incomparable social media wing comprising 60 lakh-strong manpower and 40,000 WhatsApp groups.

    While addressing the social media workers, Shah said, “You will have to take the Centre’s projects and BJP’s ideology to the booth level. Keep yourself busy carrying out this task, instead of chitchatting with your friends on WhatsApp. Build up such a strong network on WhatsApp so that you can circulate 50 lakh messages in an hour.”

    ALSO READ | Mamata too will chant Jai Shri Ram by the time election ends: Amit Shah

    The saffron camp’s Bengal unit has been doing an aggressive campaign on social media platforms. On several occasions in the recent past, CM Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of using its social media network to circulate fake contents which include video clippings.

    Shah, in his speech, made it clear that the party’s cyber foot-soldiers would have to play key roles to secure the party’s goal of bagging more than 200 Assembly seats out of 294. “After the BJP comes to power in Bengal, political analysts might highlight the failure and lapses of Mamata Banerjee’s government. But I want the hard work of our cyber soldiers to emerge as the main reason behind the party’s victory. I want your names to be written in the history,” Shah said.        

    Citing BJP’s success in the Uttar Pradesh election, Shah said two WhatsApp groups comprising 35 lakh and 18 lakh members respectively were set up which played a crucial role to win the battle. “You will have to reach booth-levels. Follow Twitter handles of national leaders and circulate their contents in WhatsApp groups. Content has to be based on three categories — Centre’s projects, opposing political violence, and demands of local people. Don’t depend on news channels. You will have to enter in people’s minds,” Shah said.