News Analysis India

Tag: TMC

  • West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Sustains ‘Major’ Injury, Rushed To Hospital |

    KOLKATA: In an unpleasant development, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sustained a ”major” injury, her party said in a post on X. The Trinamool Congress supremo was immediately taken to the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata. Her party, TMC, also shared pictures of Mamata Banerjee in which her forehead can be seen bleeding. 

    ”Our chairperson @MamataOfficial sustained a major injury. Please keep her in your prayers,” West Bengal’s ruling party posted on X. 

     

    Our chairperson @MamataOfficial sustained a major injury.
    Please keep her in your prayers pic.twitter.com/gqLqWm1HwE
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 14, 2024

     

    In one of those photos, the Trinamool Congress chief can be seen lying on a hospital bed with a deep cut in the middle of her forehead and blood on her face. The 69-year-old politician slipped and hit her head on a furniture at her Kalighat residence. She suffered major injuries to her forehead after which she was immediately rushed to the state-run SSKM Hospital by her party workers.  

    As the news spread, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal expressed shock and grief over Mamta Banerjee’s injury and wished her a speedy recovery. 

    ”Shocked to see this. Pray for ur speedy recovery Didi. God bless u,” Kejriwal posted on X.

     

    Shocked to see this. Pray for ur speedy recovery Didi. God bless u https://t.co/Cc9fn1cNMO
    — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 14, 2024

     

    Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar also reacted to the news and said, “We wish for the speedy recovery of the West Bengal Chief Minister. We pray to God that she recovers soon and returns to her normal health.” 

     

    #WATCH | Balurghat: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sustained ‘a major injury’, State BJP President Sukanta Majumdar says, “We wish for the speedy recovery of the chief minister…” pic.twitter.com/bTKhgt0Mqr
    — ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024

     

    Mamata Banerjee had shortly returned from an event in South Kolkata’s Ballygunge and was at her home when the incident occurred. 

  • TMC: Modi hits out at TMC over corruption and dynasty politics

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday upped the ante against the TMC on the issue of corruption and dynasty politics and said the opposition alliance INDIA parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Congress are bothered only about the development of their families. Giving a clarion call to defeat the Mamata Banerjee-led party in West Bengal, the prime minister while addressing a mega rally in Siliguri said, “The road to oust the corrupt TMC government from West Bengal will open from the Lok Sabha polls.”

    “I have seen mothers of our country struggling for basic amenities. That is why I stress on sanitisation, free electricity, bank accounts and tap water to make the lives of our mothers and sisters easier. But here, first the Left Front and then the TMC government have ignored the basic needs of the people of the state,” he said.

    Modi said the TMC has been looting the people of the state and had indulged in creating fake job cards for looting central funds sent by the Centre under MGNREGA. Hitting out at dynasty politics of opposition parties, Modi said the “TMC is only bothered about its nephew whereas the Congress is bothered only about the royal family,” in an apparent reference to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and the Gandhi family in Congress.

  • BREAKING: Sheikh Shahjahan, Arrested Over Sandeshkhali Unrest, Suspended From TMC For Six Years |

    North 24 Parganas: Hours after arrest, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended strongman Shahjahan Sheikh for six years. “We have decided to Suspend Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years,” TMC leader Derek O’Brien said in Kolkata. 

     

    #WATCH | TMC leader Derek O’Brien in Kolkata announces, “TMC has decided to suspend Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years.” pic.twitter.com/AYq3wtktBR
    — ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024

     

    Earlier today, West Bengal’s Basirhat Court remanded Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan to 10-day police custody. Lawyer Raja Bhowmick, who represented Shahjahan in court, said, “14-day police custody (of Sheikh Shahjahan) was demanded, but the court allowed 10-day custody.” “On March 10, he will be produced in court again,” Raja Bhowmick said. 

    Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning in connection with an alleged assault on ED officers during a raid in January earlier this year.

    West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called Shahjahan’s arrest an ‘eye-opener’, adding that it is only the ‘beginning’. “Today in Bengal, we see the beginning of an end. The arrest of the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents is an eye-opener for everyone. This is only the beginning. We have to put an end to violence in Bengal,” Ananda Bose said.

    “In many pockets of Bengal, we all realise that gangsters are ruling unchecked by law enforcement agencies. What we see is only the tip of the iceberg. ‘Gundaraj’ is very much there in many pockets of Bengal. Strong action has to be taken. This has to be nipped in the bud,” he added.

    He further said that considerate action should be taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

    “We have to wait. In democratic governance, we have to wait for justice to be done. If any lapses have taken place from the government or any other authority, we still have time to look into that,” the governor said.

    “Now, what is required is a considerate action to see that these kinds of things do not happen in future. Action has to be taken against a particular culprit who has been apprehended. My suggestion for all the gangsters is – treat this as an occasion to surrender, otherwise, preventive action has to be taken,” he added.

    Shahjahan had been evading arrest by both state and central agencies for over a month.

    Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the arrest was a ‘mutual adjustment’. “This is not an arrest, this is a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there won’t get justice. He will get five-star facilities in jail. He will use his mobile phone inside and control the area from there,” the LoP said while speaking to reporters while on the way to Sandeshkhali on Thursday.

    Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district had been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader.

    A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.

  • Dilip Ghosh slams West Bengal govt, ‘Sandeshkhali just a trailer; TMC saving Shajahan Sheikh’ – The Economic Times Video

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dilip Ghosh has alleged that Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) strong man and a prime accused in Sandeshkhali violence and atrocities against women, Sheikh Shahjahan, brought “votes” and “money” to TMC and that’s why he is not getting arrested. “What is happening in Sandeshkhali is just a trailer, same type of incidents are going to happen in every village of West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee and TMC are saving Shajahan Sheikh. All the teams and delegations are being stopped from going to Sandeshkhali and Mamata Banerjee feels like, this way they can suppress this incident, but this is not possible…”, Dilip Ghosh said.

  • Sandeshkhali: Local TMC leader held in Sandeshkhali land grab, sexual abuse case

    One of the prime accused in the case of alleged land grab and sexual harassment of women in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district was arrested on Saturday, police said. Local TMC leader Shibaprasad Hazra, who has been named in police complaints along with party colleagues and other two prime accused Shajahan Sheikh and Uttam Sardar, was nabbed from a hideout in Sandeshkhali.

    He will be produced before a local court on Sunday.

    “We have arrested Shibaprasad Hazra from Sandeshkhali this evening. He will be produced before the court tomorrow,” an officer of Nazat Police Station told PTI.Earlier, police have also arrested Uttam Sardar but Shajahan Sheikh remains absconding.

    With the fresh arrest, two of the three prime accused have been nabbed. A total of 18 people have been arrested in the case so far.

    Meanwhile, the police added IPC sections 376D (gangrape) and 307 (attempt to murder) in the case after a survivor recorded her statement under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate, a source said.

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  • Women of Sandeshkhali recount their horror, make allegation against TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh – The Economic Times Video

    Sandeshkhali (WB): Local women of the Sandeshkhali region of West Bengal on February 14 spoke on the recent violence and the Section 144 imposed in the region. She said that the leader threatened them of killing their husbands and abducting their sons, and thus asked them to keep their mouth shut in front of media. “We do not trust the government here or the local police. We want our lands and our dignity back, will they provide it to us? Women were taken from here and kept inside the homes for the whole night. They were also beaten up. Nobody could speak anything because they threatened to kill our husbands or abduct our sons. The State police will never take into custody Shahjahan, Shibu and others,” said a local.

  • mamata banerjee: Mamata Banerjee ‘mute spectator’ to violence against women in West Bengal: BJP

    New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday charged that ‘jungle raj’ prevailed in West Bengal and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the state was rocked by protests and clashes over the claims of sexual harassment of women in the state’s Sandeshkhali area. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed there is “complete anarchy and lawlessness” in West Bengal under the TMC rule with Chief Minister Banerjee allegedly providing protection to her party goons who allegedly raped and exploited tribal women in Sandeshkhali.

    “There is jungle raj in West Bengal. Our sisters who belong to the scheduled tribes are being raped and assaulted by the TMC goons and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a mute spectator,” he charged.

    Bhatia said it is clear to every citizen that the rule of law doesn’t exist in West Bengal. “Rather it is the law of anarchic ruler Mamata Banerjee which prevails there,” he said.

    Banerjee has no right to remain in the post and, “If she had even a little bit of shame left , she should immediately tender her resignation,” she said.

    “If you do not resign, don’t underestimate people. You will be uprooted, that is for sure,” the BJP spokesperson added. Bhatia said the BJP will stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims of alleged sexual assault and take their fight for justice forward. The BJP leader alleged that West Bengal government is giving “protection to rapists and weakening police,”

    The situation is so bad that the Calcutta High Court had to take cognisance of it and issue a notice to the state government , he said.

    “Mamata Banerjee has become a ‘bhakshak’ (predator) from a ‘rakshak’ (protector),” Bhatia charged, asking her to step down as chief minister.

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  • mamata banerjee: If Centre fails, Bengal govt will fund ‘Ghatal Master Plan’: CM Mamata Banerjee

    Kolkata: Accusing the Centre of depriving funds to West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said if the central government does not provide funds, the state will implement the much needed ‘Ghatal Master Plan’ in the next 3-4 years on its own.

    Banerjee announced that ₹1,250 cr will be needed for the Plan and it will help 17 lakh people. Ghatal is a low-lying riverine area in Paschim Medinipur district that gets inundated by floods almost every year.

    The Trinamool chief, while speaking at the constituency of party leader and actor Dev, said, “my brother Dev requested it and I couldn’t ignore it. The Ghatal Master Plan will be implemented in the next 3-4 years and more that 17 lakh people in Ghatal and five adjacent areas will benefit from it.”In 2022, the Centre reportedly approved ₹1,500 cr ‘Ghatal Master Plan’, a project to dredge riverbeds and strengthen embankments of 10 rivers, people in the know said. According to the plan, the Centre was scheduled to bear 60% of the costs. However, the project did not take off.

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  • ‘Submit Report On Sandeshkhali Violence’: West Bengal Governor Orders Mamata Govt |

    Kolkata: Sandeshkhali, a village in West Bengal, has become the latest flashpoint of political tension as Governor CV Anand Bose has now demanded a report on Friday’s violence from the Mamata Banerjee-led government. The Raj Bhavan’s directive, coupled with calls for action against the perpetrators, underscored the simmering discontent and accusations swirling around the incident.

    At the heart of the unrest lies a land dispute allegedly involving Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shivprasad Hazra. Angered by claims of forced land acquisition, villagers, including women leading marches, torched Hazra’s poultry farm. They were demanding the arrest of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, accused of orchestrating a land ration allotment scam.

    The heavy police presence deployed to quell the protests proved insufficient to contain the villagers’ fury. The fiery act raised questions about the effectiveness of law enforcement and fueled public outrage. “Investigations are underway to determine the cause behind the disturbances in Sandeshkhali over the past three days. All complaints received in the last two days are being thoroughly examined. It is not appropriate to make any statements at the moment, as the matter is under investigation. Adequate police forces are deployed in the area, and the situation is currently under control,” said ADG Law and Order for West Bengal, Manoj Verma.

    While investigations are underway, the blame game has already begun. TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh, pointed fingers at the opposition, claiming CPI(M) and BJP instigated the violence. Two arrests have been made, and Ghosh alleged the unrest is a ploy to divert attention from Mamata Banerjee’s upcoming announcement for MGNREGA workers.

    However, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari painted a different picture. He called the incident a repercussion of the state government’s actions, highlighting concerns about alleged suppression of democracy and silencing of dissent. Adhikari claimed the violence reflects the pent-up anger of the people simmering for years. “We do not support taking the law into one’s hands. What has been happening in the last 12 years there, it seems that democracy is over there. The right to vote and the right to voice one’s opinions is over. Whatever is happening is a normal turn of events. People were angry for a long time and that has come out,” Adhikari said.

    Amidst these opposing narratives, the truth remains under investigation. The Governor’s demand for a report indicates a seriousness to understand the root cause and ensure accountability. However, the political mudslinging threatens to overshadow the voices of the villagers and their grievances.

    Key questions linger: Was the land acquisition legitimate? Did authorities adequately address the villagers’ concerns? Was the violence pre-meditated, or a spontaneous outburst of frustration? Only a transparent and impartial investigation can provide answers and pave the way for a peaceful resolution.

  • Mamata Banerjee to skip meeting on simultaneous polls in Delhi

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said she would skip the meeting of the ‘one nation one election’ committee in New Delhi on Tuesday, citing engagements related to the upcoming state budget. The TMC supremo said she has communicated to the committee chief, former President Ramnath Kovind, about her inability to attend the meeting. “I have cancelled my New Delhi trip… The state budget will be presented in the assembly on February 8, and there are only two days to go. In this situation, I had to call off the visit,” Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. “I have already spoken to Kovind ji about this,” she said. The chief minister said TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee will be present at the meeting in the national capital.

    The committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

    Banerjee had last month written to the panel members, expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls, contending that it would be against the basic structure of “constitutional arrangements”.

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