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Tag: Trinamool Congress

  • Trinamool Congress wants Tripura; rivals ask how it will manage to make inroads 

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Encouraged by a landslide victory in West Bengal’s assembly elections held earlier this year, Trinamool Congress is now eying BJP-ruled Tripura where the party feels it can make strong headway in the next assembly elections slated for early 2023.

    A host of TMC leaders including its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have been flying into Tripura to try and build a base and an organisation for the party which till now has been confined to Bengal.

    The space ceded by the Left parties and Congress and the hope that the electorate is unsatisfied with status quo seems to have prompted the TMC to try and make inroads.

    Its leaders in their appearance in the Northeastern state are trying out the tactics similar to BJP’s in West Bengal elections — reiterating that they will be able to capture power with ease, that law and order has collapsed in the state, employment generation is at a low ebb and that the ruling BJP workers have unleashed a reign of terror.

    The TMC rallies and programmes have been repeatedly targeted by a bunch of people whom the party alleges are ‘BJP sheltered goons’, though the charges have been denied by BJP.

    Banerjee and his convoys have been attacked at least thrice.

    Two MPs of the party from West Bengal – Dola Sen and Aparupa Poddar were also attacked on Independence Day in South Tripura district.

    TMC, observers say, may get some mileage and sympathies for the attacks, but to be able to translate this into votes, will have to build an organisation which till now is nascent.

    Banerjee and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh have been targeting leaders and workers fromBJP, especially former Congressmen within BJP, and CPM to woo them into the party fold. It is to be seen how far this attempt will be successful.

    However, till now the number leaders who have crossed over have been few and far between.

    An ex-MLA from the Congress, Subal Bhowmick, who later joined BJP and again returned to Congress, and a former Congress minister Prakash Das have been among those few.

    Banerjee has however optimistically said that by the end of December, committees would be formed in all booths of the state.

    BJP Tripura unit on August 13 observed ‘Dhikkar Diwas’ (Condemnation Day) to protest against what it calls a conspiracy by the Trinamool Congress to create an ‘anarchic situation’ in the state.

    Tripura BJP chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty is obviously not amused.

    Chakraborty contends that TMC, a regional party in Bengal is trying to get the tag of a national party, by trying to foray into Tripura. To be a national party it requires at least six percent of the national vote.

    His colleague, Tripura BJP General Secretary Tinku Roy feels the Trinamool leaders are not in sync with the state’s politics.

    A feeling which TMC leaders used to echo about BJP leaders visiting Bengal ahead of the elections.

    “They stay at posh hotels and stage dramas one after another. They don’t even have a basic idea of Tripura’s geography”.

    He had also lashed out at the “Khela Hobe” slogan and said the most important democratic process cannot be compared with a game.

    The TMC has had no electoral presence in Tripura since its inception in 1998.

    In 2016, six Congress MLAs led by former TPCC President Sudip Roy Barman had however defected to the party.

    These MLAs later joined BJP ahead of the 60-member assembly elections held in 2018 on the plea that they received no support from Mamata Banerjee’s party during their crisis.

    The TMC filed nominations in 24 seats in the 2018 assembly elections, but could not win a single seat and secured a mere 0.3 percent vote share.

    The BJP, which won the election with 36 seats and 43. 59 per cent vote share, formed the government, while the CPIM, which had ruled the state for around 25 years, got 16 seats despite a 42 per cent vote share.

    The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (IPFT), which has now allied with the BJP, won eight seats.

    The state elections were fought largely between the Left Front and the BJP-IPFT alliance.

    The Congress, which was the main opposition, crumbled as its support base was cannibalised by BJP in the last assembly elections.

    However, to complicate matters, a newly emerged Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), led by former state Congress president Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, has come into the political jigsaw of the border state.

    Deb Barman, who was the state unit president of Congress, quit the party in September 2019, citing differences with the high command.

    A month later, he announced the name of his new outfit — TIPRA, which was initially a social organisation but in 2020, was turned into a political party.

    TIPRA surprisingly swept the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections in the first half of April this year by winning 18 of the 28 seats that went to the polls when the BJP won nine seats and one seat was bagged by an Independent candidate.

    TIPRA’s support obviously is the prize that many would try and gain given the electoral mathematics.

    TMC too is apparently trying to do just that.

    The WB General Secretary of TMC Kunal Ghosh recently met the Chairman of the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) Pradyot Kishore Debbarma.

    Thugh the leaders said that it was just a courtesy visit and no talks on forging analliance ahead the next elections were discussed, speculation remains rife.

  • Trinamool Congress observes ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ across West Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress Monday celebrated ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ across West Bengal, as party leaders observed the day by organising football matches in every nook and corner of the state.

    The events are aimed at promoting sports and as a mark of respect to 16 people who had died in a stampede during a football match in Kolkata on this day in 1980.

    TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had last month announced that August 16 would be observed as ‘Khela Hobe Divas’.

    ‘Khela Hobe’ (will play) was the battle cry of the TMC during the high-octane assembly polls in April-May this year, as the party defeated the BJP to storm back to power in West Bengal for the third consecutive time.

    The TMC, which is looking to increase its national footprint, has also made mega plans to mark the day in various parts of the country, including Tripura, where it has directed a lot of energy with an eye on the 2023 assembly polls.

    “The ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ is being observed across the state. In other parts of the country, too, we have plans to organise events. However, in some BJP-ruled states, we were not given permission. We are still pursuing the matter with the authorities,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

    The West Bengal government has also lined up programmes at various stadiums and distributed footballs to various clubs.

    Meanwhile, the BJP voiced its opposition to the ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’, claiming that the Muslim League had launched its Direct Action Day and began the Great Calcutta Killings in 1946 on August 16.

    The saffron party has decided to observe the day as ‘Paschimbongo Bachao Diwas’ (Save West Bengal Day).

  • ‘Insult to Bengal’: TMC demands PM’s apology for saying freedom fighter Matangini Hazra was from Assam

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scant knowledge of history and demanded an apology from him for incorrectly saying that freedom fighter from West Bengal, Matangini Hazra, hailed from Assam.

    The BJP said that the TMC was unnecessarily creating a controversy over the gaffe made during the prime minister’s Independence Day speech, and claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also made many faux pas in her speeches in the past.

    West Bengal TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh said that the prime minister has scant knowledge of history and merely read out a written text in a “dramatic style”.

    The TMC spokesperson tweeted, “@BJP4India Matangini Hazra from Assam? R u mad? U don’t know history. U have no feelings. You just read a written speech (that also by others) with drama.”

    “This is insult to Bengal. You must beg apology. Hope Your LOP from East Midnapore will also condemn such a mistake,” Ghosh added, while attaching a purported clipping of the speech.

    The TMC leader sought a response from Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and Nandigram’s BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, who had often referred to the contribution of Medinipur, from where Matangini Hazra hailed, to the freedom struggle.

    The TMC tweeted on its official handle, “Matangini Hazra is a freedom fighter from Bengal, Mr. @narendramodi!” “With such scant regard for our glorious history, you have insulted all of #Bengal once again. Is @BJP4India committed to erasing our history? Mocking it as they please? SHAME,” the party said, attaching a purported video with the post.

    Reacting to the controversy, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said, “It was a minor mistake on the prime minister’s part and the TMC is deliberately highlighting it while trying to overlook other parts of his speech where he spoke about many projects initiated by the Centre.”

    BJP state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said, “It was a slip of tongue.

    What about the series of gaffes made by the chief minister on our freedom fighters and history? Did she ever apologise for those blunders?” Senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said, “It was a serious mistake by the PM showing his ignorance about Bengal’s history and its contribution to the freedom struggle.”

    State Left Front chairman Biman Bose said, “Things like these happen if someone who has grown up with RSS teachings does not care to read or find out on his own and depends on the text prepared by his office without even checking.”

    Hazra (1869-1942), who lived in Tamluk in present-day Purba Medinipur district, was shot dead by the British Indian Police while she was leading a procession as part of the Quit India movement launched across the country by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942.

    Her death triggered widespread condemnation and steeled Indians’ resolve against the British colonialists, giving more impetus to the freedom struggle.

    Hazra is a familiar figure across West Bengal and there is a statue of her in Maidan area in the heart of Kolkata.

    She is remembered while paying tributes to freedom fighters and both the TMC and the BJP had invoked her during the high-voltage campaign in Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts during the assembly elections this year.

  • Hinting national-level alliance, TMC says ‘Khela Hobe’ to be celebrated across India

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: The ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan will reverberate across India in the coming days, said Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra on Saturday.

    “Khela Hobe to be celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Haryana, Bihar and many other states. Some will celebrate under the flag of Trinamool Congress while others may not use any party symbol. But the slogan Khela Hobe will reach across India,” said TMC leader Mitra while speaking to ANI.

    This Khela Hobe slogan became famous during West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year. This became the poll bugle for the party.

    “BJP wanted to obstruct as they are fond of violence but our party wants peace, soon TMC will reach across the country. Without the TMC an alliance or any front is not possible,” said Mitra.

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clarion call to the leaders of Opposition parties to set up a united front for 2024 general elections and had said, “‘Khela’ (game) will happen in all states until BJP is removed from the country.” 

  • Suspension of TMC MPs proof that Modi regime has conceded defeat: Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Wednesday said the suspension of six party MPs in Rajya Sabha during the day for protesting against the Pegasus snooping controversy has proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi regime has conceded defeat in the case and vowed to carry on the “fight for truth”.

    Reacting to the action of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Banerjee tweeted: “YOU CAN SUSPEND US BUT YOU CANNOT SILENCE US”.

    The state BJP claimed the TMC members’ action in the Rajya Sabha belied the dignity of the House.

    Naidu suspended six TMC MPs for the day for carrying placards while protesting along with other opposition MPs over the Pegasus spying issue.

    The MPs had trooped into the well of the House, some holding placards, to demand a discussion on the issue of Israeli-made, military-grade Pegasus spyware allegedly being used to snoop on opposition leaders, government critics and journalists.

    The RS chairman had taken exception to the placards.

    Reacting to the suspension, Banerjee said on the microblogging site “The crackdown on our MPs clearly indicates that @BJP4India’s 56-inch GODFATHER has CONCEDED DEFEAT!” Banerjee’s allusion to “56-inch” was apparently to the oft mentioned 56-inch chest of Modi by the BJP to signify his stature as a leader.

    “We will not budge an inch to fight for our people & to fight for the truth … Until the last drop of our blood – BRING IT ON!,” tweeted Banerjee, whose convoy came under attack on Monday in BJP-ruled Tripura where he had gone to meet TMC members in view of the assembly election in the North-eastern state in 2023.

    He also attached a photo of the RS chairman’s order with the tweet.

    Commenting on the action taken against six TMC MPs, BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said they were creating nuisance inside the House, which is is unacceptable and contrary to the dignity of Parliament.

    “The TMC is talking about discussion (on the snooping controversy) but in the West Bengal assembly, it does not tolerate discussion.

    Bills are passed through guillotine method without discussion,” he told PTI.

    BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya alleged that more than 33 party activists were killed in the state since the declaration of the assembly poll results.

    “To divert attention from its own misdeeds, which had been flagged by National Human Rights Commission, TMC MPs are resorting to disruption in both Houses,” he said.

    The six MPs who were suspended for the day are Dola Sen, Md. Nadimul Haque, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Shanta Chhetri, Arpita Ghosh and Mausam Noor.

  • TMC slams BJP for ‘attack’ on Abhishek Banerjee’s car in Tripura

    By Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday alleged the car of its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked by BJP workers in Tripura.

    The party claimed three of his security personnel, who came from Kolkata, were injured.

    Today, I visited the Tripureshwari temple. I pray to Maa Tripureshwari for the well-being of everyone in our country.Despite using all his might, @BjpBiplab SHALL NOT be able to stop me from reaching out to the people of #Tripura who deserve to see the light of Democracy! pic.twitter.com/do4a3oyiCJ
    — Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 2, 2021

    The incident occurred when Banerjee was returning to Agartala after offering puja at the famous Tripureswari temple in the state’s Udaipur.

    ALSO READ | TMC will end BJP misrule in Tripura, form government in 2023: Abhishek Banerjee

    Banerjee told reporters his car was attacked with sticks. He alleged road blockades were organised to prevent his visit to the temple.

    He shared a video in a tweet and wrote: “Democracy in Tripura under @BJP4India rule! Well done @BjpBiplab for taking the state to new heights.”

    Democracy in Tripura under @BJP4India rule!Well done @BjpBiplab for taking the state to new heights. pic.twitter.com/3LoOE28CpW
    — Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 2, 2021

    The BJP’s state unit rubbished the TMC’s charge. “No BJP workers obstructed or attacked Banerjee,” the party said.

  • Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 noon after opposition presses for discussion on Pegasus

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI:  Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Monday for almost an hour after opposition parties, including Congress and TMC, pressed for a discussion on the use of Israeli-made, military-grade Pegasus spyware, and farmers’ agitation against farm reform laws.

    While Congress MPs sought a discussion on the farm agitation, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Left parties sought a debate on the Pegasus snooping issue.

    No sooner had the House complimented shuttler PV Sindhu for winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and listed official papers laid on the table, the opposition MPs were up on their feet raising their demands.

    Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he is willing to consider a discussion on farmers’ problems provided members do not disturb proceedings and cooperate. But as the Opposition MPs continued to raise the issues, he adjourned the proceedings till 1200 hours.

    Before adjourning the proceedings, Naidu said Ramgopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh (AAP), Mallikarjun Kharge, Pratap Singh Bajwa and KC Venugopal (all Congress), Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC), CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem and V Sivadasan and Binoy Viswam of CPI have given notices under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up discussion on issues they want to raise.

    “I am ready to discuss. Even Business Advisory Committee has decided to hear about the farmers’ problems and also about other problems, provided if the House is in order,” he said. As MPs stood up to raise their issues, he said, “Members do not cooperate, stand up.”

    “If the House cooperates with me, I can hear people,” he said before adjourning the proceedings till 1200 hours. He also ordered publishing of names of the MPs who held placards.

  • I-PAC team members granted bail in Tripura; Trinamool Congress MPs reach state

    By PTI
    AGARTALA: The 23 members of poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC team, the alleged detention of which in the BJP-ruled Tripura led the Trinamool Congress to attack the saffron party, surrendered before a local court on Thursday, which granted them bail.

    The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) team has been camping in Agartala to assess the political situation and potential support base for the TMC. The police allegedly detained them in a hotel citing COVID norms on Sunday night.

    Senior TMC leader and MP Derek O’Brien, who arrived in the state, alleged that the central leadership of the BJP is behind the incident.

    Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate S B Das granted bail to the I-PAC team members, who were summoned to appear before the police on August one following registration of an FIR against them on Tuesday.

    The police earlier said that the I-PAC team members will have to remain inside the hotel until their test report for COVID-19 is available. The reports came negative on Tuesday night. Their counsel Pijush Kanti Biswas said that a case against the state government will be filed for harassing them.

    “The I-PAC team members arrived in the state with Covid negative reports. But they were put under detention before the FIR was registered which amounts to harassment,” Biswas said.

    Additional Public Prosecutor Bidyut Sutradhar said a complaint was filed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sadar, against the team, which was registered at East Agartala police station under Section 188 of IPC (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and under the National Disaster Management Act.

    “The investigating officer served them notice to meet him on August one. There was no apprehension of arrest. But still, they surrendered before the court, prayed for bail and the court granted them bail,” Sutradhar told reporters.

    SDPO (Sadar) Ramesh Yadav, said that as soon as the COVID test results of the 23 people came negative, they were freed on Tuesday night itself. “They were not detained but asked to stay in the hotel till the test reports are available. After receiving the test reports, some of them stepped out of the hotel on Wednesday,” the police officer said.

    Meanwhile, Derek O’Brien, senior Rajya Sabha MP of the TMC, said that the I-PAC team members hired by the party came here on a professional assignment, and alleged that they were detained by the Tripura Police on directions of the central leadership of the BJP.

    “What message did (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi give from Delhi? They directed from Delhi to arrest the I-PAC team members. They are trying to impose the Gujarat model across India,” O’Brien said.

    He claimed that Modi and Shah are not allowing opposition members to speak in Parliament and at the same time they are trying to silence the opposition voice here. He said that the TMC leadership has asked some party MPs to come to Agartala from Delhi even when the Parliament session is on.

    TMC MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar has arrived here on Thursday while party general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to reach Tripura on Friday.

  • BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accuses TMC member of calling him ‘Bihari Gunda’, raises matter in Lok Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of a TMC member allegedly calling him a ‘Bihari Gunda’ during a Parliamentary committee meeting.

    “I want to draw attention of all members of this House. This is my 13th year as an MP and the way I was called ‘Bihari Gunda’ at the Parliamentary committee meeting yesterday by a woman, by Trinamool Congress, I have not seen this in my life,” Dubey said, amid din in the House due to protests by opposition over Pegasus and farm bill issues.

    “What is our mistake? Our mistake is in developing this country. We have worked as labourers, as Hindi-speaking people whether from Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh…we have worked hard. We have learnt sessions from Lord Ram,” Dubey said.

    However, Dubey did not name the TMC member. As Dubey was speaking, Rajendra Agrawal, who was chairing the proceedings, adjourned the House till 12:30 pm. As the House reassembled at 12:30 pm, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal urged the Chair to allow Dubey to complete the issue he was raising before the House got adjourned.

    However, Agrawal called for papers to be laid on the table. As opposition slogan shouting continued, Agrawal adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

    The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on Wednesday was set to question government officials on the Pegasus spyware issue.

    However, the meeting was postponed due to lack of quorum. Even though the meeting did not take place, the gathering of BJP and opposition party members witnessed drama. Dubey had alleged that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called him a ‘Bihari Gunda’.

    Dubey, in a tweet on Wednesday tagged TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and alleged that Moitra’s comments show her party’s attitude towards the people of Bihar and the Hindi-speaking parts of the country.

    Moitra denied the charge, saying Dubey was not even present for the meeting.

  • Unity of opposition parties will take shape on its own, says Mamata

    By PTI
    NEW DELIH: Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the unity of opposition parties will take shape on its own, sidestepping questions of her taking on the leadership role.

    Banerjee, who is in the national capital for the first time after her party’s resounding victory in the assembly polls, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described it as part of protocol.

    “I had asked for an appointment from the PM. This was a courtesy visit. Post election, following the protocol we have to meet the PM once. But I also spoke about the Covid situation. I asked him to ensure that West Bengal gets enough vaccine doses. I am not against giving vaccines to other states, but considering the population of Bengal, we need more doses,” she told reporters after the meeting.

    She said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bengal in May, there was no scope for a one-to-one meeting.

    Banerjee also said that she mentioned the issue of the change in West Bengal’s name and told him that it was a long pending issue that should be resolved.

    While Banerjee refused to say if she discussed the Pegasus project with Modi, said that the prime minister should convene an all-party meet on the snooping row and decide on a Supreme Court-led probe.

    When asked if she has lined up a series of meetings with the Opposition parties with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in mind, she said that the general elections are far away.

    “However planning for it has to be done in advance. Like there is election in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Tripura. Like how happened in Tripura with our boys and the issue of Dainik Jagran,” she said.

    Asked about her efforts to unite the Opposition leaders, she said that it will happen “automatically”.

    “Opposition unity will happen naturally, automatically,” she said. On whether she will lead the Opposition against the BJP, she said, “The country will lead the Opposition, we are the followers.

    ” She said that she will meet all Opposition members after the Parliament session is over and the coronavirus situation normalises, indicating that another visit soon was on the anvil.

    This time around, however, she has her itinerary set with meetings with opposition party leaders who are seeking time from her and those like Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi who has invited her for tea.

    “She has called me for a chai per charcha tomorrow. Many of these leaders are my old friends. We discuss about old and new times. I will meet Arvind Kejriwal day after tomorrow. Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi asked for time, I have given them time. I will meet my party MPs tomorrow. I met Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and Abhishek Manu Singhvi today,” she said.

    A name missing from her list was that of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. “I haven’t spoken to Sharad Pawar. I will meet him after the monsoon session,” she said.

    She also said that she wants to meet the President but she has been informed that she needs to get a RT PCR test done, which, according to her, is difficult to do.