News Analysis India

Tag: Trinamool

  • Fact Check: Trinamool debunks report that it proposed Droupadi Murmu for President in 2017

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress did not propose the name of Droupadi Murmu as president in 2017, say the party’s spokespersons, debunking a media report that it had backed the tribal leader for the post five years ago.

    Murmu is now the BJP-led NDA’s nominee for president.

    With the numbers in her favour, she is set to become the country’s first tribal president and the second woman in the post.

    Quoting TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, a prominent Hindi daily reported earlier this week that the party was the first to have proposed the name of the former Jharkhand governor as president in 2017.

    That is incorrect, said party spokesperson Ghosh.

    Setting the record straight, he said the TMC along with several other opposition parties had endorsed former speaker Meira Kumar for the top job in 2017 — when Ram Nath Kovind was elected as president.

    However, he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his personal capacity, suggesting that a consensus candidate be considered and forwarded three names – Najma Heptullah, then president Pranab Mukherjee (for re-election) and Murmu.

    At the time, Ghosh was suspended from the TMC.

    “I had written it as a citizen of the country. I had suggested the names in my individual capacity at that time and not on behalf of TMC,” Ghosh told PTI.

    TMC Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy added that Ghosh’s 2017 letter was sent in his private capacity.

    The party was not privy to his missive and had not endorsed it, Roy said.

    A copy of the June 24, 2017 letter resurfaced two days ago after West Bengal’s ruling party supported the candidature of Yashwant Sinha as the joint opposition candidate and several party leaders, including Ghosh, called for electing him to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to defeat the “undemocratic, fascist BJP”.

    The report in the Hindi daily followed.

    Ghosh said he was not belittling Murmu by pledging support to opposition consensus candidate Sinha, who resigned from TMC recently.

    “I have nothing against her in person even now, but yes we are urging everybody who believes in saving the Constitution, saving democracy, saving the secular spirit of the country, to throw their weight behind Sinha at this crucial hour. Murmu is the candidate from the BJP camp, and everyone has seen how the BJP tried to sow differences among people in the name of religion and how the fuel prices spiralled. Murmu is the candidate of that anti-people, communal, undemocratic, hatred-spewing BJP…,”” Ghosh said.

    Ghosh also asked why the BJP had not mooted her name in 2017.

    “Yashwant Sinha is the consensus presidential candidate of the combined opposition force.

    Draupadi Murmu represents BJP and hence she cannot speak against the increasing practice of using central agencies to pillory political opponents, she cannot speak against the one party-one religion-one language agenda and ideology of BJP and the anti-people, anti-PSU economic policies of Narendra Modi as she is their candidate,” Roy told PTI.

    Ghosh — arrested by West Bengal police for his alleged connection with the Saradha chit fund scam — was suspended from the TMC in 2013.

    He was granted bail in October 2016 after over two years in custody and formally appointed TMC spokesperson in June 2020.

    The claim that the TMC was the first to propose Droupadi Murmu’s name for president in 2017 is ‘misleading’.

  • Privilege motion moved against Suvendu Adhikari for ‘disrespectful’ remarks against Bengal Speaker

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A privilege motion was on Friday moved against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for his “disrespectful” remarks against West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, a day the Nandigram legislator’s suspension in the House was revoked.

    Banerjee on Thursday withdrew the suspension order he had issued against seven BJP MLAs, including Adhikari.

    TMC MLA Partha Bhowmick moved the motion against Adhikari, after the BJP legislator, while airing his views on MLA Mukul Roy’s disqualification case, apparently made a disparaging remark against the speaker.

    Earlier this month, Banerjee had rejected a plea by Adhikari to disqualify Roy, saying that he did not find merit in the argument of the petitioner.

    The speaker, during the day, accepted the motion and referred it to the Privilege Committee, which has been asked to look into it and submit a report at the earliest.

    “The nature of the comments made by Adhikari is not only disrespectful but also an insult to the chair. That is why I had moved the Privilege Motion. I hope appropriate action would be taken against him,” Bhowmick told reporters.

    Reacting to the development, chief whip of BJP legislative party, Manoj Tigga, said this is an attempt to “stifle the voice of opposition”.

    “The politically motivated allegations are being made to stop the BJP and Suvendu Adhikari from raising the people’s issues in the Assembly,” Tigga claimed.

    Clashes had broken out in the House on March 28 between legislators of the ruling TMC and BJP, following which the speaker had suspended Adhikari, Tigga and three other MLAs.

    Earlier in March, BJP legislators Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukhopadhyay were suspended over their conduct during governor’s address in the House.

  • ‘Riots handiwork of greedy leaders’: Mamata hits out at BJP

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said that riots are the handiwork of “greedy leaders who have their minds are full of black dirt” and never by people of any religious community.

    “When life has no surety, why should we fight? Why should we spread hatred or kill each other? We must understand it. I am not talking about any particular religion, but about all the religions. Remember it is not the common people who create riots, but it is done by some greedy leaders who have their minds full of black dirt,” she said.

    Banerjee was speaking at a programme at the city’s famed Dakshineswar Temple where she inaugurated a light and sound event besides a book on the history of the temple.

    She reached the temple directly from the airport on her return from Delhi where she went for a meeting of the opposition parties on the July presidential poll.

    She sought to buttress her point by referring to physiology.

    “We do not know how many cells are there inside our brain and how many of them are damaged everyday when people think of evil. Whenever people think negatively, brain cells are damaged. If you think positively then the brain too will give you something in return – it will keep you healthy and happy,” she said and advised youths to concentrate on “constructive” social networking.

    Her comments came in the backdrop of violence across the country over the alleged controversial comments on Prophet Mohammad by suspended BJP leaders.

    She had lashed out at BJP for the “hate speech” and had demanded the arrest of the two suspended leaders of the party – Nupur Sharma and Navin Jindal for it.

    The feisty Trinamool Congress supremo, who was seen at the Eid-ul-fitr prayers at Red Road in the city over the city, dismissed rumours that she offered namaz.

    “I go to attend Iftar parties where all gather to mark the end of fasting. What is the problem? Nobody says anything when I attend Durga Pujas. In our country, we have people of different religions. What is the problem if I go to a Jain temple?” she said.

    Referring to the protests in different parts of the state by a section of unsuccessful Higher Secondary students, the chief minister said “I have never heard such a thing in my life. They are demanding that they be declared successful though they have failed. It is not their fault, but of those who are guiding them”.

    Bengal had witnessed a spree of violent incidents in Howrah and parts of Murshidabad and Nadia districts in protest against Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Mohammad which led the administration to impose section 144 Cr PC and suspend internet connections.

  • ‘PM fooling people before 2024 Lok Sabha poll’: Trinamool attacks Modi

    Modi asked various government departments and ministries to recruit 10 lakh people on a 'mission mode' in the next year and a half, the PMO said on Tuesday.

  • Vlogger Roddur Roy arrested in Goa for hurling abuses at Mamata, Abhishek over KK’s death

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A team of the Kolkata Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested vlogger Roddur Roy from Goa on charges of abusing Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, during a Facebook Live session, a senior officer of the force said.

    “He was arrested this afternoon by our officers in Goa. He will be brought to Kolkata on transit remand. Our officers will produce him at a local court there for the remand,” the police officer said.

    An FIR was lodged under various sections of the IPC against the vlogger after a complaint was filed by TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta at Chitpur police station on Saturday.

    Roy, who widely uses expletives in his social media posts, often courting controversies, hurled a barrage of abuses at the chief minister and the Diamond Harbour MP, besides other TMC leaders such as Firhad Hakim and Madan Mitra, blaming the ruling party for the alleged mismanagement at singer KK’s last concert at Nazrul Mancha here.

    The singer had collapsed, shortly after his performance at the auditorium, and was declared ‘brought dead’ by doctors when taken to a hospital.

    Roy’s Facebook Live video has been removed from the social networking site by authorities.

    Meanwhile, BJP leader Anupam Hazra, reacting to the development, sought to know why the police had taken no action against the vlogger when he used foul language for luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore.

    “Now that the chief minister and Abhishek Banerjee were abused, the police swung into action. Why should it be so?” he maintained.

    Incidentally, in April 2012, the Kolkata Police had arrested Jadavpur University Chemistry Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra for allegedly forwarding an email containing a cartoon of the chief minister.

  • KK’s demise: BJP alleges lapses from Mamata government; Trinamool hits back

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The demise of Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, in Kolkata kicked off a political debate on Wednesday with the opposition BJP blaming the West Bengal administration for lapses and demanding an impartial probe, drawing a sharp retort from the ruling TMC which asked the saffron camp not to politicise death.

    KK performed at a concert organised by Gurudas College at Nazrul Mancha in south Kolkata on Tuesday evening.

    He was “feeling uneasy” after reaching his hotel and collapsed soon after, officials said.

    The singer was taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead on Tuesday night.

    “There should be an impartial investigation into the incident as there was a complete lapse on the part of the administration to ensure proper security arrangements.”

    “Around 7,000 people were reportedly present at the venue of the programme where the seating capacity was around 3,000 people. He was mobbed there, which means security arrangements were not in place for a VIP,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

    Reacting sharply to his comments, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the BJP should stop its “vulture politics” and should not politicise an unfortunate incident.

    “His death is really unfortunate, and all of us are really sad about it. But what the BJP is doing is not at all expected. The saffron camp should stop its vulture brand of politics. They should stop politicising death. We won’t be astonished if BJP starts claiming that KK was their party leader,” he said.

    Ghosh said the administration is taking all measures and an investigation is underway.

    An initial probe has revealed that the 53-year-old singer, who was on a two-day tour to Kolkata to perform at two college programmes, was “almost mobbed” by fan followers at the hotel where he had returned after performing at Nazrul Mancha auditorium in the southern part of the city, officials said.

    A post-mortem examination will be conducted during the day to ascertain the exact cause of his death.

  • Houses vandalised, crude bombs hurled as two Trinamool factions clash in Malda

    By PTI

    ENGLISH BAZAR: Crude bombs were hurled and houses were vandalised as two factions of the TMC clashed in West Bengal’s Malda district, triggering tension among the people.

    The incident happened in Gopalpur Balutola area in Manikchak block on Saturday as a group of TMC workers led by panchayat samiti office-bearer Saifuddin Sheikh clashed with the faction led by the party’s area president Nasir Ali.

    Crude bombs were hurled and at least 12 houses were vandalised in the clashes, police said.

    A large number of police personnel were deployed in the area, they said.

    However, police said they are yet to make any arrest.

    Manikchak’s TMC MLA Sabitri Mitra said there is an old feud between the two leaders over land, which led to violence earlier as well.

    “It has nothing to with the TMC,” she claimed.

  • Excise duty cut on Fuel price: Trinamool says BJP trying to fool masses

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: TMC on Saturday said the Centre’s decision to slash fuel prices is an attempt to “fool the people” as it had increased the prices by leaps and bounds in the last few months and said West Bengal will follow suit once it lifts the “economic blockade” and releases the funds due to the state.

    TMC national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said the Centre has raised the prices of petrol and diesel at least 14 times in the past few months and by leaps and bounds in the past one year.

    “Now it is decreasing the prices by Rs 8 and Rs 6 per litre respectively. This is nothing but an attempt to fool the general people. This cut is not enough to bring down inflation”.

    To queries, he said West Bengal will slash fuel prices once the Centre cleared its dues amounting to Rs 97,000 crore.

    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said BJP should stop trying to take credit for cutting fuel prices.

    “The fuel prices were cur due to immense opposition and public pressure,” he asserted.

    The Centre on Saturday cut excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 per litre to give relief to consumers battered by high fuel prices which has pushed up inflation to a multi-year high.

    It also announced subsidy of Rs 200 per cylinder to Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries for 12 cylinders in a year to help ease some of the burden arising from cooking gas rates rising to record levels.

    Ghosh said, “The BJP has been saying for a long time that it has no role to play in fuel price hike. If it can slash the prices today, it could have done it long back. But it didn’t. So it should stop trying to take the credit of it”.

    Ray said the Centre is using economic blockade against West Bengal “out of vengeance to stifle the state”.

    “It (the Centre) should first lift this economic blockade,” he said.

    Last month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that she will reduce the tax on petroleum products in the state once the central government cleared all the pending dues it owed to the state.

    State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said if the TMC government is pro-people it should reduce fuel prices in the state.

    “Last time the Centre slashed prices fuel prices, other BJP ruled states also followed suit by reducing taxes. The Mamata Banerjee government did nothing except abuse the Centre,” Majumdar said.

  • Cattle smuggling case: Trinamool leader Anubrata Mondal returns home after 45 days

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, returned to his residence in Birbhum district on Friday after nearly a 45-day stay in Kolkata to appear before CBI for questioning in a cattle smuggling case but had to spend a major part of the time in hospital due to pain in his chest.

    As Mondal’s convoy entered Bolpur, where his residence is, a large number of TMC supporters gave him a rousing welcome calling the TMC district president a mass leader.

    “I am not well. I want to thank all of you for your unconditional support. I request all of you to continue to work for the masses. We should always stand by the people,” the TMC Birbhum district president said.

    Mondal had reached Kolkata on April 5 to appear before the CBI in connection with a cattle smuggling case the next day.

    But on April 6, instead of appearing before the investigating agency, he got admitted to a state-run hospital following “chest pain”.

    He appeared before CBI on May 19 for interrogation in connection with a cattle smuggling case in West Bengal.

    However, the investigating agency had to cut short its interrogation of Mondal after he complained of chest pain again.

  • SSC scam: Trinamool, Opposition hit out at each other; job aspirant attempts suicide

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: An School Selection Commission job aspirant who was among those participating in a demonstration near Mayo Road demanding jobs, tried to commit suicide by hanging herself from the branch of a tree using her dupatta on Thursday.

    The incident happened after the students were stopped from going to the Raj Bhawan to submit a deputation.

    The aspirant was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was discharged after initial treatment, police said.

    The incident took place following a clash between the police and the SSC job aspirant when they tried to march towards Raj Bhawan to submit a deputation.

    Following the incident, a BJP delegation went to Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

    Later, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar tweeted a video showing an unidentified woman trying to hang herself in the presence of a senior police officer.

    The SSC job aspirants have been demonstrating demanding immediate placements for around 145 days, 

    Meanwhile, Opposition parties of West Bengal on Thursday demanded the resignation of Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his deputy Paresh Chandra Adhikari from their posts in the wake of the CBI investigation in the SSC scam, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to expose “illegal” recruitments made during the erstwhile Left Front regime.

    As the CBI questioned the two ministers on consecutive days since Wednesday on Calcutta High Court orders in connection with cases related to the scam, Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of unleashing a “Tughlaqi raj” in the country and “misusing federal agencies to settle political scores”.

    The agency has been investigating a number of cases where teaching and non-teaching staff were allegedly appointed illegally in schools following recommendations by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (SSC).

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty demanded that both ministers should resign for their alleged involvement in the scam.

    In an apparent reference to the CBI investigation into the SSC scam, Banerjee said, “A lot of things are being said about discrepancies in recruitment. People are well aware of those who are involved in corruption. They don’t like such people, nor do I. If someone has committed any wrong, the law will take its own course.

    “But this vilification campaign should stop. During the Left Front regime, transfers were made and jobs were given by writing down names on (plain) paper. I will reveal the irregularities soon.”

    Reacting to the allegation of the TMC supremo, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty claimed that Banerjee is trying to divert attention by blaming the Left Front government.

    “The allegations are baseless. If there was any wrongdoing in recruitments during the Left rule, let the TMC prove it. We are not afraid of any investigation. Both the ministers should immediately resign from their posts,” Chakraborty said.

    The Central Bureau of Investigation had on Wednesday quizzed senior TMC leader and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee as the alleged recruitment scam had taken place when he was the education minister.

    Adhikari who is the minister of state for education was grilled on Thursday by CBI sleuths regarding a case of alleged illegal appointment of his daughter as a teacher in a state government-aided school.

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar mocked Adhikari for disappearing all of a sudden instead of appearing before the CBI.

    “It seems some magic was going on as the minister suddenly went missing and again reappeared. This only proves how those guilty are trying to evade the investigating agencies. He should resign as minister,” Majumdar said.

    The court had directed Adhikari to appear before the CBI on May 17.

    He was seen to board the Kolkata-bound Padatik Express train at Jalpaiguri Road station in north Bengal along with his daughter on May 17 night but had remained untraceable since then.

    Following fresh high court orders, he appeared before the CBI on Thursday evening after initially failing to meet the 3 pm deadline set by the court on Thursday.

    Senior TMC leaders maintained a stoic silence on the issue.

    “The law will take its own course. We don’t want to comment on this issue as of now as it is sub-judice. Those who have been summoned are yet to comment. So, it won’t be right to make any on behalf of the party,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

    Senior leader and minister Shashi Panja also refused to comment saying that the matter is sub-judice.