News Analysis India

Tag: Trinamool

  • SSC recruitment scam: After Bengal minister’s interrogation, petitioner move HC

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Shortly after CBI interrogated Trinamool Congress’s secretary general and former education minister Partha Chatterjee for four hours in connection with the alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staffs in the state-run schools through the School Service Commission (SSC), the Kolkata High Court on Wednesday decided to open a late night session after petitioners sought protection of evidences by the CRPF which they believe to be crucial.

    The petitioners said the evidences are important as it convinced the high court to engage the CBI to conduct a probe giving liberty the central agency to interrogate the TMC heavyweight. They also said in their petition that the evidences should be protected by the CRPF as there might be attempts to tamper it.

    Chatterjee turned up at the CBI office shortly after the division bench upheld the single-bench judge’s order asking CBI to probe into the irregularities.

    Though Chatterjee moved a division bench on Wednesday afternoon but his petition was not entertained.

    Four members of the recommendation committee, which was formed by Chatterjee to facilitate the alleged irregularities.

    On April 12 this year, Justice Gangopadhyay had ordered Chatterjee to face the CBI probe on the same day but a division bench had put a stay on it.

    “The single bench mentioned in its order gave liberty to the CBI to arrest Chatterjee, if needed,” said advocate Sudipta Sengupta.

    Upholding the previous order, in which a CBI probe was ordered in the elleged recruitment scam, the division bench comprising Justice Subrata Talukdar and Ananda Kumar Mukherjee said on Wednesday that there was no infirmity in the orders of the single bench. The division bench said in its order that the scam and the money trail involved would be investigated according to the orders of the single bench.

    Earlier the high court had set up a committee headed by retired HC justice Ranjit Kumar Bag to probe into the alleged irregularities. The committee found massive discrepancies and recommended criminal proceedings along with disciplinary proceedings some former officials of the SSC.

    The committee recommended criminal proceedings against four former SSC officials and the incumbent president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. It also sought disciplinary proceedings against six other former senior SSC officials. 

    Welcoming the court’s order, BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged the government and its ministers are shameless. ‘’We know there has been huge corruption. If the CBI starts investigation, the entire illegal trader surface,’’ he said.

    “This is a court matter and the issue is subjudice. If anyone did anything wrong, the party will not take responsibility,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.

    Kolkata High Court ordered no one would be allowed to enter SSC office till 1 pm as the CRPF will guard the establishment.The order in response to petition to protect documents related to irregularities in recruitment in schools through SSC.

  • HC directs CBI to interrogate Bengal minister over appointment of daughter as teacher

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed West Bengal Minister of State for Education Paresh Chandra Adhikari to appear before the CBI here over alleged appointment of his daughter as a teacher in a state government-aided school in Cooch Behar district.

    The order was passed on a petition by a candidate who claimed that she was deprived of the job despite having secured higher marks than the minister’s daughter in the recruitment examination for teachers.

    Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the minister to appear before the CBI authorities in Kolkata by Tuesday evening.

    Adhikari, who was in Cooch Behar, told reporters that he has left for Kolkata along with his daughter following the high court order.

    The minister is an MLA from Mekhliganj constituency in Cooch Behar.

    The court directed the CBI to file a report on the matter on May 7, when it will be taken up for hearing again.

    The petitioner’s lawyer Firdous Shamim claimed that she had secured 77 marks in the examination while the minister’s daughter got 61, and that her name did not figure in the merit list, but had been given appointment as a teacher depriving the petitioner Babita Sarkar.

    Justice Gangopadhyay had earlier on four occasions ordered CBI inquiry in connection with alleged irregularities in appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff in state government-aided schools.

  • Those with no ground reality connection calling shots: BJP MP hits out at party’s Bengal unit

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: BJP MP Arjun Singh, who had so far been criticising the Centre’s jute policies, on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at the saffron camp top brass, alleging that he “not being allowed to work” in West Bengal, despite being a state vice president of the party.

    Singh, who has been called to Delhi by the central leadership next week, told reporters at his residence in Bhatpara that grassroots-level members were also finding it difficult to carry out their day-to-day activities as leaders helming the state unit of the BJP were coming in the way of their work.

    “Let’s be clear. By posting tweets on social media, we cannot dislodge the TMC from power in West Bengal. Those having no connection with the ground reality are calling the shots while proven fighters having mass base are being ignored. How can the BJP achieve its objective then?” said Singh, who had switched over to the saffron camp from the Mamata Banerjee-led party in 2019 The Barrackpore MP claimed that his hands, too, were tied despite being the BJP state vice president.

    “It is like I have been gifted a fountain pen without ink and paper,” he argued.

    Senior leader and BJP MLA from Asansol South Agnimitra Paul, when asked about Singh’s assertions, however, said that he had been given adequate space to work.

    “So far I know, Arjun Singh had been given adequate power and space in the state organization. Don’t know why he is levelling such charges,” she stated.

    Meanwhile, TMC MLA from Jagatdal, Somenath Shyam, maintained that it “hardly mattered what Arjun says” as he is still with the BJP.

    “Arjun is not trustworthy,” Shyam, who was seen sharing dais with Singh during a recent programme, added.

  • Bengal Governor seeks report from state as Suvendu Adhikari says cops entered his MLA office by force

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jadgeep Dhankhar on Sunday sought an urgent report from the state’s chief secretary H K Dwivedi over an “attack by the police” on the MLA office of Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.

    He said such action on the MLA office of Adhikari is a matter of “deep concern”.

    “In view of worrisome inputs from Leader of Opposition West Bengal Legislative Assembly @SuvenduWB that his MLA office of Nandigram has been attacked by police, sought an urgent report Chief Secretary,” he tweeted.

    Adhikari, later taking to the microblogging platform, said the police entered his office by force.

    “Without giving any prior information, without showing a search warrant, and without the presence of a magistrate, the ‘Mamata’ police (West Bengal Police) forcefully entered my Nandigram MLA’s office unnecessarily.

    “This is a lousy and cruel act on the part of the Mamata Banerjee government. It is a conspiracy against the Leader of the Opposition,” he wrote, attaching three videos to substantiate the claim.

    Dhankhar said that that chief secretary has been asked to file a report on the incident by 10 PM.

    “CS @chief_west to render status report by 10 PM today indicating full details of heavy police and rapid action force posse & senior officials @WBPolice present in & outside MLA office of LOP @SuvenduWB.”

    “Such an action in the MLA office of LOP is a matter of deep concern,” he added.

  • ‘She is very close to me’: After Shah visit to his home, Sourav talks of his relation with Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid a visit to his residence and had dinner with his family, which grabbed attention, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly Saturday spoke of his close relation with Chief Minister, who is known to be a strident critic of the BJP.

    Ganguly, former Indian cricket team captain, also showered praise on minister and city mayor Firhad Hakim describing him as a person who can be approached by anyone at any time of the day.

    “Our honourable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a person very close to me. I had approached her to help up this institute,” he said at the inauguration programme of a private hospital here.

    The former southpaw said, “I am also very close to Firhad Hakim. He has been seeing me since I was in Class 1. He has been our family friend. All who approach him get help. I too have called him several times,” Ganguly said.

    Shah’s visit to Ganguly’s residence on Friday had fuelled speculation that the former cricketer would join politics soon.

    The dinner was reported to be a close family affair where besides Ganguly and his wife danseuse Dona Ganguly, the cricketer’s elder brother Snehasish Ganguly and other family members were hosts.

    Shah was accompanied by BJP idealogue, Swapan Dasgupta, the party’s state president Sukanta Majumdar and the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

    Aware of the conjectures, Ganguly had said on Friday, “Many speculations are rife, but I have known him (Shah) since 2008. While playing, I used to meet him. There’s nothing more than that”.

    He had also pointed out he had worked with Shah’s son, Jay Amitbhai Shah, in the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

    Jay Shah is the BCCI secretary.

    Dona Ganguly had said there was no discussion on politics during Shah’s visit to the Ganguly residence.

    “It is human to speculate. But if there is any news, everyone will know.”

    She had also said, “I don’t know whether Sourav will enter politics or not. But he will do well if he joins politics. I believe he will do good work for the people”.

    Ganguly had visited the state secretariat on April 28 and met Banerjee regarding allocation of land to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), of which he is the president, to build a stadium.

    Political analyst Biswajit Chakraborty described Ganguly as a “businessman” who is trying to maintain good terms with the central and state governments so that his business runs smoothly.

    “Ganguly is doing this for his own benefit. He knows that he has to keep both the Centre and Mamata Banerjee happy so that his business keeps running. He has been balancing quite nicely,” Chakraborty told PTI.

    Another analyst called Ganguly a “perfect gentleman” who was doing a “balancing act”.

    “Ganguly is an immensely intelligent man. I guess Shah had come to his residence yesterday to evaluate how much Ganguly is ready to plunge into politics. And today, he (Ganguly) spoke about his closeness to the CM. Though I do not see any significance in it, I think he is doing it because he has to survive both nationally as well as in the state,” he added.

  • Birbhum killings: Trinamool leader indicates infightings within ruling party

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The massacre in West Bengal’s Birbhum last week, which left nine dead, has also laid bare the fault lines in the state’s ruling camp as the party’s district president Anubrata Mondal on Thursday said that he had wanted to remove Anarul Hossain, arrested in the case, from all organisational posts, but was stopped by local MLA Ashis Banerjee.

    Last week, eight people were burnt alive, while another succumbed to her injuries later, in Bogtui village near Rampurhat town of the district in the suspected fallout of a TMC panchayat official’s murder.

    Hossain, the president of Rampurhat block-1, was arrested days after the massacre from Tarapith area in the district.

    “I was keen on removing Anarul from all organisational posts he held in the party. I had received several complaints against him. However, local MLA and state minister Ashis Banerjee requested me to retain him at least till the panchayat polls. Banerjee is a senior leader,” Mondal told reporters.

    Banerjee, on his part, said he did so keeping in mind the “interest of the organisation”.

    “I had made the request only after speaking to local leaders. It was an organisational decision,” he said.

    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh declined to comment on the matter, stating that he would not be able to make any remark before talking to local leaders.

    The BJP, however, said such statements from TMC leaders show that the party was trying to engage in a blame game to divert attention from the issue at hand.

    “Everybody knows that Anubrata Mondal is the most powerful person in Birbhum. The kind of statements and counter statements that are coming from the TMC camp only prove that its leaders are trying to save their own skin,” state BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya added.

    In a similar vein, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim said the TMC, instead of fighting within the party, should find out how the incident happened.

    “The TMC is now engaged in infighting, it should rather reveal who allowed this carnage to take place,” Salim added.

  • Asansol bypoll: Trinamool files complaint against BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Agnimitra Paul, BJP’s candidate for the by-poll to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, for her alleged comment ‘blow lands on us, we will retaliate’, during the ongoing election campaign.

    A purported video went viral on Wednesday where Paul was heard shouting to her party supporters during a meeting in Asansol, “I am telling you if a blow lands on us, we will retaliate in equal measure”.

    Justifying her alleged comments, she told reporters later “if someone punches us, we cannot reciprocate by ‘namaskar’ (polite greeting). we cannot hug that person. Our response will be to land a counter punch on the assaulter.”

    Earlier a purported video footage of the Pandabeswar Trinamool Congress MLA Narendranath Chakraborty created a storm where he was heard telling party workers “to intimidate committed BJP supporters so that they do not go to booths on the day of polling.”

    The EC had on Wednesday barred Chakraborty from campaigning for the Asansol by-elections for violating the model code of conduct by allegedly issuing such open threats to BJP voters and supporters at a party meeting.

    Attaching the video and the press meet footage of Agnimitra Paul, an actress and BJP leader, TMC state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said in a mail to the CEO’s office, “from her conduct it is evident that Paul has decided to repeatedly promote violence in a desperate bid to win her seat.”

    “Her speeches not only emboldened members/supporters of BJP to use violence against opponents but has also eventually terrorise the entire electorate,” the letter said.

    The ruling party advocated immediate action “including but not limited to criminal proceedings against Paul.”

    The other steps it suggested included taking necessary steps to ensure BJP and Agnimitra Paul “are refrained from repeating such violations during the pendency of the ensuing election.”

    Referring to the TMC complaint, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya told PTI, “When the state police becomes mere stooges of the ruling party and the opposition is subjected to brutal violence by TMC, the people’s representatives feel helpless and insecure.”

    Bhattacharya said “it has to be kept in mind in what circumstances a people’s representative and a candidate from the opposition has made such a comment to boost the morale of party members and supporters. Does the TMC understand the language of civility and culture?”

    Paul, who is the BJP MLA from Asansol South assembly seat and is contesting the Asansol Lok Sabha seat against Bollywood hero of yesteryears, Shatrughan Sinha, nominated by TMC for the seat which was vacated by Babul Supriyo after he left BJP to join TMC.

    Supriyo is contesting on a TMC ticket from Ballygunge assembly seat where by-poll was necessitated after the untimely death of TMC heavyweight Subrata Mukherjee.

    By-polls to the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency and the Ballygunge assembly seat will be held on April 12, and votes will be counted on April 16.

  • ‘Intimidate committed BJP workers’: Trinamool MLA to party supporters in video

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Intimidate “committed” BJP workers to ensure that they refrain from casting their votes, TMC MLA Narendranath Chakraborty was heard as telling party supporters in a purported video, which has gone viral.

    Chakraborty, the MLA from Pandaveswar, was seen in the video speaking to TMC workers at a party office.

    Pandaveswar in Paschim Bardhaman district is part of the Asansol Lok Sabha seats where a by-election will be held on April 12.

    “Identify the committed BJP workers and intimidate them.Tell them that they will be responsible for their safety and security if they go out to vote,” he was heard as saying in the video, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by PTI.

    “If they don’t cast their votes, we will presume that they are with us. We will consider them as our supporters and help them in all possible ways,” he said in the video.

    Chakraborty, however, denied making any such statement amid a barrage of attacks by the BJP.

    “It may be an old video. The then party president of Paschim Bardhaman (Jitendra Tiwari) had made us do many things. He has now joined the BJP,” he said.

    Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim said the party does not approve of such comments as it has faith in people’s mandate.

    “We had won 213 seats as people had rooted for Mamata Banerjee in last year’s assembly polls. Our tally swelled as all subsequent elections went in our favour. We have trust in people. They will overwhelmingly vote for us again in the upcoming polls,” he said.

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said it was a pity that such MLAs were gracing the West Bengal assembly.

    The BJP also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over the comments.

    BJP leader Sisir Bajoria, who went to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to lodge the complaint, said, “Chakraborty should not be allowed to enter the Lok Sabha constituency, and the poll panel must take action against him, including arrest.”

    The CEO has promised to look into it, he said.

    The by-election to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat was necessitated after incumbent BJP MP Babul Supriyo resigned after joining the TMC.

    The TMC has fielded Shatrughan Sinha in the seat, while BJP nominated Agnimitra Paul and CPI(M) candidate is Partha Mukherjee.

  • Exchange of fisticuffs at Bengal Assembly: A look at the other infamous scenes

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: The West Bengal Assembly witnessed bedlam on Monday marked by exchange of fisticuffs between TMC and BJP MLAs over the Birbhum killings, but this was not the first instance of acrimony in a House of elected representatives in the country.

    Following are the other well-known episodes of fracas involving the Treasury and Opposition benches in different states.

    Tamil Nadu, 1989: The House witnessed unruly scenes when the DMK was in the ruling saddle.

    The then Leader of Opposition, late J Jayalalithaa was allegedly attacked and humiliated by ruling party members during a debate, and her leaving the House with disheveled hair amid a security ring by party MLAs remains a stark picture in TN politics.

    Jayalalithaa vowed to return to the Assembly as Chief Minister and did so two years later.

    Tamil Nadu, 2017: During the trust vote of the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, pandemonium broke out inside the House and some opposition members even climbed atop the Speaker’s podium and sat on the chair, while the opposition DMK members were evicted physically.

    Then LoP and DMK chief M K Stalin and Speaker P Dhanapal said their shirts were torn in the melee.

    Maharashtra, 2009: Four MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi for taking his oath as a legislator in Hindi.

    As the new MLAs were being sworn in, MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party pounced on Azmi, who was pushed and slapped until security guards were able to rescue him and escort him out of the House.

    Thackeray had earlier appealed to MLAs to take their oath in Marathi, a veiled warning aimed at Azmi, who repeatedly asked for Hindi to be added to the language of the legislature.

    Parliament, 2021: Rajya Sabha witnessed ugly scenes as some MPs tore papers, jostled with the marshals and attempted to go near the presiding officer’s chair and some marshals were allegedly attacked, even as the House was adjourned sine die two days ahead of its scheduled end of the monsoon session in August.

    Twelve opposition MPs were subsequently suspended in connection with the incident.

    Kerala, 2015: The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13 as then opposition LDF members tried to prevent Finance Minister K M Mani, who was facing charges in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget.

    The speaker’s chair was flung from the podium while electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged.

    Uttar Pradesh, 2017: Governor Ram Naik was pelted with paper balls by the opposition during an address, the House witnessed slogan-shouting and trooping into the well by opposition members, even as an SP member blew a whistle through the 35-minute address to ensure that the governor’s voice was drowned out.

    Jammu and Kashmir, 2019: House witnessed noisy scenes during a discussion on the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with opposition members rushing towards the chair, prompting adjournments.

    Accusing Trinamool Congress MLAs of “violently assaulting” its legislators in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, the BJP asserted that the Centre cannot remain a “mute spectator” to the state government “flouting” constitutional norms.

    Expressing concern over the state of affairs in West Bengal, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters at Parliament House Complex that criminal and anarchic elements have “hijacked” the constitutional machinery in the state.

    Ruling TMC and opposition BJP MLAs came to blows in the Assembly as chaos erupted after the latter demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.

    Naqvi alleged that democratic normals are being “murdered” in Bengal under the patronage of the state government and Banerjee.

    BJP MLAs were physically attacked and their clothes torn in the Assembly, he alleged.

    People had given Banerjee the mandate in the 2021 polls to make amends for her government’s mistakes but she has again let loose a reign of violence and anarchy, he said.

    To a question if the Centre could impose President’s rule in the state, Naqvi said the government will not compete with Banerjee in flouting constitutional values but will not remain a “mute spectator” either.

    Locket Chatterjee, a BJP MP from the state, also hit out at Banerjee.

    She said five BJP MLAs were assaulted on the “directions” of the chief minister but the state government wants to throttle the opposition’s voice against the killing of eight people in Birbhum.

    Other BJP leaders also attacked the TMC.

    BJP general secretary C T Ravi tweeted, “BJP MLAs were violently assaulted by unruly TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly.

    Mistake of Our MLAs? They asked for a discussion on the Birbhum massacre which was executed by TMC Goons.

    What is Mamata Benerjee trying to hide from the people? Does T in TMC stand for Taliban?” Unidentified people had on March 21 set ablaze 10 houses in Birbhum, killing at least eight people, including women and children.

    BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni alleged that murders and anarchy have again started under Banerjee’s rule in the state, and the TMC government violently attacks BJP MLAs instead of discussing the “Birbhum massacre”.

    “The TMC government, murderer of democracy, should be ashamed,” he said.

    Around 25 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari walked out of the West Bengal Assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.

    Five BJP MLAs, including Adhikari, were later suspended by Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for the entire year for their alleged unruly conduct in the House.

  • Mamata undermining people’s choice; failed to build consensus as Opposition’s PM nominee: BJP

    Banerjee said the victory in assembly elections in four states is not a true reflection of the people's mandate and accused the saffron camp of looting votes by using the election machinery.