News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal

  • Bharat Bandh: Left parties, Congress block roads, rail in West Bengal 

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Left activists blocked roads and railway tracks across West Bengal on Monday in support of the Bharat Bandh, while normal life remained largely unaffected in the state.

    Markets and shops were opened as usual, while public transport operated almost normally, except for a few hitches.

    Government and private offices registered usual attendance. Educational institutions are shut in state the due to the COVID-related restrictions.

    ALSO READ | 25 trains affected due to Bharat Bandh: Railways

    In Kolkata, CPI(M) members blocked roads at College Street, Jadavpur and Shyambazar Five-Point Crossing but were swiftly removed by the police.

    Road blockades were held in most of the major towns and cities in the state, including in district headquarters of Jalpaiguri, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Hooghly and Coochbehar.

    The Left activists blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur in Eastern Railway’s Sealdah division. Reports of rail blockades from the Howrah division also came in.

    At several locations, Congress activists also joined the protesters, demanding repeal of the three farm laws.

    The ruling Trinamool Congress stayed away from the 12-hour bandh, but it supported the demands of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha which is spearheading the agitation.

    There was no report of any untoward incident, a police officer said.

    ALSO READ | Bharat Bandh: RJD, Congress, Left parties block highways, rail in Bihar 

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by Parliament in September last year.

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the ‘mandi’ and the MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers’ income.

  • Centre did not let me to go to Rome global peace meet out of ‘jealousy’: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said the Centre had disallowed her attendance at a global peace meet in Rome, where she was the only invitee from the country, “out of jealousy”.

    The ministry of external affairs in a one-line communique, which reached the secretariat during the day said the “event is not commensurate for (attendance at) the level of chief minister,” a secretariat official said.

    The Trinamool Congress supremo said at an election meeting at Bhabanipur where she is contesting by-polls to be held on September 30, that she had been invited to Rome in the first week of October to attend a global peace meeting in which the Pope, other religious heads, dignitaries from various countries are slated to attend, where she would have been the only Indian and “only Hindu lady.”

    However, she claimed a “jealous BJP did not allow that, which only lowered the esteem for India in the outside world”.

    Banerjee contrasted her trip’s disallowance by the central government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi going ahead with his trip to the US “with special permission”, despite the World Health Organisation not approving Covaccine, with which the PM had been vaccinated.

    She also hit out at the BJP government for the death of two protestors in police firing during an eviction drive against settlers allegedly on government in Darra ng.

    “There was inhuman torture in Assam in the name of eviction. There was firing and bloodshed of innocent people but no NHRC team visited that state. NHRC teams visits only Bengal frequently. It is a matter of shame,” she said.

    Alleging that “goonda Raj” prevails in BJP-ruled Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, Banerjee said TMC delegations are prevented, harassed and come under attack in those states.

    “We don’t say anything about BJP leaders who keep visiting and peddling falsehood in West Bengal as free movement is everyone’s democratic right,” she said.

    Banerjee flagged the floating of bodies of alleged COVID-19 victims in the Ganges as a failure of the UP government and pointed to selective deletion of names of tens of lakhs of people in the exercise to create a National Register of Citizens in Assam.

    “It (deletion of names in the final NRC) shows the anti-people nature of BJP. In contrast we have already said there will be no NRC in Bengal,” the TMC supremo said.

    She also accused the opposition BJP of fomenting trouble in Bhabanipur, where she is a candidate in the by-poll.

    “BJP only carries on ‘goondagiri’ (violent or thuggish behaviour), peddles false propaganda. Please foil their game plan,” Banerjee said.

    Listing the acheivements of the TMC government, the chief minister claimed that Bengal occupies number one position in respect of vaccination against COVID-19 and in the education sector.

    The TMC supremo said no processions are being taken out by her party in the campaigning in Bhabanipur as directed by the Election Commission in an oblique hint that the BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal is not adhering to the norms.

    She also criticised the spike in fuel prices and sale of PSUs and urged the people to defeat the “anti-people and pro-rich BJP”.

  • Lakhs of crores of rupees donated to PM-CARES, where is that money, asks Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Slamming the Centre over its assertion that PM-CARES was not a government fund, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday stated that complete transparency should be maintained in the transactions made with the money collected by the trust.

    The PM-CARES FUND bears our national emblem, but the central government has insisted that it is not a government fund, “leaving us all confused”, the CM said, tongue in cheek.

    “The Chief Minister Relief Fund is regularly audited. PM CARES FUND was formed for COVID-19, but yesterday they (Centre) told the court that it is not a government fund.  Government employees have donated money there, funds through CSR have been donated there, lakhs of crores of rupees have been donated. So where is that money?” she fumed.

    The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that the PM CARES Fund is not a government fund as donations to it do not go to the Consolidated Fund of India, and no third party information can be parted with irrespective of its status under the Constitution and the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

    An affidavit filed by an Under-Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), who is discharging his functions in the PM Cares Trust on honorary basis, has said that the trust functions with transparency and its funds are audited by an auditor — a chartered accountant drawn from the panel prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

    Banerjee, during her campaign in bypoll-bound Bhabanipur constituency, also hit out at the BJP-led Union government over the Pegagus snooping scandal, claiming that the country’s opposition leaders were being spied on.

    “It has been proven that the Union government snoops on opposition leaders; our phones are tapped. The Centre bought this software from Israel to snoop on us. No one can speak out against them. If you speak out, efforts will be made to intimidate you by using (central) agencies,” she claimed.

    The TMC boss further criticised the state unit of the saffron party for “carrying out a demonstration” near her residence on Thursday with the body of a BJP worker.

    “Yesterday, BJP leaders staged a protest outside my residence over the death of a BJP worker. That BJP worker died a natural death, and they are claiming that he died during violence. We won’t tolerate such hooliganism. If they think they can protest outside my residence with a dead body, we, too, can do the same outside their homes with the carcass of a dog.

    “We can teach them a lesson in the language they understand,” she said.

    The CM maintained that her fight against the “demonic BJP” would continue till it is ousted from power, and after winning the Bhabanipur by-poll, the party would take its battle to other states.

    Banerjee, who is contesting the September 30 by-poll from the Bhabanipur seat to retain her chief minister’s chair, claimed that destiny had this plan in store for her.

    “People want me to be a representative from this seat and continue as the state’s chief minister,” said the feisty TMC leader, who lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram during the April-May Assembly polls.

    Banerjee has to get elected to legislature by November 5, in conformity with the constitutional provisions, to continue as the chief minister.

    Shortly after the poll results were announced in May, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhabanipur Sovandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.

    A resident of Bhabanipur, Banerjee had won the seat twice in 2011 and 2016 but shifted to Nandigram, where the anti-farmland acquisition movement against the Left Front government had transformed her into a major political force in the volatile state, to dare her former protege and now BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on his home turf.

    Though she powered the TMC to a resounding win for a third straight term in office, the TMC boss failed to register victory in Nandigram.

    The CM has claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to hurt her and defeat her in Nandigram.

    She had suffered an injury on a leg during electioneering in the constituency.

    “If I speak about the conspiracy that was hatched to injure me and kill me, all of you will be shocked. I had to move around in a wheelchair for 1.5 months. But that did not stop me from hitting the campaign trail,” she said.

    The TMC supremo is pitted against BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal and Left Front’s Srijib Biswas in Bhabanipur.

    The Congress did not field any candidate for the bypoll.

  • Vote for TMC if you want me to continue as CM: Mamata Banerjee asks people

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Asserting that there is no dearth of leaders in her party who can become the chief minister of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress candidate Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged people to vote for her in the Bhabanipur by-poll if they want her to continue at the helm of the state government.

    Speaking at a public meeting for the September 30 by-election, the state chief minister asked the people of the Bhabanipur assembly constituency in south Kolkata to cast their votes even if it rains on the day of polling.

    Heavy rain has been occurring in the state for the last four months, Banerjee said.

    “My party has the majority. There is no dearth of people who can become the chief minister. But if you want me to continue, bless me with your votes…Even if cyclone or tornado comes, come and cast your vote,” she said addressing the gathering.

    The chief minister said allegations made by the BJP that she does not allow holding of Durga Puja or Laxmi puja in West Bengal were not true.

    “I want to ask the BJP to answer before asking for votes in Bhabanipur, why Section 144 (CrPC) has been imposed in Tripura, imposing restrictions on Durga puja, Navratri, Laxmi Puja celebrations there,” she said, asserting that she never does such things.

    The Tripura government recently informed the high court there that prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in the Sadar subdivision of West Tripura district, under which state capital Agartala falls, from September 21 till November 4 as part of the precautionary measure to prevent the third wave of the pandemic.

    The TMC postponed its proposed rally led by party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee after the court denied permission to hold it.

    The TMC supremo, who has been visiting temples, gurdwaras and mosques within the constituency since filing nomination papers for Bhabanipur, which has a mixed linguistic and religious demography, began her campaign on Thursday evening by offering obeisance at the Jain temple in Chakraberia.

    “India starts from Bhabanipur as B stands for Bhabanipur, Bharat Mata and Bharat Varsh,” she said.

    Stating that she had faced physical attacks while fighting the CPI(M) during its three-decade-long rule, Banerjee said she was injured during her campaign at Nandigram during the assembly election held earlier this year and was forced to canvass for the party on a wheelchair for one-and-a-half months.

    Banerjee had lost the election in Nandigram by a narrow margin to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, who is now the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly.

    The Nandigram election is however subject to an ongoing court challenge.

    The Bhabanipur seat was vacated by winning MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay to make way for his party leader.

    At the meeting, Banerjee said she had gone to fight from Nandigram in support of farmers who were demanding repeal of three farm laws enacted by the Centre.

    She said that it is good that she has got the opportunity to fight from Bhabanipur and that the chief minister will be from this constituency only.

    Referring to top national-level saffron party leaders campaigning in West Bengal during the eight-phase assembly elections, she said the BJP should remember that “daily passengers” will not help win elections here.

    “Nobody could think Trinamool Congress would win with such a huge margin, but I had a hunch of winning 221 seats,” she said, claiming that the number will soon be achieved with some of the BJP fence-sitters will join the ruling party.

    Banerjee said more than 99 per cent of the people of Bhabanipur have been vaccinated against Covid-19, while over 80 per cent of the eligible people of the entire city have been inoculated.

    She said one should look at the number of Covid-related deaths in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

    “Some say there are no correct figures (of coronavirus deaths) in Gujarat and its chief minister has been changed,” the TMC boss said, without elaborating on it.

    She alleged that bodies of many people who died of Covid were dumped in the river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that her government fished out those bodies in Malda and cremated them with due respect.

    “We hope that the predicted third wave (of the pandemic) does not strike, but our preparations to deal with it are complete,” Banerjee said.

  • Big leader from BJP will join TMC in a few days, says Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Senior Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim Thursday said a “big leader from BJP” is set to join TMC in a few days and claimed that the saffron party will disintegrate in the state.

    Hakim, who is on the campaign trail for TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the September 30 Bhabanipur by-poll, said the party is not inducing BJP leaders indiscriminately into its fold.

    Trinamool Congress is checking the antecedents, track record and image of each BJP leader who has made overtures to TMC leaders and is deciding on his/her appeal after due deliberation, Hakim, who is also a senior minister in Banerjee’s cabinet, said.

    The state has witnessed several switch overs to TMC from BJP since the April-May state poll in which it stormed back to power under Banerjee.

    “The process of returning has only started,” was Hakim’s cryptic reply when he was asked by reporters whether there would be more cross overs to TMC after the recent one by former union minister Babul Supriyo and BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy earlier.

    “Wait for a few more days. A big time BJP leader is all set to join our party. BJP will disintegrate in West Bengal,” he said but did not elaborate.

    Reacting to Hakim’s comments, BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said “TMC should think about ethics and ideology before trying to poach BJP leaders.

    “Those not interested in power and position, but love BJP will not leave,” he asserted.

    Newly appointed BJP state president Sumit Majumder appealed to disgruntled party leaders to discuss their grievances with their seniors and assured that he will be ever attentive to address their issues.

    “Don’t take any decision which will weaken the fight for people’s democratic rights in Bengal,” he appealed.

    Besides Babul Supriyo and Mukul Roy three BJP MLAs have also joined TMC.

  • BJP leaders queuing up outside TMC office, says MP Abhishek Banerjee

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Amid a series of defections from the TMC to the BJP in West Bengal, the national general secretary of the state’s ruling party, Abhishek Banerjee, on Thursday said if his organisation keeps its door ajar, the saffron camp will collapse in no time.

    Addressing a rally at Murshidabad district’s Samserganj constituency, where polls are set to be held on September 30, Banerjee claimed that BJP leaders, mostly MLAs, have been queuing up before the TMC office, the doors of which are shut.

    “We have kept the doors closed.If the doors are opened, the BJP will surely collapse,” he said.

    The Diamond Harbour MP further said that the Mamata Banerjee-led party, during the March-April Assembly polls, had driven “outsiders” away, and it would do so again in the upcoming polls.

    The TMC has often referred to the BJP as a “party of outsiders”.

    “These outsiders need to be taught a lesson again. The saffron party will be defeated in the upcoming elections. Wherever the BJP is in power, we will go there and dislodge the party,” he asserted.

    The MP also alleged that the BJP government in Tripura has imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to stop him from holding rallies in the neighbouring state.

    “How long will the order be in force in Tripura? The TMC will register victory in Tripura for sure.

    People will see what the TMC is capable of achieving in the next three months,” he added.

    Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Tripura in early 2023.

    The TMC has fielded Amirul Islam from Samserganj seat, where polls were earlier countermanded following the death of Congress candidate Rezaul Haque.

  • Contesting from Bhabanipur is my destiny, BJP bringing in outsiders to create disturbances: Mamata Banerjee

    Mamata Banerjee said contesting from Bhabanipur is her destiny and slammed BJP for bringing in outsiders to West Bengal.

  • TMC muzzling the voice of the people in Bengal: Sukanta Majumdar

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Newly appointed West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar Wednesday claimed that the ruling TMC in West Bengal is muzzling the voice of the people in an undemocratic manner.

    He said the people of the state are afraid to air their views openly in the TMC regime.

    Claiming that TMC does not want people to exercise their franchise, the BJP leader said he does not know the reason behind it.

    Majumdar, who was speaking to reporters, said “I will ask everyone to vote (in the coming assembly by-poll) without fear, in a free manner.

    Vote for whoever you like and don’t feel intimidated by any party,” Describing the death of Dhurjati Saha, the BJP candidate for Magrahat Poschim assembly seat at a city hospital on Wednesday as “unfortunate”, Majumdar said “We have information that he was attacked by TMC miscreants on May 2, which was the day of counting of the West Bengal assembly poll and resulted in his death.”

    He said, “This lowers the heads of the people of Bengal. A candidate had been attacked in Didi’s Bengal. This shows how opposition BJP activists and leaders are being attacked since the day of counting of the state assembly poll,” he said.

    On allegations of graft against TMC leaders in the smuggling of coal and sand and in distribution of relief after Cyclone Amphan, Majumdar said “TMC leaders are steeped in corruption everywhere, even in villages. They are demanding cut money for every project.”

    The Enforcement Directorate is sending “invitation letters” to some TMC leaders, the BJP leader said referring to summons to TMC heavyweights by the central agency in recent times but did not elaborate.

    On TMC MP Sougata Roy holding the Narendra Modi government responsible for skyrocketing fuel price, Majumdar said he should ask his party supremo (Banerjee) to bring petrol and diesel under GST.

    “If petrol and diesel are brought under GST, I am sure the price will be below Rs 70 for every litre.

    Why is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not issuing a one line statement announcing the same?” he added.

    In a dig at Roy, Majumdar said “An elderly leader like him was seen wading through knee deep water before his residence. It was such a sad sight. He should rather think about the ways to contain waterlogging.”

    To another question about the agitation by applicants to contractual teacher posts, he said that there has been largescale corruption in recruitment of teachers in Bengal.

  • ED’s plea to quash notices issued by police not maintainable: West Bengal government to Delhi HC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The West Bengal government Tuesday contended before the Delhi High Court that the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) plea seeking quashing of two notices issued against its officers pursuant to an FIR lodged by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is “not maintainable”.

    Due to paucity of time, Justice Yogesh Khanna could not hear the matter at length and listed the ED’s petition for hearing on September 24.

    ED has alleged that the West Bengal Police is acting at the behest of Banerjee, who “enjoys clout” in the state government, to derail the probe into an alleged coal pilferage scam.

    It has sought a direction to quash two notices issued against its officers pursuant to an FIR lodged by Banerjee in April.

    In April, on a complaint by the TMC MP, an FIR was lodged by local police in West Bengal under the Indian Penal Code for alleged commission of offences of forgery of records, forgery for purpose of harming reputation and defamation.

    During the brief hearing, senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing the West Bengal government, said the petition was not maintainable.

    He also submitted how can ED file a petition in Delhi High Court for a relief which relates to an FIR lodged in West Bengal.

    Additional Solicitor General S V Raju and advocate Amit Mahajan, appearing for ED, urged that there shall be no coercive steps taken against the ED officials till the next date of hearing.

    “Why should they be harassed and called to West Bengal,” the ED counsel said.

    Taking note of ED’s submission, the court orally said, “Mr.Luthra please see that nothing happens till the next date of hearing.”

    The ED has contended that the notices issued on July 22 and August 21, pursuant to the FIR are patently illegal, malafide and a “counter blast” to the investigation in the coal pilferage case.

    The ED, in its petition before the high court, said that in order to pressurise its officers probing the case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Banerjee, who is the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and under scanner in the case, lodged an FIR in April.

    ED has sought a direction to quash two notices issued against its officers and any other subsequent notices that may be issued in the FIR, saying that they amount to an abuse of process of law.

    “The notices will not stand scrutiny even for a minute,” Raju had earlier argued.

    The petition said that pursuant to this FIR, two notices were issued by the Sub Inspector, Special Cell (GS), DD of Kalighat Police Station, Kolkata to ED officers performing their statutory functions in the Headquarters in Delhi.

    The complainant in the instant FIR is a political heavy weight and enjoys clout in the West Bengal government.

    The West Bengal Police is acting at his behest to derail the investigation being carried out by Enforcement Directorate, the plea said.

    “It is pertinent to mention that the investigation into the illegal coal mining and the role of the complainant therein Abhishek Banerjee is being investigated by the Directorate of Enforcement in exercise of its statutory powers under PMLA in the Headquarters at New Delhi,” it added.

    The petition said that based on “reasonable belief and evidences”, the probe agency issued summons to Banerjee for his appearance on three occasions, out of which he appeared only once on September 6.

    “In order to pressurise the petitioners/ IOs investigating the case related to illegal coal mining, Abhishek Banerjee lodged an FIR on April 5, 2021, against a news channel and in furtherance of the same, notices have been issued to the IOs investigating the case of illegal coal mining by the West Bengal Police. The said FIR has been registered with a malafide intention to derail the investigation under PMLA being conducted by the Directorate of Enforcement,” the plea said.

    It alleged that the issuance of notices against ED officers is “malafide and with the oblique motive and intent at stifling the fair and impartial investigation being undertaken by Enforcement Directorate for unearthing large financial scams / frauds taking place in the State of West Bengal and the country”.

    It also claimed that the motive behind registration of the FIR and the subsequent issuance of notices is “only to harass the officers of the Directorate and to use the State Police Machinery to halt the investigation being conducted by the officers of the Directorate against highly placed persons in the State Government of West Bengal and their suspected role in the offence of money laundering”.

  • BJP will end culture of post-poll violence in West Bengal, says new-state party chief Sukanta Majumdar

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: Newly-appointed President of West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday assured that the party would end the culture of the post-poll violence in the state. He also assured justice to people killed in the violence that followed the Assembly polls.

    “Post-Poll violence was not a part of West Bengal’s culture, it has come from outside. We will get justice for the people killed in the post-poll violence. The BJP workers who were beaten up by the TMC goondas, I won’t say TMC workers. I have faith in the Indian judiciary that it will give them justice,” he said.

    “Violence has now become a part of the political culture of the state. Only BJP can end this. There is no violence in other states,” Majumdar added.

    Commenting on the upcoming bypolls for three assembly constituencies in Bhabanipur, Samserganj and Jangipur in West Bengal, and assured, “We will work as a team. We will perform better in upcoming elections, including panchayat, municipalities and Lok Sabha”.

    In August, Calcutta High Court ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in the state.

    The High Court also ordered to set up Special Investigation Teams (SIT) for investigation and senior officers from West Bengal cadre will be a part of the team and directed the state government to take immediate steps for compensation for the victims of post-poll violence.

    Soon after the results of assembly polls in Bengal on May 2 were declared, violent incidents were reported after supporters of TMC and BJP allegedly clashed in various parts of the state since May 2, killing many people and triggering an alleged exodus.

    A four-member team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs had also visited the post-poll violence-affected areas.