The Chhattisgarh

Tag: TMC

  • Mamata Banerjee Leaves NITI Aayog Meeting Midway, Claims, ‘My Mic Was Stopped..’ |

    New Delhi:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of the NITI Aayog on Saturday accused the centre of letting her speak. TMC leader alleged that her mic was stopped while she was speaking during the  NITI Aayog meeting.

    “…I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government,” Banerjee said.

     

    #WATCH | Delhi: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “…I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am… pic.twitter.com/53U8vuPDpZ
    — ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2024

     

    The Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, included all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers as its members. While many of the INDIA bloc leaders opposed it and did not attend the meeting.

    She further added that she was not allowed to speak for more than 5 minutes while people before her spoke for 10-20 minutes. 

    “…I said you (central government) should not discriminate against state governments. I wanted to speak but I was allowed to speak only for 5 minutes. People before me spoke for 10-20 minutes. I was the only one from the opposition who was participating but still, I was not allowed to speak. This is insulting,” she added.

  • Woman Thrashed On Street: West Bengal To Have Sharia Law? BJP Questions TMC Over ‘Muslim Rashtra’ Remark |

    The Opposition in West Bengal launched a scathing attack at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over a video clip of an alleged assault on a couple. Referring to the incident as ‘concerning’, Bharatiya Janata Party State President Sukanta Majumdar suggested that it signals the TMC’s trajectory towards establishing what he termed a governance model akin to ‘sharia law’ in West Bengal.

    The video clip shows the man beating a woman, who grimaced in pain. While a large crowd watched, the accused also struck a man with the stick. According to PTI, the attack followed a decision by a kangaroo court. 

    Referring to the incident as ‘concerning’, Majumdar in a post on ‘X’ wrote, “Statements from TMC’s Hamidul Rahaman referring to a ‘Muslim Rashtra’ and discussing punishments under ‘certain rules’ are deeply concerning. Is TMC declaring West Bengal a state where Sharia law will be applied?” 

    The man in the clip is identified as Tajmul alias “JCB,” who is a local TMC leader from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district and is beating the couple with bamboo sticks. According to PTI, the attack followed a decision by a kangaroo court. 

    Statements from TMC’s Hamidul Rahaman referring to a ‘Muslim Rashtra’ and discussing punishments under ‘certain rules’ are deeply concerning.

    Is TMC declaring West Bengal a state where Sharia law will be applied?
    pic.twitter.com/ozzZOEQJNu


    — Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) June 30, 2024

    However, Zee News English cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. 

    After the clip went viral on social media, the West Bengal Police on Sunday registered a case over the incident and arrested Tajmul. 

    Denying TMC’s links with the alleged assaulter Tajmul, Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahman labelled the women’s activities as ‘unsocial.’ He said it was a village matter and not related to the party. 

    BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya shared the video on ‘X’ and said, “This is the ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal. The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly… is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman.” 

    Meanwhile, TMC district president Kaniyalal Agarwal attributed the incident to the couple’s supposed illicit relationship, which “was not well-received by the villagers.” He mentioned that the party would investigate the incident. 

    TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen condemned the incident while also noting that similar instances of kangaroo courts were prevalent during the Left Front regime. 

  • PM Modi Did Not Deliver ‘Guarantees’, 83% Youths Jobless In Country: TMC |

    Kolkata: Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantees on various issues had not been delivered, senior Trinamool Congress leader Amit Mitra on Sunday claimed that 83 per cent of jobless people in the country are youths.

    Mitra reiterated his party’s stand that the TMC is with the INDIA alliance, stating that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rebuff to senior party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and his retort is their internal matter.

    “Around 83 per cent of the jobless people in the country are young men and women,” Mitra, a former Finance minister of West Bengal in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, claimed at a press conference here.

    “Two-thirds of the educated young men and women are unemployed,” he said.

    Claiming that the Skill India programme of the NDA government for preparing skilled manpower has not borne the desired fruits, he alleged that only around 4 per cent of the country’s youth are getting vocational training.

    Alleging that PM Modi’s guarantees on various issues have not been delivered in actuality, he claimed “that 51 crimes against women are committed every hour in the country.”

    The former Finance minister of Bengal claimed that ‘household net financial savings’ in the country has reached the lowest point in 50 years.

    Claiming that the guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) was not being given to farmers for their produce, Mitra alleged that “30 farmers commit suicide every day.”

    He claimed that the external debt of the country has increased 100 per cent in the last ten years. “It has risen from Rs 3,65,000 crore ten years back to Rs 7,48,000 crore in the 2022-23 financial year,” he said.

    Mitra claimed that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has stopped funds to the state after the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC won the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls with a huge number of seats.

    “We have not received a single Rupee under MNREGA and Awas Yojana because they lost in 2021,” he said, asking whether this was “the Prime Minister’s guarantee.”

    Stating that more than 2.15 crore women of Bengal have been financially empowered under the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, Mitra said that now the BJP is also speaking of increasing the money to women by Rs 100.

    Mitra reiterated the party’s stand that the TMC is with the opposition INDIA alliance, stating that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rebuff to senior party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and his retort is their internal matter.

    “As far as Trinamool Congress is concerned, we were with the INDIA alliance as one of the founders, we are there and we will be in it, this is Mamata Banerjee’s position,” he said. The TMC had earlier accused Chowdhury of being a stumbling block in the alliance in the state.

     

  • ‘We Are Not Safe…’: Mamata Banerjee Blames BJP For Threatening Her, Nephew Abhishek |

    New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made serious accusations against the BJP, claiming that she and her nephew, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, are being targeted and feel threatened. She said, “The BJP is targeting me and Abhishek; we are not safe.”  

    These allegations came a day after a statement by the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who hinted that there would be a “big explosion on Monday that will shake the TMC and its top brass,” reported PTI.  

    “But we are also not afraid of the saffron party’s conspiracy. We urge everyone to be on guard against a conspiracy against TMC leaders and the people of West Bengal,” she said at a rally in support of party candidate and state minister Biplab Mitra for the Balurghat Lok Sabha seat in Kumarganj.  

    In response to Adhikari’s remark, the TMC leader conveyed that there is an individual who has aligned with the BJP purportedly to safeguard his family and acquire assets. She asserted that his suggestion of instigating a “chocolate bomb explosion” was regarded with disdain by her party.  

    She emphasised that the party would expose the irregularities in the PM Care Fund and the unfulfilled promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh into each citizen’s bank account. She accused him of disseminating misinformation.  

    Banerjee further commented on the alteration in the colour scheme of the Doordarshan logo, indicating that all of these were done to suit the party’s agenda during he election. She said, “Why did the DD logo suddenly turn saffron? Why were the official residences of army personnel painted in saffron? Why was the uniform of police in Kashi (Varanasi) changed to saffron?” It represents yet another instance of the BJP’s authoritarian governance. Should they regain power, future elections may cease to exist, she added. 

  • NIA Team Probing Medinipur Blast Case Stopped By Protesters In West Bengal, Car Vandalised |

    Kolkata: In a distressing repetition of past events, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) encountered stiff resistance in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, while conducting investigations related to a blast case on Saturday. The latest incident is reminiscent of a similar attack on the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) team in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas where the officers were besieged and allegedly assaulted during a raid linked to an alleged food scam.

    According to sources within the NIA, the team dispatched to Purba Medinipur faced hostility during their probe into the blast case. Reports indicate that the vehicle transporting the NIA officers was targeted and vandalized amidst efforts to apprehend a suspect connected to the ongoing investigation.

    A video footage circulating on social media purportedly depicts residents gathering around the NIA vehicle, attempting to obstruct the apprehension of the suspect. The situation escalated as villagers resorted to pelting the vehicle with stones, further escalating tensions.

     

    #WATCH | West Bengal: NIA officers had to face protesters in Sandeshkhali while they were carrying out an investigation in connection with the Bhupatinagar, East Medinipur blast case. People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them.… pic.twitter.com/UVoAO6uuPQ
    — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024

     

    Sandeshkhali, situated within the Sundarbans, has become a focal point of political discourse following allegations of sexual abuse and land encroachment against suspended TMC politician Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. The recent remarks by the Calcutta High Court condemning the events in Sandeshkhali also underscored the gravity of the situation.

    Earlier this year, Shahjahan Sheikh, the suspended TMC leader, triggered a political storm when an ED team conducting a raid at his residence in connection with a ration scam was met with mob violence. This incident came as a grim reminder of the escalating tensions and recurring confrontations in the region.

  • TMC Files Complaint Against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh’s ‘Derogatory And Offensive’ Remark Against CM Mamata Banerjee |

    New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The complaint alleged that the former BJP state president made derogatory and offensive remarks about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

    Reacting to Dilip Ghosh’s controversial remark on Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress termed the former BJP state chief a disgrace in the name of a political leader. In a statement posted on X, the official handle of Trinamool criticised the BJP leader, “From challenging the lineage of Maa Durga to now questioning the ancestry of Mamata Banerjee, he has wallowed in the filthiest depths of moral bankruptcy.”  

     

    .@DilipGhoshBJP is a disgrace in the name of political leadership!

    From challenging the lineage of Maa Durga to now questioning the ancestry of Smt. @MamataOfficial, he has wallowed in the filthiest depths of moral bankruptcy.

    One thing is crystal clear: Ghosh has ZERO RESPECT… pic.twitter.com/25uvaDPXsi
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 26, 2024

     

    Addressing media during his campaign trail, the BJP MP said, “Didi goes to Goa and says, ‘I am Goa’s daughter’, then goes to Tripura and says, ‘I am Tripura’s daughter’. Decide who your father is? It is not good to be just anybody’s daughter,” he said on the camera. 

    The TMC said that Ghosh has zero respect for women of Bengal. “One thing is crystal clear: Ghosh has ZERO RESPECT for the women of Bengal, whether it be the revered goddess of Hinduism or the only woman Chief Minister of India,” said the ruling party.

    This criticism echoes a previous controversy surrounding Dilip Ghosh’s remarks on Goddess Durga in 2021, where he questioned Maa Durga’s lineage. “Lord Ram was an emperor. Some consider him an avatar. We know the names of his ancestors. Do we know the same about Durga?” Ghosh said.

    Meanwhile, BJP released the list of 19 candidates for Bengal. BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat, who is a resident of Sandeshkhali. It was she who first raised the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali.

  • BJP’s Saumitra Khan vs TMC’s Sujata Mondal: Bengal’s Bishnupur LS Seat To See Contest Between Former Couple |

    New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal, has announced its candidates for all the 42 parliamentary seats in the state for the upcoming 2024 general elections. One of the most interesting contests is in the Bishnupur constituency, where the TMC has pitted Sujata Mondal against her former husband and the incumbent BJP MP, Saumitra Khan. The couple, who once campaigned together, are now bitter rivals in the political arena.

    How Couple Drifted Apart

    Saumitra Khan and Sujata Mondal were married for several years, but their relationship soured due to ideological differences. According to sources, they had disagreements over political issues, which led to personal conflicts. Eventually, they decided to part ways and live separately. Their divorce was finalized in 2020, after which Sujata Mondal joined the TMC, leaving behind her husband and his party, the BJP.

    The Battle For Bishnupur

    The BJP has re-nominated Saumitra Khan as its candidate from Bishnupur, a seat that he won in 2019 with a comfortable margin. However, he will face a tough challenge from his ex-wife, who has been given the ticket by the TMC. In the 2019 elections, Sujata Mondal had supported her husband and canvassed for him door to door. But now, she will be seeking votes for herself and trying to defeat him. The irony is that the two will be campaigning against each other on the same turf.

    Sujata Mondal’s Rise In TMC

    Sujata Mondal, who was known as Saumitra Khan’s wife in politics, has carved a niche for herself in the TMC. She joined the party in 2020 and was soon given a ticket to contest the assembly elections from Arambagh. She lost the election, but not before accusing the BJP workers of attacking her with bricks and stones. She also courted controversy by making a derogatory remark about the scheduled caste community.

    Despite these setbacks, she rose in the ranks of the TMC and became the chief executive of the Bankura district council. She has now been entrusted with the responsibility of taking on her former husband in the Lok Sabha elections.

  • Mamata Banerjee To Hold Mega Public Rally, Announce First List Of TMC Candidates For L S Polls |

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, under attack from the BJP over recent incident of Sandeshkhali, is all set to address a massive rally in Kolkata’ Brigade Ground. The rally, where thousands of people gathered in support of the TMC, is also a show of strength by the fiery leader. During the rally, Banerjee is also likely to announce TMC’s first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This is the first time the party is declaring it list of candidates during a public meeting and the move can be perceived as Banerjee’s open challenge to the BJP and Congress. 

    The central focus of the rally is around the claimed retention of the state’s financial dues by the central government, a contentious matter that has been an important issue in state politics over the last two years. 

    TMC’s First List Today 

    According to the Trinamool Congress, CM Banerjee will declare the party’s nominees for all 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal. Visuals from the Brigade Ground showed a massive crowd at the rally where Abhishek Banerjee was also present. The TMC has already made it clear that it won’t form an alliance with the Congress or CPI, leaving the INDIA bloc’s Bengal aspirations in a lurch.  

    One Of A Kind Rally 

    TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced the rally named ‘Jana Garjan Sabha,’ from his ‘X’ handle. This is a one of a kind gathering featuring three platforms, including a cross ramp, making it viable for the speakers to reach closer to the public, while walking on the ramp. Mamata and Abhishek are among the primary speakers for the TMC. 

    Politics Over Years At Brigade Parade Ground 

    This marks the party’s inaugural large-scale gathering at the ground since the opposition meeting in January 2019, where leaders from 19 opposition parties were gathered united in a show of solidarity. Despite the TMC’s grassroots organisation, its seat count decreased from 34 to 22 in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP performed strongly, securing 18 seats in the state. 

    Since the 2021 assembly polls, the ruling party in the state has witnessed eight MLAs and two MPs switching sides to join the TMC. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Beginning Of Disintegration Of INDIA Bloc? AAP, TMC Decide To Go Solo; Congress Sends Peace Message |

    The Lok Sabha Election 2024 is just around three months away the fissures between the INDIA bloc are widening day by day. While the opposition bloc is yet to finalize its seat-sharing plan, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab have decided to go solo. According to reports, Congress wanted to contest around 10 seats in Bengal and 5-6 seats in Punjab but none of the parties – AAP and TMC – agreed. 

    Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. On the other hand, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that her party declared that the Trinamool Congress would fight alone in Bengal. “I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we will alone will defeat BJP.” 

    Banerjee claimed that she shared many suggestions with Congress but the grand old party rejected it and thus the TMC has taken this decision. The Bengal Chief Minister also claimed she had not been informed of Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal, contrary to claims by the Congress that they had invited INDIA bloc parties to join the Yatra. “They did not even bother to inform me that they would be coming to West Bengal as a matter of courtesy even though I am a part of the INDIA bloc. So there is no relation with me as far as Bengal is concerned” Mamata Banerjee said.

    Seeing the decision of the TMC and the AAP, Congress sent a message of peace. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that TMC is an important pillar of the INDIA alliance and the alliance cannot be imagined without Mamata Banerjee. “When the journey is long, there can be some speed breakers in the path, and there can be a red light as well, but that does not mean that we should stop the journey itself. The journey continues; we cross the speed breakers, and red lights turn green,” said Jairam Ramesh. He also said that the issues would be resolved soon and INDIA alliance would contest West Bengal standing united.

    RJD also tried to send a similar message. RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Manoj Jha claimed that the statement was given in some particular situation and said that INDIA parties will solve the conflict.