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The West Bengal government will launch a fresh inquiry into Mamata Banerjee's "false claims" of leg injury during the 2021 assembly poll campaign, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference at state secretariat Nabanna, Adhikari claimed Banerjee had faked her injury during the elections. "Mamata Banerjee faked her leg injury during campaigning in Nandigram in 2021. We have the medical report which stated that there was no evidence of fracture or dislocation. We will initiate an investigation into the matter," Adhikari said, while displaying Banerjee's medical report issued by the Bangur Institute of Neuroscience. "Her false allegation insulted the people of Nandigram. I will come out with more details after the MCC (model code of conduct) is lifted after October 9... Today, I am saying this in support of my claims made yesterday," he said. By-election will be held in Nandigram on October 6 and the results will be announced on October 9. Adhikar
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has assured the Indian Oil Corporation of facilitating land for its long-pending plans to develop a petrochemical complex alongside its refinery in Haldia. Noting that the expansion would require 175 acres of land, the chief minister on Monday said the Haldia Development Authority has already arranged 85 acres and the remaining could be facilitated through the Haldia Dock Complex of Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port. Adhikari said he has taken up the matter with the port authorities to ensure that the land is made available to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for its proposed expansion. An official said, "If this happens, then the IOC will send the project to the board for consideration." The state-owned oil major said it was considering an expansion at Haldia, which could include a chemical downstream project. The OC has for years sought the 175-acre parcel adjoining its Haldia refinery to expand its operations and develop downstream petrochemica
The Supreme Court on Monday said it has every reason to believe that the West Bengal Assembly speaker is "fully cognisant" of the apex court's order fixing a three-month time frame to decide the disqualification petition against 10 rebel TMC MLAs. The observations came from a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana during the hearing of a plea filed by Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction MLA Sohandeb Chattopadhyay. In his petition, Chattopadhyay sought direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide the disqualification petition filed against the rebel MLAs. "We have every reason to believe that the speaker is fully cognisant of the decision of this court and he will make an endeavour to take an appropriate decision within the time-frame fixed," the bench said while disposing of the plea. The top court noted that in this case, the three-month period would expire on October 10. Chattopadhyay had earlier approached Speaker Rathin Bose
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday mounted a strong defence of the Election Commission amid an escalating political row over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, blaming former CM Mamata Banerjee for the deletion of 27 lakh names and asserting that neither the BJP nor the poll panel could be held responsible for the exclusions. Addressing a press conference here, Adhikari also seized on Saturday's meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, saying the meeting and the subsequent statement issued by the poll panel made it clear that decisions relating to the SIR were not taken unilaterally by the CEC. Showing a photograph of the CEC and the two election commissioners sitting together, as released by the poll panel a day ago, the BJP leader said the meeting of the three proved that the decisions were taken collectively. The Election Commission said on Saturday that the June 24 ord
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Thursday announced that the conglomerate would invest more than Rs 1 lakh crore in West Bengal by 2035. Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation for a 2,000-bed hospital in the New Town area near Kolkata along with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Adani said the group would spend Rs 4,000 crore on the multi-speciality 'Adani Arogya Mandir', and the project would create 10,000 jobs. Adani Group investments in West Bengal will be in ports, logistics, power, roads and data centre, the industrialist added.
The Congress' Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan was sent to judicial custody till October 3 by a local court, a day after his arrest on multiple charges, including murder, that dates back 19 years. Pradhan was produced before the Haldia Subdivisional Court following his arrest on Friday. The West Bengal Police said Pradhan was arrested based on four pending arrest warrants for his alleged involvement in non-bailable cases related to rioting, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and criminal intimidation, which were filed during the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram. He was also booked under relevant sections of the Arms Act, police said. A counsel appearing for Pradhan said, "The court has remanded Milan Pradhan to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with the three warrants associated with cases in Nandigram police station. He will be produced before the Contai court on Monday in connection with the fourth warrant issued in cases registered with the ..
In a dramatic turn of events, Mamata Banerjee's party's Rejinagar by-election candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury on Saturday announced his withdrawal from the contest, only to retract his statement within a few hours, and assert he would be in the October 6 poll battle as per the wishes of the supremo. The development came a day after Banerjee's party's Nandigram by-election nominee Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Chowdhury, a former TMC MLA, told reporters in his Murshidabad home earlier in the day, "It is becoming difficult for me to motivate grassroots workers who have been facing regular harassment. Also, it is an onerous task to familiarise the electorate with the new 'footballer' symbol in such a short time. In this given situation, last night I informed Mamata di about my decision (not to contest)... Let's see," he said. However, hours later, Chowdhury, in another hurriedly convened press meet, said, "I will
The Election Commission has directed rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) not to use the party name and "Flowers and Grass symbol" during the West Bengal bypolls, and asked them to submit their preferred names and symbols by Friday morning. In its interim order issued on Thursday night, the Commission, after hearing leaders of the two factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, said the matter requires substantive determination by the poll body under provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968. "On due consideration of the totality of information available on record... the commission is of the opinion that there are two rival groups in the All India Trinamool Congress, one led by Ms. Mamata Banerjee and the other led by Shri Arup Roy," the interim order said. "Each group is now claiming to be the party, and therefore the matter requires a substantive determination by the Commission under Para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservatio
The West Bengal government aims to ensure that not a single eligible woman is deprived of the benefits of Annapurna Yojana, and it is working relentlessly towards achieving this goal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. Virtually addressing an 'Annapurna Divas' event organised by the West Bengal government, the prime minister said that solving every problem connected to the life cycle of mothers, sisters and daughters has been the priority of the BJP government. "Within a few days of forming our government in Bengal, work began on the Annapurna Yojana. Today, many women receive financial assistance directly into their bank accounts. "There are no middlemen and no 'cut money'. Our government aims to ensure that not a single eligible woman is deprived of the benefits of Annapurna Yojana. We are working relentlessly towards achieving this goal," Modi said. He added that work is also being done rapidly here for this purpose. The prime minister said that under the scheme, a
The West Bengal government on Saturday invited industrialists and business groups to invest in the state, asserting that the new government was working to create a conducive business environment through new policies and incentives. Speaking at a summit organised by a news channel, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government would soon unveil new industrial and land policies and amendments to the land ceiling Act, along with a package of incentives for investors, though he did not give a timeline or further details. Adhikari said industrialisation would help generate employment in the state, where, he claimed, a large number of educated youths were without jobs. He also claimed that nearly one crore migrant labourers from the state were currently working outside. "This is a truly patriotic government functioning properly. We are working on the industrial policy, the industrial land policy, the Land Ceiling Act, incentives and other investor-related measures. The roadmap is .