Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said the party will launch a bigger movement, in which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also participate, if a response from the Centre regarding the state's MGNREGA dues is not received by the end of this month. Addressing a meeting in South 24 Parganas district's Bishnupur, which falls under his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, the TMC national general secretary said, "People of West Bengal have worked for two years but have not received their wages under the scheme. I had asked people to choose between 'Paa Dhoro' (beg them) and 'Delhi Chalo' (march to Delhi) options to get their dues and they chose the latter." "Trains were cancelled at the last moment to prevent West Bengal's poor from reaching Delhi to fight for their rights. Permission for protests was also not granted," he said. Banerjee, while recalling the TMC's stir earlier this month over the issue, alleged that Union Minister of State for
Tibrewal further attacked Abhishek Banerjee, saying, "Abhishek Banerjee wants to do selective protest, now he is exhausted in just 5 days
The five-day dharna' staged by the TMC outside the Bengal Raj Bhavan ended Monday after Governor CV Amanda Bose met the party's leader Abhishek Banerjee and gave an assurance of fulfilling his solemn responsibility" by addressing the issue of MGNREGA dues to the state. Bose had already met a TMC delegation in Darjeeling on Saturday and followed it up with Monday's meeting at Raj Bhavan where Banerjee was present. The dharna was to press for payment of Bengal's claims for central funds on account of various schemes including MGNREGA and housing for the poor. Banerjee, however, threatened to relaunch the agitation under TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee's leadership on November 1 if a satisfactory response on non-payment of MGNREGA wages to workers was not received. The central government had earlier claimed that there were discrepancies in West Bengal's accounts for the scheme and hence payments had been delayed. According to officials at the Raj Bhavan, a TMC delegation led by Abhishek
The Trinamool Congress dubbed Governor C V Ananda Bose's decision to meet their party delegation on Monday as a triumph of Bengal's resilience, in the wake of the indefinite sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, which entered its fifth day, demanding clearance of the state dues under MGNREGA by the Centre. The TMC delegation, led by party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, is scheduled to meet the governor on Monday evening. According to sources at Raj Bhavan, Bose, who returned to the city on Sunday, has consented to the meeting with the TMC delegation on Monday at 4 pm. In an official statement, the TMC stated, "In response to our official mail dated October 7, Honourable Governor, West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose has granted an appointment on Monday, October 9 at 4 PM to the AITC delegation to be led by our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee." The TMC celebrated the development on social media, declaring it a victory and stating that the governor had finally "relented" an
The TMC party has been on a sit-in protest in front of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata since Thursday
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee announced an indefinite sit-in on Thursday in front of the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Bengal's governor CV Ananada Bose hours after he flew off to visit flood affected areas of North Bengal and then to Delhi. Banerjee announced the sit-in after thousands of party functionaries and its top leadership marched up to the British-era edifice to protest the alleged withholding of West Bengal's MGNREGA dues by the Centre. The huge show of strength brought traffic to a standstill in the heart of the busy metropolis. The march comes days after the party held a two-day protest programme in New Delhi to draw attention to the alleged delayed payment of dues towards the MGNREGA programme which guarantees 100 days of work to the poor and for a scheme which helps build houses for poor families. "We had sought a meeting with the Governor, but he did not grant us an audience. He has gone to North Bengal. It seems as if he regards us as bonded .
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summon to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. He has been asked to join the ED investigation on October 9, sources said.The ED had earlier summoned Banerjee on October 3. However, Banerjee did not appear at the ED office on that date, owing to the party's MGNREGA protests in Delhi on the same date.Banerjee alleged that it was a tactic used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government to squash the protests."The fight against the deprivation of WB and its rightful dues shall persist regardless of the obstacles. No force on Earth can hinder my dedication to fight for the people of WB and their fundamental rights. I'll b in Delhi joining the protest on Oct 2nd & 3rd. STOP ME IF U CAN!" Banerjee said in a post on 'X'.The TMC general secretary had also alleged that the ED was summoning on days when he had pre-announced public programs."Earlier this month, the ED summoned me on a day coinciding with .
The TMC, which plans to conduct protest programmes in New Delhi against the alleged withholding of state dues by the Centre on Monday, will simultaneously hold similar events in different parts of West Bengal, with live telecasts of the Delhi programme in various parts of the state. TMC MPs and state ministers will peacefully sit in at Rajghat on October 2, followed by a peaceful rally of MGNREGA job card holders in the national capital on the next day. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and other top leaders arrived in Delhi ahead of the planned protest against the alleged denial of MGNREGA and housing scheme funds to the Bengal government. "Just like the protest programme in New Delhi. We will also hold peaceful protest programmes, including live telecast of the Delhi programmes in various parts of the state," a senior TMC leader said. More than 50 busloads of TMC members and MGNREGA job card holders are expected to reach Delhi on Monday after the party alleged tha
Banerjee was summoned by the ED on October 3 in connection with the ongoing investigation into the cash-for-school job scam
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said that the fight against the deprivation of West Bengal and its rightful dues shall persist regardless of the obstacles
The ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday hailed a Calcutta High Court judgement granting relief to party leader Abhishek Banerjee, by ruling against coercive action by the Enforcement Directorate while conducting its probe into the state's school jobs scam. Opposition Congress and ruling CPI(M) reserved comments on Calcutta High Court's order about TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee but the TMC hailed the judgements. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The judgement shows the central agencies have been hounding and harassing Banerjee, as he is one of the key forces behind the battle against BJP's communal and hatred-filled brand of politics." "The court has restrained ED from harassing Abhishek further. He is helping in the probe and we know he will continue to assist the investigators. We all know real truth will come out," Ghosh said, adding TMC believes law will take its own course. Congress leader Adhir Choudhury told reporters Banerjee's trial continues and till he is acquitted by th
The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP for allegedly manipulating central probe agencies to meet its political interests and accused it of suffering from "Abhishek phobia" in the backdrop of the ED summoning its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee, considered number 2 in the TMC, on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata for questioning in connection with its probe into the school jobs scam in West Bengal. "The BJP has been using CBI and ED to serve its political interests. But they can't force us to surrender before them using central agencies. We have faith in the people. The BJP is suffering from Abhishek phobia as they have been unable to fight us politically," TMC MP and spokesperson Santanu Sen told PTI. Banerjee on Sunday posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he has been notified by the central probe agency to appear before it for questioning on September 13, when the first coordination committee meeting of the opposition .
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday urged people not to vote for the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls, claiming that the cost of one LPG cylinder will rise to Rs 3,000 if the saffron party wins. Banerjee asserted that if the opposition bloc INDIA comes to power in 2024, a cylinder would be priced at just Rs 500. "Do not cast a single vote for the BJP in 2024. If it wins the elections, the price of one gas cylinder will be hiked to Rs 3,000. However, if INDIA comes to power, the price will be slashed to Rs 500. This is our promise to you. We do not forget our promises," he said, speaking at a rally ahead of the Dhupguri bypoll in Jalpaiguri district on September 5. The central government had recently reduced the price of an LPG cylinder by Rs 200. A 14.2-kg cylinder in Kolkata earlier cost Rs 1,129. "I will urge you to vote for our candidate and ensure that the BJP nominee is defeated (in the bypoll) by a huge margin, so that he does not com
Centre has constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of 'one nation, one election'
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A parliamentary panel on Thursday began examining the three bills which seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the Evidence Act, with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla making a detailed presentation on various aspects of the proposed legislation. Home Minister Amit Shah had introduced the three bills- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill- in Lok Sabha during Parliament's Monsoon session, and the House had referred them to the standing committee. Sources said DMK member Dayanidhi Maran voiced his disapproval of the Hindi names given to the bill during the meeting and suggested that the committee should hold consultations with members of the bar at different states, noting that criminal trials are held in district-level courts. The committee should be visiting states to hear views of stake-holders, he said, drawing support from other opposition members like Derek O' Brien of the TMC, sources ..
As the 'backroom boys' convene to ensure constituents gather in Mumbai for the bloc's third summit, several trends have emerged since the inaugural meeting in Patna. ARCHIS MOHAN writes
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has termed the Jadavpur University incident "unfortunate" wherein an undergraduate student died last week and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the opposition parties for walking out from Parliament during the no-confidence motion and said his government has defeated the "negativity being spread" by them across the country. PM Modi, who virtually addressed the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal, criticised the ruling TMC for using "terror and threats" to intimidate the opposition in the state during the rural poll last month. "Only two days back, we had defeated the opposition's no-confidence motion in Parliament. We had also defeated the negativity being spread by them. The opposition parties didn't want voting as it would have exposed the cracks in their alliance. They ran away from the House," he said while addressing the programme. The no-confidence motion against the Modi government was defeated through a voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after opposition MPs staged a walkout. A no-confidence motion is a formal proposal moved by a member against the government