Page 20 - Mamata Banerjee

TMC requests govt to withdraw GST on health, medical insurance premiums

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Friday urged the government to withdraw the 18 per cent GST on life and medical insurance premiums. His demand comes amid several opposition leaders supporting senior BJP leader and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari request to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to withdraw the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the premiums. Soon after the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Bandyopadhyay raised the issue, saying taxing insurance premium is "anti-people". The government must withdraw it, the Kolkata Uttar MP said and the demand was backed members of the opposition INDIA bloc parties in the Lower House of Parliament. "The 18 per cent GST charged over life insurance premiums and medical insurance should be withdrawn. This GST is anti-people, it is adversely affecting the people of India," Bandyopadhyay said. "This proposal should be rolled back," he said. MPs from INDIA bloc parties TMC and DMK walked out of the House, alle

Mamata slams govt over series of train accidents post Jharkhand derailment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the central government over the series of train accidents and wondered whether there will be no end to Centre's callouseness. In a social media post, Banerjee wondered whether this is governance as the train accidents have become a regular affair. "Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah- Mumbai mail derails in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand today early morning, multiple deaths and huge number of injuries are the tragic consequences, " She posted on X. "I seriously ask: is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks: for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of Government of India?" she added. Two persons were killed and 20 others injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday, officials said. The accident occurred at 3.45 AM near

Treatment of West Bengal CM at NITI Aayog meet unacceptable: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said the treatment meted out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a NITI Aayog meeting here was "unacceptable". The opposition party's scathing criticism of the government think tank came after Banerjee walked out of the 9th Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, claiming she was unfairly stopped midway through her speech. The government rejected Banerjee's charges, saying the time allotted to her for speaking at the meeting was over. The Congress alleged the Niti Aayog has functioned as a "drumbeater" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was chairing the meeting, since it was set up 10 years ago. The meeting was boycotted by Congress party chief ministers over alleged discrimination against non-NDA-ruled states in the Union Budget. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Since it was established ten years ago, NITI Aayog has been an attached office of the PMO and has functioned as a drumbeater for the ...

Not national issue: Puri on CM Banerjee's allegation at NITI Aayog meeting

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday played down West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that her mike was turned off when she was speaking at the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi, stating that it was "not a national issue." Puri was speaking at a press conference here on the Union Budget, organised by the Gujarat BJP. Banerjee walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting claiming that her mike was muted five minutes after she started speaking. She claimed that other chief ministers were allowed to speak much longer. "I was not inside, and don't know how much time was given (for her to speak)," the Union minister told reporters when asked about the row. "But it is also said in Parliament that the mike has been turned off. It so happens that the mike is turned on when speaking. I do not know much about it. I have no idea how long she spoke. But I am certain that this is not a national issue, whether you spoke for 15 minutes or 18 minutes," he said.

BJP hits out at Mamata for walking out of NITI Aayog meet, calls it drama

The opposition BJP in West Bengal criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for walking out of the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, claiming that it was a "drama" aimed at reaping political dividends. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said it was a "weak script" prepared by Banerjee. "She was allowed due time at the NITI Aayog meeting. She did not go to the meeting for the economic benefit of the people of West Bengal but to reap political dividends and stage a drama by walking out," he claimed. "She portrayed herself as an opposition leader and not an administrator," he added. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya questioned why Banerjee attended the meeting in the first place when chief ministers of other INDIA bloc parties skipped it. "She was aware of the consequences. And her action again gives rise to the theory that she went to Delhi to have some understanding with Narendra Modi. People will realise the pretentiousness of the entire issue," he .

Mamata walks out of NITI Aayog meet, says not given adequate time to speak

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of a Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday and claimed that she was unfairly stopped midway in her speech, despite being the sole representative of the opposition. Government sources, however, rejected her claim and said her speaking time was over. Banerjee said her microphone was stopped after five minutes, while other chief ministers were allowed to speak for longer durations. "This is insulting. I will not attend any further meeting," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said. "I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The chief ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes," she told reporters after coming out of the meeting of chief ministers chaired by Modi. "This is unfair. From the opposition side, only I am representing here. I attended

Mamata Banerjee alleges unfair treatment, walks out of NITI Aayog meeting

The West Bengal chief minister said that despite being the only opposition member participating, she felt it was insulting that she was not allowed to speak longer

NITI Aayog meeting: Vision 2047 to Opposition boycott. All you need to know

The 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is facing boycott from several Opposition chief ministers over a 'biased' Union Budget

Scrap NITI Aayog, bring back Planning Commission: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

In Delhi to attend a NITI Aayog meeting on July 27, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the public policy think tank brought by the Modi government should be scrapped and the Planning Commission should be brought back. Banerjee, who is set to attend the NITI Aayog meeting even as most INDIA bloc chief ministers have decided to give it a miss, said she felt their voices should be raised on a common platform. "They (BJP) have formed the government but they don't have people's mandate. This is the first time after the BJP came in, since 2014, they have not formed the government as a single party. She said that because of their "compulsions", the BJP-ruled NDA has brought a "politically very biased budget" which "deprives" all opposition states. "I thought it is my duty to raise this voice at least on a common platform though I know the NITI Aayog has no financial powers," she said. "Since the NITI Aayog has been planned, I have not seen a single work being done

India gets formal note from Bangladesh over Mamata Banerjee's "shelter" remarks

Recently, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee commented at a rally on the violent clashes in Bangladesh that was neither received well by the Indian nor the Bangladesh government.

Budget 2024: From Chandrababu Naidu to Mamata Banerjee, here're CMs' views

Bengal has been completely deprived in this Union Budget, WB CM said

TMC leaders slam Budget as one for NDA, not India, says nothing for WB

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on Tuesday said the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha has nothing for West Bengal and called it a budget for the ruling NDA and not for India. "This is a 'kursi bachao budget' (budget to save the chair)," TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said. "This budget is aimed at saving (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's position. It is a budget for the NDA, not for India," he said. "Last time they gave so many projects to Odisha. Now they (BJP) have won (the Assembly polls in the state), so there is nothing for Odisha. There is also nothing for Bengal," Banerjee said. TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale alleged that there is an "open and shameless" discrimination against West Bengal in the budget. "Open and shameless discrimination yet again in this Union Budget. Union Govt excludes only Bengal from flood relief and reconstruction funds," he said in a post on X. "Giving funds to other states while intentionally ignoring and singling

Cal HC restrains Mamata from making defamatory statement against Guv

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday restrained West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and three others from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against Governor CV Ananda Bose in an interim order till August 14. Bose had moved a defamation suit against Banerjee, two newly-elected TMC MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar and party leader Kunal Ghosh. He also prayed for an interim order restraining them from making any further comment in connection with alleged incidents at Raj Bhavan. Speaking on an imbroglio over oath-taking of the two new MLAs, Banerjee had made certain comments, over which the governor moved the defamation suit before the high court.

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Trend across India against BJP: TMC chief Mamata on bypoll results

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the "trend across India is against the BJP" as shown by the bypoll results. The INDIA bloc parties won 10 assembly seats, while the BJP clinched two and an Independent one, as the votes were counted on Saturday for the by-elections held earlier this week in 13 seats in seven states. Banerjee, the TMC supremo, claimed that the NDA received 46 per cent votes, while INDIA constituents got 51 per cent vote share in the bypolls held in the 13 seats, including four in West Bengal, three in Himachal Pradesh, two in Uttarakhand, and one each in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Expressing gratitude to people for the TMC's win in all the four seats in West Bengal, Banerjee said the BJP has not fared well in bypolls in other states also, except in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. "The trend across India is against the BJP," she told reporters after arriving at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport her

After Uddhav, West Bengal CM Mamata meets Sharad Pawar during Mumbai visit

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday met Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar during her first visit to Mumbai after the declaration of Lok Sabha poll results more than a month ago. Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress, met Pawar at his residence 'Silver Oak' in south Mumbai. The Trinamool Congress leader, who is on a day-long visit to Mumbai, earlier met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence "Matoshree" in Bandra. The Trinamool Congress, the NCP (SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. This was Banerjee's first visit to Mumbai after the June 4 Lok Sabha results which saw the INDIA bloc putting up better-than-expected performance. In Maharashtra, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bagged 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, stunning the ruling Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Constituents of the MVA, including the Congress, are members of the INDIA alliance at ..

TMC, BJP ready for bypoll battle in 4 Bengal assembly seats on July 10

Four assembly seats in West Bengal are going for bypolls on Wednesday with the BJP seeking to leverage its Lok Sabha election leads in three of these segments to boost morale and the TMC aiming to capitalise on its recent electoral success. Three of the four constituencies - Maniktala in Kolkata, Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagdah in North 24 Parganas - are in south Bengal. The BJP bagged Ranaghat Dakshin and Bagdah seats in the 2021 assembly polls. The fourth, Raiganj, is in north Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district and was won by the saffron camp in the last assembly elections. The Maniktala seat was secured by the TMC in 2021 but it became vacant after former state minister Sadhan Pandey died in February 2022. Despite the BJP winning the other three seats in 2021, the MLAs later switched to the TMC. The Trinamool Congress nominated Supti Pandey, wife of the late party leader. Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj, Biswajit Das from Bagdah and Mukut Mani Adhikari from Ranaghat Dakshin resigned f

West Bengal flogging cases | What is a kangaroo court?

WB Governor had to cancel his trip to Chopra in West Bengal as the woman who was publicly flogged after a kangaroo court deemed her ‘guilty’ of an extramarital relationship, refused to meet him.

Hearing of defamation suit against Bengal CM adjourned till Thursday

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned till Thursday hearing of a defamation suit by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over alleged comments made by her and some other TMC leaders. The matter will appear for hearing on Thursday after Bose's lawyer makes necessary changes in the application. Claiming that baseless allegations were being made against the governor, Bose's lawyer also prayed for an interim injunction on further statements by the defendants in the defamation suit. Justice Krishna Rao noted that publications referred to in the suit have not been made party in it. The lawyer for Bose sought time to file a fresh application, incorporating necessary changes. Granting permission, the high court said the matter will be taken up for hearing on Thursday. Bose had filed a defamation case against Banerjee on June 28, a day after she claimed women complained to her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the ...

BJP seeks Mamata Banerjee's resignation over deterioration of law and order

The BJP called for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation on Monday over a "severe deterioration" in the state's law and order after a video of a man flogging a couple in public in West Bengal surfaced on social media. The man seen in the video beating up a couple with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, where the incident occurred following a kangaroo court decision. The accused, Tajmul alias JCB, was arrested. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia highlighted the flogging incident and questioned the chief minister's commitment to justice and governance. During a press conference, he condemned the act as a grave violation of dignity and fundamental rights and criticised Banerjee's silence. "It is a shame that she has not spoken a word on this. As a woman and a chief minister, she should be the first to come out and condemn this incident," Bhatia asserted. He also alleged that the perpetrator was a leader from Banerjee's