Page 25 - Mamata Banerjee

Modi govt wants country without dalits, backward communities: WB CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to marginalise the SCs, STs, and OBCs. Speaking at a rally in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra at Tehatta in Nadia district, Banerjee criticised the BJP government's 'falsehoods' about citizenship benefits for marginalised communities, warning that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) could jeopardise the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the constitution. But rest assured, we will not let it happen," Banerjee said. The TMC chief said for the past 10 years, the BJP has been spreading lies about Matuas and other backward castes getting citizenship through the CAA, which is a ploy to take away one's already existing bona fide citizenship rights and deport them to concentration camps. The ..

HC satisfied with CBI probe in Sandeshkhali, allows NHRC to be party

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the progress of the CBI's probe into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. The court permitted the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to be added as a party to the case, following its application. Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, along with Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, reviewed the CBI's report and granted the agency's request to keep the details confidential. The court had on April 10 directed the CBI to probe the allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and directed it to file a progress report on Thursday. The court, which is monitoring the investigation, had also directed the central agency to probe alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into waterbodies for pisciculture after conducting a thorough inspection of revenue records and physical inspection of land alleged to have been converted. Holding that its presence will assi

TMC knew about school jobs scam before 2021 assembly polls: Kunal Ghosh

After his removal from the post of the TMC's West Bengal general secretary, Kunal Ghosh claimed that the party was aware of the school recruitment scam even before the 2021 assembly polls. The damaging statement from Ghosh, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, came amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as the SSC scam has escalated into a significant issue in the polls. Ghosh was removed from the post hours after he shared a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate and praised him on Wednesday. "The party was well aware of the fact that large-scale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls," he said in an interview with Bengali news channel ABP Ananda. Ghosh, who has been seeking more prominence for next-generation leaders and has been at loggerheads with the old guards in the TMC, said it was due to this "information about large-scale ...

Mamata raises concern over rise in voter turnout, questions EVM credibility

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised the Election Commission for the "delay" in releasing the final voter turnout figures for the initial two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. She also expressed concern over the sudden increase in polling percentages during those phases. Addressing two back-to-back rallies in minority-dominated Malda and Murshidabad districts, Banerjee accused the Centre of neglecting the state as it has a high percentage of minority and backward communities. The commission made public the voter turnout of the first two phases of polling, which were held on April 19 and April 26, on Tuesday evening. According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. "The EC gave a figure of polling percentage immediately after the elections. But yesterday, I came to know about the sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75 per cent, which is worryi

Congress, TMC critique EC over delay in sharing phase 1, 2 voting data

The Congress, CPI(M) and the TMC on Tuesday criticised the Election Commission over the delay in publishing the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. The commission in the evening made public the voter turnout of the first and second phases of polling held on April 19 and April 26. Voting for the general elections is being held in seven phases, the remaining are on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. "Finally, ECI (Election Commission of India) has put out the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases which are substantially, not marginally as is normal, higher than the initial figures," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on X. "But why are the absolute numbers of voters in each parliamentary constituency not put out? Percentages are meaningless unless this figure is known," he said. Yechury alleged that apprehensions of manipulation of resul

LS polls highlights: Congress does not want to include Lingayat, Maratha into OBC list, says PM Modi

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Mamata skipped Ram temple event to not offend her vote bank: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not attend the Ram temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya, as she was afraid of offending her infiltrator vote bank. Shah, while addressing a rally at Memari in Purba Bardhaman district, said this Lok Sabha election is about deciding whether people want "parivar raj or Ram rajya" in the country. "Mamata Banerjee and the TMC leaders didn't attend the Ram Mandir consecration programme, as she was afraid that infiltrators, who are her party's vote bank, might get offended," he said. Shah also alleged that the TMC wanted to "protect the Sandeshkhali culprits", but the BJP will punish them. "This election is also about deciding whether you want the nephew (TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee) as chief minister of Bengal or Narendra Modi as prime minister of India. Mamata Banerjee and her nephew can torture BJP workers as much as they want, but TMC's defeat is imminent," the home minister said.

Will Mamata Banerjee win polls by threatening people, asks BJP Prez Nadda

BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday asked if West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to win the Lok Sabha elections by scaring and threatening people as he hit out at her government over the seizure of arms and ammunition by the CBI in Sandeshkhali. In a statement, he expressed confidence that the BJP will win over 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and conveyed his party's solidarity with the Sandeshkhali women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by former Trinamool Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates. Sheikh, now suspended from the TMC, is in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody and is also accused of land grab by locals. The CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two premises of an associate of Sheikh. The searches were conducted in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team by a mob that was allegedly instigated by ...

CBI 'might have brought' seized arms in Sandeshkhali, alleges CM Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said there was "no evidence" of arms seizure in Sandeshkhali, asserting that CBI teams conducted searches without informing the state police. She expressed skepticism regarding the operations, stating that the recovered items "might have been brought by officials of the central agency". Even if a firecracker goes off in Bengal, the NIA, CBI, NSG are coming to investigate. It seems that a war is going on. The state police were not informed. It is not known what was found. There was no evidence. The seized items might have been brought by them (CBI) in a car," Banerjee said here. She was addressing an election rally for TMC's Asansol Lok Sabha candidate Shatrughan Sinha. The CBI on Friday seized arms and ammunition, including a police service revolver and foreign-made firearms, during searches at two premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali, officials said. The searches were conducted

BJP's Ghosh faces crucial battle for survival in Bardhaman-Durgapur seat

In the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency, a region known for altering political allegiance in every election, BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh faces a pivotal challenge to overturn this pattern and secure his political future. Since its establishment in 2009, Bardhaman-Durgapur has sent CPI(M), TMC and BJP representatives once each to the Lok Sabha in the three previous polls. In 2019, BJP's S S Ahluwalia clinched the seat from the TMC by a narrow margin of approximately 3,000 votes, marking it as a challenging battleground for the saffron party. With the odds stacked up, the BJP is placing its faith in Ghosh, widely regarded as one of its most successful state presidents, to retain its foothold in the region. Political analysts believe that Ghosh's relocation from his previous Medinipur constituency, coupled with his removal from the post of party's national vice-president, have turned the Bardhaman-Durgapur contest into a critical test of both prestige and political survival for

Supreme Court adjourns hearing on WB govt's suit against CBI probe to May 1

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till May 1 the hearing on a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal government that has accused the CBI of going ahead with its probe in post-poll violence cases without securing the prerequisite nod from the state. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought adjournment, saying he has to appear before a nine-judge Constitution bench. "I know I have sought adjournments on quite a few occasions, but today my turn is coming before Constitution bench. It is not within my control," Mehta told the bench. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the West Bengal government. The West Bengal government has filed an original suit in the apex court against the Centre under Article 131 of the Constitution, alleging that the CBI has been filing FIRs and proceeding with its investigation, despite the state having withdrawn the general consent to the federal agency to probe cases within its ...

LS polls highlights: 'My mother sacrificed her mangalsutra for India', says Priyanka Gandhi amid row

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LS polls highlights: BJP's Mukesh Dalal set to get elected unopposed from Surat

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LS polls: Panic in BJP camp after sensing defeat in phase 1, claims Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the BJP is in panic mode after sensing defeat in the first phase of polling last week and asserted that the rout of the saffron camp across the country is imminent. Addressing a rally in Raiganj, Banerjee described the controversy surrounding Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, where women have accused TMC leaders of sexual abuse, as a "pre-planned ploy" by the BJP to malign the state government at a time when the Lok Sabha polls are underway. "Fear and panic have gripped the BJP. After the first phase of polling in nearly 100 seats across the country, they have sensed defeat. That is why they are making baseless statements. The rout of the saffron camp is only a matter of time," she said.

LS polls: BJP targeting me, Abhishek; we are not safe, says CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged that the BJP is targeting her and her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and they do not feel safe. Her allegation came a day after the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that there would be a "big explosion on Monday which would shake the TMC and its top brass. "The BJP is targeting me and Abhishek, we are not safe, 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. The TMC supremo was addressing an election rally at Kumarganj in Balurghat Lok Sabha seat in favour of party candidate and state minister Biplab Mitra. Responding to Adhikari's remark, the TMC supremo said, "There is a traitor who joined the BJP to protect his family and ill-gotten wealth. Let me tell him, his threat to trigger a chocolate bomb explosion is treated with contempt by ...

Lawlessness prevailing in West Bengal under Mamata's rule: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday alleged that lawlessness was prevailing in West Bengal under the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation. He said that despite the state having a woman chief minister, incidents like Sandeshkhali were taking place. "There is lawlessness in West Bengal under the Mamata Banerjee dispensation," Singh said, addressing an election rally here in Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency in favour of BJP candidate Gouri Shankar Ghosh. He also said that people across the world were ashamed over the allegations of atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. Some local TMC leaders have been accused of committing sexual atrocities on women as well as grabbing land of villagers, including tribals, at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. "Goons are ruling the roost here and people are afraid," Singh claimed.

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CBI team visits Sandeshkhali to probe alleged crimes against women

A 10-member team of the CBI on Saturday visited Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district to probe alleged crimes against women and land-grabbing, an official said. One part of the team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited houses of the victims in Sundarikhali area of Sandeshkhali and spoke to them individually, documenting their allegations, he said. Another part of the team visited Sandeshkhali Police Station and spoke with local policemen regarding the investigation. "We are in Sandeshkhali to speak to villagers in connection with crimes against women and land-grabbing. We are noting down their allegations," the official told PTI. The Calcutta High Court last week ordered a CBI investigation into allegations of crimes against women and land-grabbing in Sandeshkhali, which had witnessed protests over the issues. The court directed the CBI to investigate the allegations and submit a comprehensive report to it. Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials

LS polls: High turnout in first phase in Bengal raises hope for BJP, TMC

Both ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP hoped that the high turnout of 77 per cent recorded in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in three constituencies in northern West Bengal will be in their favour. While the TMC exuded confidence that despite the BJP "terrorising" its activists, it will win by massive margins, the saffron party said that the "strong arm tactics" of the ruling party in the state failed under watchful eyes of central forces people "ignored intimidation and threats of TMC leaders". Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee said, "A large number of women voted in the three seats of north Bengal. This shows people, particularly women, have not been misled by the false propaganda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He alleged that the BJP did not find polling agents in all booths in Alipurduars. BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said "strongarm tactics" of TMC leaders have been countered by ordinary people, including women. "The high voting percenta

Lok Sabha elections 2024: First phase of voting in West Bengal begins

Polling in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal's Cooch Behar, Alipurduars and Jalpaiguri seats began on Friday, an Election Commission official said. Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding 56.26 lakh electors are eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 37 candidates, including Union minister and BJP leader Nisith Pramanik, are in the fray in the three constituencies. Voting is taking place at 5,814 polling stations, of which 2,043 are in Cooch Behar, 1,904 in Jalpaiguri and 1,867 in Alipurduars. All three seats are reserved, with Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri for SCs and Alipurduars for STs. The poll body has declared 746 polling stations as sensitive, including 391 in Jalpaiguri, 196 in Cooch Behar and 159 in Alipurduars. The EC has deployed 112 companies of central forces (one company comprises 100 personnel) and 4,500 state police personnel in Cooch Behar, which is more than the other two constituencies that have rem