Page 27 - Mamata Banerjee

'Turned country into jail': Mamata slams PM, questions arrest of Kejriwal

West Bengal Chief Minister slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of turning the country and democracy into a jail

Modi ki guarantee means putting Oppn leaders behind bars: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of taking action against the corrupt after June 4 meant that opposition leaders would be imprisoned post Lok Sabha elections. Results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1 will be announced on June 4. Addressing a rally at Bankura, the TMC chief alleged that the National Investigation Agency had gone to Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district without informing the local police. "The Prime Minister is coming to West Bengal to address election rallies. I have no issues with that. But the way he is saying that stern action will be taken against the opposition over corruption after the Lok Sabha poll results is unacceptable," she said. Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri on Sunday, had claimed that while he says "remove corruption", the opposition says "save the corrupt", promising more stringent action against the corrupt after June 4.

LS polls: BJP accuses Mamata of model code violation, files complaint

Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 16 after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls

Central agencies asking TMC leaders to join BJP or face action: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged the central investigating agencies were asking TMC leaders to either join the BJP or face action. Addressing an election rally in Purulia district, she alleged agencies such as the ED, CBI, NIA and the I-T Department were working as "arms" of the BJP. "Agencies such as the NIA, ED and CBI are being used to harass TMC leaders. They are carrying out raids without prior information, and barging into houses. What the women would do if someone entered their house when everyone was asleep in the dead of night?" she asked. Banerjee was referring to Saturday's incident in Bhupatinagar where a team of the NIA was attacked by a mob when it went to arrest two accused in a blast case. "The agencies are asking our leaders and activists to either join the BJP or face action," she alleged. Asking people not to fall for any provocation, Banerjee alleged the BJP was fanning communal passions during Ram Navami. The chief minister also ac

Attack on NIA team: Situation 'very serious', says Bengal Guv Bose

Describing the attack on NIA officers as a "very serious issue", West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said the matter should be treated with the "all seriousness that it deserves". He also said such an "attempt to bully the investigating agencies does not bring credit to anyone down the line" and the matter has to be dealt with an iron hand. "This is a very serious situation which has to be dealt with all the seriousness that it deserves. This kind of 'goondaism' should not be allowed. Muscle power should not replace legal power. This has to be dealt with an iron hand," Bose told PTI at the Raj Bhavan. A vehicle carrying NIA officials was on Saturday attacked by villagers in Purba Medinipur district's Bhupatinagar when they went there to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case.

NIA officials attacked villagers, not other way round, says CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday blamed NIA officials of attacking villagers at Bhupatinagar in East Midnapore district and not the other way round. She claimed that the probe agency team had gone to the houses of villagers in the early hours over an incident of "bursting of crackers in 2022". "The attack was not carried out by women of Bhupatinagar, it was by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)," she said at an election rally in South Dinajpur district's Balurghat. "Will the women sit back if they are attacked?" she said, adding that they had only protested after NIA officials went to some of their houses over the December 2022 incident. A vehicle carrying NIA officials was on Saturday attacked by villagers in Bhupatinagar, where they had gone to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case in which three persons were killed, police said. The investigation was later handed over to the NIA. The probe team arrested two persons in connection with the case and when th

Mamata's Trinamool is a carbon copy of CPIM: Tripura CM Manik Saha

Saha also slammed the opposition CPIM for 'shedding tears for democracy'

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi to address rally in Bengal's Cooch Behar today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally at Cooch Behar district in West Bengal on Thursday, his first public meeting in the eastern state since the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. Modi is scheduled to address the rally at Rash Mela grounds around 3.30 pm. I look forward to being among the people of Cooch Behar to address a @BJP4Bengal rally later today at around 3:30 PM. The people there have been greatly supportive of our development agenda and I am confident they will again place their faith in the BJP, the PM said in a post on X. The Cooch Behar constituency is gearing up for a fiery Lok Sabha campaign on Thursday, with back-to-back rallies by Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee is scheduled to speak at a rally in Cooch Behar around noon. The venues of Banerjee's public meeting and the PM's rally are about 30 km apart. The West Bengal Police have placed a multi-tier security cover at the venue and its surroundings ahead of two mega rallies in th

Amit Shah speaks to CMs of WB, Assam, Manipur after storm hits 3 states

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the chief ministers of West Bengal, Assam and Manipur in the wake of severe losses suffered by the three states due to a storm, and assured them of all possible central help. Shah also appealed to the BJP workers in the three states to provide every possible help to the affected people during this hour of distress. "Deeply concerned about the severe loss suffered by West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur due to a storm. Spoke to the Chief Ministers and assured them of all possible assistance. I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of the injured," he wrote on X. Four people died and over 100 were injured as a storm wreaked havoc in parts of Jalpaiguri district in northern West Bengal on Sunday, while a child died and two persons were reported missing after a boat capsized in the Brahmaputra in South Salmara-Mankachar district, amid heavy rain and hailstorm across Assam. There were a

LS polls: Challenge BJP to cross even 200 seats; won't allow CAA, says CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mocked the BJP's target of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged the saffron camp to win at least 200 constituencies. Banerjee also asserted that she won't allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state. She cautioned people that applying for CAA would turn an applicant into a foreigner and urged them not to apply for it. "The BJP is saying "400 paar", I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77," she said. "The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. We would allow neither CAA nor NRC in West Bengal," she said while addressing her first rally in the election season after her injury earlier this month. Banerjee, the TMC supremo, slammed the opposition bloc INDIA partners -- CPI(M) and Congress-- for "joining hands with the BJP" in West Bengal. "There is no INDIA alliance in W

Bengal education minister accuses Modi govt of holding back funds for SSM

West Bengal Education minister Bratya Basu has alleged that the Centre has not released the third instalment of the Sarva Shiksha Mission (SSM) for the state. Basu claimed in a social media post on Friday that the Centre is yet to send the amount as West Bengal has not signed MoU with the Centre on PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri School for Rising India) scheme. "Ministry of Finance and Internal Finance Division of Ministry of Education has cleared the release of the third instalment for West Bengal for the SSM. Still, the fund has not been released to our state. The unstated reason is that we have not signed the MoU with GoI on PM SHRI. It is completely unethical and illegal to link the release of funds of one scheme with a separate scheme," the senior TMC leader said in a post on X. Basu also wondered why should a scheme be named PM SHRI when the state is bearing 40 per cent of the share. This is nothing but petty politics, he alleged. Basu told reporters on Saturday "I haven't seen suc

LS polls: Notification issued for 2nd phase of polling in 3 Bengal seats

The Election Commission on Thursday issued notification for the second phase of polling in three parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal on April 26. Voting will take place in the Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat Lok Sabha constituencies in the second phase. "The notification for the three Lok Sabha constituencies going for polls in the second phase has been issued today," an EC official told PTI. The notable candidates in the second phase are BJP's West Bengal president and sitting MP from Balurghat, Sukanta Majumdar, who is pitted against TMC's Biplab Mitra. In the Darjeeling constituency, the TMC has nominated Gopal Lama against BJP MP Raju Bista. BJP's Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma, however, has announced that he would contest as an independent candidate against the party's official nominee from the Darjeeling seat. Sharma had earlier told PTI that he would remain within the BJP while contesting as an independent, and the party can take any disciplinary action it des

FIR lodged against BJP leader Dilip Ghosh for remarks against CM Mamata

He expressed regret for his remarks on Wednesday, acknowledging that both his party and the general public had reservations about his choice of words

Mahua Moitra to campaign in Bengal's Krishnanagar today, skip ED summons

TMC leader Mahua Moitra has said she will campaign in her Krishnanagar constituency on Thursday, giving a miss to the Enforcement Directorate summons that asked her to appear for questioning at the ED office in New Delhi. I will be out for campaigning in the Krishnangar constituency in the afternoon, she told reporters. The Enforcement Directorate had issued fresh summons to Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case. The 49-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was called for questioning twice earlier by the central agency, but she did not depose citing official work and sought deferment of the notice. Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for "unethical conduct", has been renominated by her party from West Bengal's Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided her premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on

BJP MP Dilip Ghosh apologises for his comments on CM Mamata Banerjee

BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said that wherever Mamata Banerjee goes, she calls herself the daughter of that state, and "she must identify her own father"

Ramakrishna mission chief Swami Smaranananda dies; PM Modi pays tribute

Ramakrishna Mission president Swami Smaranananda died on Tuesday night due to age-related ailments, doctors treating him said. Swami Smaranananda, 94, was the 16th president of Ramakrishna Mission, which was founded by Swami Vivekananda. "Srimat Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj, most revered President Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission attained Mahasamadhi today at 8.14 pm," said a statement issued by the organisation. The monk was admitted to the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan in Kolkata on January 29 with an existing urinary tract infection. He later developed respiratory failure for which he was put on a ventilator on March 3, doctors said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee paid rich tributes to Swami Smaranananda. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "He left an indelible mark on countless hearts and minds. His compassion and wisdom will continue to inspire generations." "I had a very close relationship with him over the years. I ..

LS elections: TMC complains against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh for violating MCC

TMC moved the Election Commission after the BJP MP from Medinipur constituency, Dilip Ghosh, made personal remarks about Mamata Banerjee's ancestry, calling it a violation of the model code of conduct

'BJP is frustrated in Bengal. It is losing': TMC responds to 'father' jab

TMC Sushmita Dev stated that BJP MP Dilip Ghosh's remarks against CM Mamata Banerjee went against Indian politics & traditions, and reflected the party's double standards when it came to women

TMC won't last till 2026 if BJP gets even one more seat than them: Sukanta

Exuding confidence in the party's prospects for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the TMC government will not complete its full term till 2026 if the saffron party gets even one more seat than the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Claiming that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is an ideological issue for Bengal BJP akin to the Ram Mandir issue for the central unit, Majumdar said the Act will help the party sweep the elections in the state. In an interview with PTI, Majumdar said the people of the state have decided to defeat the corrupt and anarchic TMC in the LS polls. "We have set a target of winning 35 seats from Bengal. We are confident about it. If we get even one more seat than that of the TMC, which we will get, the Mamata Banerjee government will not complete its full term till 2026. Its government would collapse," he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in April last year had set a target of winning 35 out of the 42 Lok Sabha

Several non-IPS officers holding SP positions in Bengal: Suvendu to EC

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday wrote to the Election Commission claiming that there are several non-IPS officers in West Bengal holding positions designated only for IPS officers, including that of superintendents of police (SPs). However, police denied these claims, describing them as "false and misleading." Adhikari, who is the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, cited a press note from the Election Commission dated March 21, 2024, directing state governments to promptly transfer non-encadred officers from their current roles as SP/SSP and submit a compliance report. He emphasised that the position of SP in the districts is specifically designated for IPS officers. "As per the Press Note No. ECI/PN/29/2024; dated 21.03.2024 the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued directive to all respective State Governments instructing them to promptly transfer non-encadred Officers from their current roles as SP/SSP, with immediate effect, and submit a complianc