Page 39 - Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee to attend next opposition meet in Bengaluru on July 17-18

According to sources, eight new parties have extended their support to the Opposition parties' efforts to present a united front against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Hubris in West Bengal

Party-sponsored violence must

Happenings in West Bengal under CM Banerjee frightening: Digvijaya Singh

Against the backdrop of violence in Panchayat polls in West Bengal, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday said the happenings under the watch of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are frightening and unpardonable. What is happening in Panchayat Polls in Bengal is frightening. I have been an admirer of Mamata of her grit and determination but what is happening is unpardonable. We know you bravely faced a similar situation in the CPM rule but what is happening now is not good for our Democracy, Digvijaya Singh tweeted on Monday morning. Notably, comments of Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, came amid efforts by the Opposition to form a united bloc to take on BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. On June 23, Opposition parties, including Congress and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, met in Patna. That meeting was attended by Banerjee, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi among others. Polling was held on Saturday in West Bengal in more than 61,000 booths for the

Bengal Panchayat polls: No info received on sensitive booths, says BSF DIG

BSF informed that the State Election Commission has set up a total of 61,636 polling booths to conduct elections for 3317 Gram Panchayats

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Tomatoes to cumin: Soaring prices put pressure on kitchen bills

The hike in prices will continue as the supply remains affected, claimed those in the business

BJP has pitted communities in Manipur, which led to riots: Mamata Banerjee

She said this while virtually addressing party workers in Birbhum on Monday

Bengal Guv visits violence-hit Dinhata, meets oppn ahead of rural polls

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the violence-hit areas of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district and met the family members of a man who was killed during an incident of firing on June 27 ahead of the panchayat elections, an official said. The governor also visited a hospital in Cooch Behar where the injured in clashes are undergoing treatment. Bose is on a trip to the northern districts of the state. Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik met the governor at the circuit house in the district. Bose also talked to candidates and leaders of the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP, who voiced their concern over alleged incidents of violence in Cooch Behar ahead of the July 8 rural polls. One man was killed and four others were injured in the incident of firing during a clash between two groups of people at Dinhata on Tuesday morning. At least four people were detained for their alleged involvement in the killing ahead of the panchayat

'TMC will organise sit-in in New Delhi to press for demand to clear dues'

Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee said the party will organise a sit-in in New Delhi to press for the demand to clear financial dues of the state. Addressing a panchayat election rally in Nadia district on Tuesday, Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said the BJP government has stopped giving funds under the MGNREGA scheme which has 11.36 lakh beneficiaries in the state. "The BJP-led Centre has halted funds under Awas Yojana and 100-day work scheme. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him to release the funds. Following this, the TMC MPs met Union Minister Giriraj Singh to request the same, but nothing moved forward," he said. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA) aims to enhance the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year. Banerjee said the only way left was to go to Delhi and fight for the rights of

Bengal Panchayat polls: BJP only gives assurance, says Mamata Banerjee

The Chief Minister said that the state government is focusing on road connectivity so that people can go reach their destinations in a short time

Bengal witnessing 'death of democracy' under Mamata Banerjee: Tejasvi Surya

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of organising street violence to secure electoral victories, saying the eastern state is witnessing the "death of democracy" under her leadership. Surya, who is also the chief of BJP Yuva Morcha, alleged that right after the conclusion of Assembly polls in West Bengal, Banerjee went on a spree of targeted violence against the BJP workers. "The high court took cognizance of this unprecedented violence. Even now, we are seeing in panchayat elections...how the West Bengal government is resisting the deployment of central forces,' he told reporters here after the conclusion of a public meeting organised by the youth wing of Jammu and Kashmir BJP. "What is happening in West Bengal is the death of democracy under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Even the Supreme Court and the high court have taken cognizance of it," Surya said. The BJP leader said that she (Banerjee) only knows how to win elections through

BJP at Centre for 6 more months, Lok Sabha polls in Feb-Mar 2024: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the BJP-led government at the Centre will last for six more months as the Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next. Addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri district for the July 8 panchayat polls, Banerjee said the BSF must work impartially as the BJP "may not be in power tomorrow". "The next Lok Sabha polls will be held in FebruaryMarch. The tenure of the BJP government is just around six months. Sensing defeat, it is trying to lobby with various groups and communities," she claimed. The last Lok Sabha election was held in April-May 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath for the second consecutive term on May 30, 2019. Taking a swipe at the BJP for reaching out to the minority community, the TMC boss said those who are accused of lynching minorities and Dalits are now sharing pictures with the minorities. "They are now sharing pictures with Muslim community members to show how much they care about them. T

CM Mamata's helicopter makes emergency landing near Siliguri due to weather

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's helicopter made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri on Tuesday afternoon due to bad weather, officials said. Banerjee was on the way to the Bagdogra airport after addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri when her helicopter ran into bad weather while flying over the Baikunthapur forest, they said. "It was raining very heavily here, and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing," an official told PTI. After the incident, it was decided that Banerjee will travel by road to the Bagdogra airport, and then fly back to Kolkata, he said. The chief minister was touring parts of northern West Bengal to campaign for the panchayat elections, the polling for which will be held on July 8.

BJP at Centre for 6 more months, Lok Sabha polls in Feb-Mar 2024: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led government at the Centre will last for six more months as the Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next year. Addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri district for the panchayat elections, Banerjee said the BSF must work impartially as the BJP "may not be in power tomorrow". "The next Lok Sabha polls will be held in FebruaryMarch next year. The tenure of the BJP government is just six months. Sensing defeat, the BJP is not trying to lobby various groups and communities," she claimed. The last Lok Sabha elections were held in April-May 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking oath for the second consecutive term on May 30, 2019. From the rally, Banerjee also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs and jobs for the kin of those killed allegedly in firing by the BSF at the border areas. "I am not accusing all BSF officials, they guard our borders. But BSF must act impartially as BJP may not be in po

BSF trashes Mamata's allegations of scaring voters in border areas

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BSF of intimidating voters in bordering areas on behalf of the BJP, prompting a strong denial from the border-guarding force, which dubbed the allegation as "far from the truth". Banerjee also asked the police to closely watch its activities while criticising the BSF for "shooting innocent villagers". "I have information that in the run-up to the panchayat election, some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening people and forcing them not to vote. I urge the voters to fearlessly participate in the polls," she said at a rally here. Referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the border force had claimed as smugglers, the CM said, "Police will lodge FIRs in such cases, and the law will take its own course. They don't have the right to shoot and kill anyone. It seems killing people in Cooch Behar has become a norm. No one is above the law. In a statement, the BSF Guwahati ...

Cal HC sets aside probe order into tampering with rural poll nominations

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday set aside a single bench direction to the CBI to probe into an allegation of tampering with documents and misrepresenting information provided in nomination papers of two panchayat poll candidates in Howrah district. The court, however, directed the West Bengal police to inquire into the matter under the supervision of a one-man commission of Justice (retd) Debiprosad Dey. The order of the division bench presided by Justice Arijit Banerjee came on an appeal by the state government challenging the direction of the single bench for CBI investigation. The police were directed by the division bench to file a report on the enquiry after three weeks before the single judge, before whom the petition was initially moved. Panchayat elections, however, are scheduled to be held in West Bengal on July 8. Justice Amrita Sinha had on June 21 directed the CBI to probe the allegations by July 5 and to file a report before the court on July 7.

BSF trying to scare voters in bordering areas: CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BSF of scaring voters in the bordering areas of the state at the behest of the saffron camp and asked the police administration to keep a close watch on their activities. "I have information that in the run up to the panchayat election, some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and forcing them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared of their tactics and fearlessly participate in the elections," she told an election rally in the bordering district. While referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the border force claimed as smugglers, Banerjee said, "Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course." "They don't have the right to shoot and kill anyone. No one is above the law; it seems killing people in Cooch Behar district has become a norm," she said. She asserted "law and order is a state subject" and the Centre has no role i

Trying Oppn unity but Cong, CPI(M) singing different tunes in WB: Mamata

Days after the mega opposition meeting in Patna, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the role of CPI (M) and Congress, saying despite her efforts to form a grand opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre, their actions as playing second fiddle to the saffron camp in the state are throwing a spanner in the efforts. Drawing the battle lines, opposition parties on Friday resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting, even as fissures emerged with the AAP asserting that it would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in future till the Congress publicly supports it on the ordinance issues. Over 32 leaders, including Banerjee, of more than a dozen political parties, had attended the meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna. "We are trying to form a grand alliance (Mahajot) against the BJP at the Centre. But the CPI (M) and Congress are trying to work with the BJP in Bengal. I will brea

BSF trying to scare voters in Bengal's bordering areas: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BSF of scaring voters in the bordering areas of the state at the "behest of the saffron camp" and asked police to keep a close watch on their activities. Addressing a panchayat election rally in the bordering district, Banerjee said, Law and order is a state subject and the Centre has no role in it. I have information that some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and asking them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared and fearlessly participate in the elections, she said. While referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the force claimed as smugglers, Banerjee said, Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course. Asserting that the TMC will defeat the BJP in the July 8 rural polls, Banerjee said, We will then defeat the BJP at the Centre and bring a development-oriented government in the country. Banerjee said the party had

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