Page 5 - Mamata Banerjee

Mamata to be held accountable for inciting linguistic conflict: BJP

He argued that her reaction to the entire issue was 'misplaced and dangerously inflammatory', while adding that Delhi Police's letter does not describe Bangla as a 'Bangladeshi' language

Of migrants, mother tongue, and Mamata Banerjee's move in West Bengal

Ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, the CM is leading a bhasha andolan, alleging migrant harassment and invoking Bengali pride to counter the BJP's narrative

Mamata slams Delhi police for calling Bengali a Bangladeshi language

Mamata Banerjee called the act 'scandalous' and urged everyone to strongly protest against the government for disrespecting Bengali-speaking people

CM Mamata hikes Durga Puja grant to ₹1.1 lakh, waives taxes for committees

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hiked the Durga Puja grant to Rs 1.10 lakh for 40,000 committees, waived taxes, announced an 80 per cent electricity concession, drawing cheers from organisers and criticism from the opposition ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. Addressing a mega coordination meeting of Puja committees at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here, Banerjee said the enhanced financial assistance, up from Rs 85,000 last year, was a recognition of Durga Puja's cultural significance and its status as a UNESCO-recognised intangible heritage. Durga Puja is not just a religious celebration. It is the lifeline of Bengal's cultural identity, our praner utsab' (festival of the heart). We are proud that UNESCO has recognised this. It's our collective responsibility to preserve that glory, Banerjee told a packed audience of organisers and top bureaucrats. Along with the increased grant, Banerjee announced an 80 per cent concession on electricity bills for Puja pandals, a waiver of

WB govt drafts rules on women's safety ahead of RG Kar case 1st anniversary

In a bid to enhance the security of working women, especially those on night shifts, the West Bengal government has drafted a set of new rules, including the setting up of a mandatory complaint committee in an organisation and installation of CCTV cameras at workplaces, an official said on Thursday. According to the proposed rules, night shifts would not be mandatory for female employees of an entity, and an organisation has to ensure the safety of women even during their travel to and from its offices at night. The draft rules were introduced ahead of the completion of one year of the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital. "Altogether 22 issues have been identified in the draft rules. It has been stated that the night shift will be from 8 pm to 6 am, and at least 10 women, or one-third of the total shift workforce, whichever is higher, must be present together," the official told PTI. It also proposed to make provisions for resting areas and canteen

Mamata asks officials to ensure no harassment during voter roll revision

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday directed officials to ensure that people are not harassed in the name of electoral roll revision, even as she accused the BJP of targeting not just religious minorities, but also the poor and other backward classes (OBCs). Chairing an administrative review meeting at Bolpur in Birbhum district, Banerjee announced that a dedicated scheme will be launched to assist the alleged persecuted Bengali migrants who have returned from other states amidst rising cases of harassment. "The scheme must include provisions to help them return safely, issue ration and job cards, and provide temporary shelters to those without a place to stay," the chief minister said. Banerjee said the alleged "persecution" of Bengali-speaking migrants in various states is a "deliberate" and "politically motivated" act. "Not just religious minorities, the poor and OBCs are being targeted by them (the BJP). We must stand beside all persecuted Bengali migrants," sh

Staffers at border seek Bengal CM intervention to lift ban on jute imports

An organisation of clearing agents' staffers at Petrapole border checkpost has written a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her intervention to lift the Centre's ban on imports of jute products and garments from Bangladesh via land routes. The Petrapole Clearing Agents' Staff Welfare Association claimed that the trade flow at the border checkpost in North 24 Parganas district has been affected due to the restriction. It highlighted how the ban has disrupted trade flows and impacted the livelihoods of thousands who depend on the transactions via the critical India-Bangladesh integrated checkpost. "Import trade volumes have plummeted sharply after the restrictions were imposed. The number of import trucks and rakes handled at Petrapole fell to 1,654 in June, down from 3,886 in May 2025," association secretary Kartick Chakraborty told PTI. Unlike the current trends, the peak monthly figure was 4,900 in 2023, while average volumes typically remain above 3,500

Mamata warns BJP of backlash over harassment of Bengali-speaking people

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday for what, she called, its policy of harassing and mistreating Bengali-speaking people across the country and warned the saffron party of dire political consequences if it did not put an immediate stop to such actions. Banerjee also alleged that the ruling dispensation at the Centre was influencing the Election Commission of India to achieve its political ambitions across states. She was speaking at a public meeting after holding a protest march in rain-drenched Kolkata against the alleged torture of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. I will challenge the central government notices which were surreptitiously sent to BJP-ruled states to harass Bengali-speaking people and detain them at the slightest suspicion, the Trinamool Congress supremo alleged at the rally, which terminated at the Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata. I am ashamed and disheartened at the Centre and the BJP's attitude

West Bengal protest, Jio Black Rock gets Sebi’s approval, Israel's strike on Syria & more

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest in Kolkata against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

Mamata to lead protest on harassment of Bengali speakers in other states

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday over alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. The march will begin at College Square around 1 pm and conclude at Dharmatala in the heart of the city. Senior leaders of the party, including TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will join the march. With less than a year left for the assembly elections in West Bengal, the TMC is raising its pitch over what it alleges is a systematic pattern of linguistic profiling, unlawful detentions, and attempts to brand Bengali speakers as "illegal immigrants". "This is not a routine political event," state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said. "This is a battle to defend Bengal's honour, language and identity. If someone calls a Bengali a Bangladeshi, we will not take it lying down," she said. The TMC usually refrains from holding major public events in the run-up to its annual Shahid Dibas rally on July 21. But th

India offers help to restore Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh

The Indian government has offered to help restore the noted filmmaker's ancestral home in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging its preservation as a cultural landmark instead of being demolished

Mamata blames DVC water release for Bengal floods, cites Centre's neglect

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee blames DVC for repeated floods due to excess water release and accuses the Centre of neglecting Bengal's flood management and relief needs

After Singur, a new chapter unfolds in Tata Group-West Bengal saga

A meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran has rekindled hopes of fresh investments by the group in the state that goes to polls next year

Comeback after Singur: Tata Chairman Chandrasekaran calls on Mamata

The meeting marks the first between Tata Group's chairman and Mamata Banerjee, signalling renewed engagement and deeper investment intent in West Bengal

Mamata seeks Niti Aayog's apology on misrepresented West Bengal map

The West Bengal CM said that the issue raised legitimate concerns about the rigor and reliability of Niti Aayog's work

Mamata slams NITI Aayog for map error showing Bihar as West Bengal

The error, found in the "Summary Report for the State of West Bengal" published on NITI Aayog's website, incorrectly depicted the territory of Bihar in place of West Bengal

Will reveal names of TMC leaders causing chaos on college campuses: Suvendu

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that he would release the names of 50 leaders of the TMC's students' wing who are allegedly targeting pupils, specifically women, like Monojit Mishra, the prime accused in the rape case at a law college in south Kolkata. Adhikari alleged that all these leaders belong to the 'bhaipo (nephew) gang', an apparent reference to TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee. "This is one of the main factors why I left the TMC in 2020. I was not ready to tolerate their excesses," he said. "I will release on Tuesday afternoon the names of at least 50 members of 'bhaipo gang' who are running havoc on the campuses," he said. Adhikari announced that on August 9, the first anniversary of the rape and murder of the RG Kar hospital doctor, three rallies would be organised and all of them will converge at state secretariat Nabanna in Howrah, demanding justice from the government. "The parents of

Bengal govt to keep air ambulance in Digha during Rath Yatra on July 5

The West Bengal government has decided to keep an air ambulance in Digha during the return car festival of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, an official said. The decision to keep an air ambulance in Digha during the 'Ulto Rath Yatra' (return car festival) of Lord Jagannath was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Wednesday, he said. "A helicopter has been asked to be deployed on the day of Ulto Rath on July 5. The helicopter operating agency has already been informed. The air ambulance will be kept on standby from noon on July 4. This arrangement is to avoid any delay in bringing someone sick to a hospital in Kolkata," he said. The state government is expecting a huge turnout of people during the return car festival of Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Digha on July 5, the official added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the first 'Rath Yatra' from the newly constructed Jagannath temple in the coastal town of Digha on

Law college gang rape: BJP's 4 member 'fact-finding team' reaches Kolkata

A four-member 'fact-finding team' constituted by the BJP in connection with the recent gang rape at a law college in Kolkata arrived in the eastern metropolis on Monday morning. The members of the team include former Union ministers Satpal Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi and MPs Biplab Kumar Deb and Manan Kumar Mishra. "Despite being run by a woman chief minister, West Bengal is witnessing one ghastly incident after another in colleges and medical colleges in the state," Deb told reporters after arriving at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here. "Women are not safe in West Bengal... even a law student is not safe," he added. Deb alleged that the team did not receive permission to visit the South Calcutta Law College, or for an audience with the chief secretary. Deb said the team will later submit a report to BJP national president J P Nadda.

Another shocking gang-rape case reported in Kolkata: Who are the accused?

Another shocking gang-rape case has emerged from Kolkata, nearly 10 months after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.