Page 4 - Tmc

Centre running away from issues raised by Opposition: TMC's Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Leader Derek O'Brien on Sunday accused the Centre of "running away" from issues raised by the Opposition, and alleged that it would continue to "mock" Parliament for the remaining Monsoon session. The remarks came in a post on X, as Parliament is set to resume on Monday, after a short break on account of Independence Day and other festivals. "Skittish Modi coalition keeps running away every Session from discussing issues of urgent national importance raised by Opposition," the TMC leader said. "Prediction: for last four days of this Session, government will continue to mock Parliament," he said. "This is Parliament, not Mann Ki Baat," he added, jibing at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio broadcast. On the Election Commission, the TMC leader told PTI, "The institution is working hard to firmly establish itself as the branch office of the BJP." All Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the ongoing Special Intensive Revisio

TMC accuses EC of shameless role in denying voters their democratic rights

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of compromising its constitutional neutrality and attempting to undermine the voting rights of genuine citizens of West Bengal. Addressing a press conference before leaving for Delhi to attend a dinner at Rahul Gandhi's residence for a joint strategy on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and discuss fielding a joint candidate for the VP election, Banerjee said, "The EC also needs to understand and realise that it is an impartial, unbiased organisation and it has to operate within the ambit of the Constitution." The TMC MP went on to accuse the poll body of playing an "active and shameless role" in denying legitimate voters their democratic rights. "Now the EC has taken a shameless role to snatch the voting rights of genuine voters," he alleged. "Yesterday, I saw a report that a residential certificate had been issued under the n

Abhishek Banerjee warns TMC workers over performance, flags NRC, SIR risks

Setting the course of the party's roadmap ahead of 2026 assembly polls, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday issued a blunt warning to underperforming booth-level functionaries and mounted a fierce attack on the BJP and the Election Commission over the alleged exclusion of Bengali-speaking voters from electoral rolls. In a high-stakes virtual meeting with party leaders, Banerjee said booth presidents who fail to deliver will be replaced, and those indulging in politics of self-interest will face serious disciplinary backlashes. If you can't take responsibility, step aside, Banerjee was quoted as saying by a party insider who attended the meeting. A three-time MP from Diamond Harbour and Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek, who is widely seen as the de facto No. 2 in the party, was on Monday named the TMC Lok Sabha leader. According to several TMC leaders present at the closed-door virtual meet, Banerjee said, This election is not just about votes, it's about .

Abhishek Banerjee named TMC leader in Lok Sabha, replaces Bandopadhyay

The TMC on Monday named its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as its leader in the Lok Sabha, according to party sources. Banerjee, a three-time MP from Diamond Harbour, will replace veteran lawmaker from Kolkata Uttar Sudip Bandopadhyay, they said. Bandopadhyay was relieved of the responsibility because of his poor health, they added. The decision was taken at a virtual meeting of TMC MPs, chaired by party chief Mamata Banerjee. Party lawmakers from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were present in the meeting, sources said. Banerjee is the nephew of the West Bengal chief minister. The TMC, which has 29 seats in the Lok Sabha, is a key constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc.

TMC's Kalyan Banerjee quits as LS chief whip amid row with Mahua Moitra

Senior Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Monday resigned as the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha alleging that he was being blamed unfairly for lack of coordination among MPs even as some barely attend Parliament. The move came hours after a virtual meeting of TMC MPs chaired by party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where she reportedly expressed her displeasure over poor coordination in the party's parliamentary wing. "I have quit as the party's chief whip in Lok Sabha as 'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee) said during the virtual meeting that there is a lack of coordination among party MPs. So the blame is on me. Hence, I have decided to step down," Banerjee told a news channel. The four-time MP from Sreerampur, who is also a senior advocate, said he felt humiliated that the party was not holding those responsible for indiscipline and poor attendance to account, but instead making him the fall guy. "Those whom Mamata Banerjee made MPs don't even come to Lok

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

India should not engage with Pak in any sphere, says Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress National general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said that India must not engage with Pakistan in any sphere and the only engagement with that country should be on the battlefield. In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP said that for decades, Pakistan has exported terror, bled India, causing irreparable loss to Indian lives and families. "India must not engage with Pakistan in any sphere. The only engagement we should have with Pakistan is on the battlefield, and the only prize worth winning is Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir", he said in the post. Banerjee said, "For decades, Pakistan has exported terror, bled our nation by causing irreparable loss to Indian lives and families. And yet, every now and then, we hear calls to keep politics out of sport. No! This has to stop", he added. The TMC MP said that when a nation wages a proxy war, there is no neutral ground. "There is no cricket pitch wise enough to wash off the blood of our martyrs", .

Govt helpline, task forces: Bengal steps up migrant distress response

With reports of Bengali-speaking migrant workers allegedly being detained and harassed in several Indian states triggering outrage, the West Bengal government and the ruling TMC have launched a multi-layered initiative to tackle the crisis with a blend of administrative urgency and political outreach. In what officials and TMC leaders call a "coordinated and calibrated" approach, the government has rolled out a WhatsApp-only helpline, reactivated district-level migrant welfare cells, and empowered grassroots-level TMC task forces across migration-prone districts to serve as first responders and grievance redressal units. "The approach is two-pronged. On one hand, the government has launched helplines and activated its administrative machinery to contact officials in other states, while on the other, the party has established multi-layered coordination teams, ranging from the grassroots to the district levels. Our workers are constantly in touch with families of migrants, especially i

Suvendu Adhikari claims 1.25 cr illegal voters in Bengal, TMC dares proof

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday claimed that there are 1.25 crore illegal immigrants in the voters' list of West Bengal, and all of them will be sent back following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the rolls. Addressing a programme in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari maintained that Hindus who migrated due to religious persecution need not be worried about the exercise. "If around 50 lakh names were excluded in Bihar, Bengal could have as many as 1.25 crore such names. All Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal will be pushed back after the SIR," he said. "No one will be able to save the chief minister this time. All the looting and corruption will come to an end. The instances of false voting will reduce. Those who used to cast false votes will be weeded out," he added. Adhikari "warned" government officers to act with integrity, and said district-level officers who fail to do so will be in trouble. The ruling TMC rejected his comments as ...

Centre calls death penalty clause in Aparajita Bill 'excessively harsh'

The Bill proposes enhancement of punishment for rape from the existing minimum of 10 years under the BNS to life imprisonment for the remainder of one's life or death

Will send BJP to detention camps post 2026 assembly polls: TMC's Abhishek

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday tore into the BJP, branding it a 'Bangla-Birodhi' party, alleging that it wants to send Bengalis to detention camps. He also claimed that after the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls, it is the BJP that will be electorally "sent to detention camps and wiped out" from the state. The BJP wants to take Bengalis to detention camps. I want to tell them clearly after the 2026 elections, it is you whom we will send to the detention camps, the TMC national general secretary said, addressing TMC's Martyrs' Day rally. Claiming that the BJP is a Bangla-Birodhi party (anti-Bengal party), Banerjee alleged that it has consistently targeted Bengalis for speaking their mother tongue. Just because we speak Bengali, we are being targeted. Why doesn't the BJP take action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his continuous attacks on the Bengali language? It shows their true colours, he asked. Banerjee said that if required, TMC MPs would speak in Benga

PM accuses TMC of shielding culprits of RG Kar doctor rape-murder case

PM Narendra Modi said in his Durgapur speech that the 'daughters in West Bengal' are facing injustice under the rule of the TMC government

PM to visit Bengal amid migrant row, launch ₹5K cr projects, address rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on Friday afternoon to address a BJP rally in Durgapur and unveil infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,000 crore. The visit comes in a politically charged backdrop marked by TMC's outcry over alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants in several BJP-ruled states. This will be Modi's first visit to the state after Samik Bhattacharya was appointed the new Bengal BJP president earlier this month. "West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule. People are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development. Tomorrow, 18th July, will be addressing a @BJP4Bengal rally in Durgapur. Do join!" the PM posted on X on Thursday night. With West Bengal slated to go to the polls next year, the PM's visit is being seen as a high-voltage political manoeuvre by the BJP to consolidate its position in the state. It comes just days before Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's annual Marty

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

Delhi court discharges TMC's Sagarika Ghose, 9 others in ECI protest case

A Delhi court on Thursday discharged 10 TMC leaders, including Derek O'Brien, Sagarika Ghose and Saket Gokhale, in a case linked to a protest outside the Election Commission of India last year despite prohibitory orders being in place. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal passed the order of discharge. A detailed order is awaited. Earlier on May 13, the court had granted bail to the accused persons. On April 30, it granted exemption from personal appearance to the accused persons, except Vivek Gupta The court had summoned the accused persons on April 21 while taking congisance of the chargesheet. The TMC leaders held the protest against central probe agencies CBI, NIA, ED and the Income Tax Department in April last year. A 10-member delegation of the TMC had announced the protest after meeting a full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to press their demand. The party alleged the central probe agencies were targeting opposition parties at the behest of th

Lakshmi Puri defamation case: Delhi HC refuses to accept Gokhale's apology

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to accept the written apology of TMC MP Saket Gokhale in a case over his alleged defamatory utterances against former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri. A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Renu Bhatnagar was dealing with Gokhale's appeal against a single judge's July 1, 2024 verdict restraining the TMC leader from publishing further on social media or any online platform against Puri. The single judge also directed him to apologise to her and pay Rs 50 lakh in damages. The division bench said the contents of his affidavit couldn't be taken on record while asking Gokhale's counsel to withdraw the apology and file a fresh one. "This is not done you first withdraw this affidavit, then we will hear you," the bench told the counsel. The court said there was a difference in the two apologies' -- the one directed to be published by the single judge and the one filed by Gokhale. The matter would be heard on July 22. Senior advocate Amit Sibal, ...

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

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.