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West Bengal: SC grants bail to ex-TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh in CBI case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted regular bail to former Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in a CBI case linked to the West Bengal primary school recruitment scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it is not likely that the trial will be completed in the foreseeable near future in the case where Ghosh has been in custody for the past 19 months. Advocate MS Khan, appearing for Ghosh, submitted two orders of the trial court to buttress his argument that the trial will not be completed in the near future as the CBI is yet to file the final charge sheet in the case. The bench granted bail to Ghosh and asked him to not leave West Bengal without prior permission of the court or the investigating agency. It said Ghosh will also not hold any public post and will not give any statements in the media related to the merit of the investigation. On November 20, the Calcutta High Court granted conditional bail to Ghosh, one of the prime accused in an Enforcement

ONGC awaits mining lease for new oil field discoveries in WB's Ashokenagar

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made four more discoveries since it first made an oil field near Asokenagar in West Bengal six years back but is still awaiting the state government's nod for a petroleum mining lease to develop them, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. ONGC notified the first Asokenagar discovery in Block WB-ONN-2005/4 on September 24, 2018, Puri said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The discovery, he said was the outcome of continuous exploration efforts of ONGC in the Bengal sedimentary basin over five decades. As per initial laboratory studies, crude oil, which is refined into fuels like petrol and diesel, discovered in the Ashokenagar discovery is a light variety with American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of 40-41 degrees and is almost similar to Bombay High and Brent Crude. "ONGC, accordingly, applied on September 10, 2020, to the Government of West Bengal for a grant of Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) for an

'ED's conviction rate very poor', says SC in Partha Chatterjee bail plea

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had questioned the 'quality of prosecution and evidence' garnered in cases related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by the Directorate of Enforcement

TMC MP urges Congress to set aside ego, backs Mamata as INDIA bloc leader

Bolstered by the TMC's clean sweep in the West Bengal assembly bypolls, senior party leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee asked the Congress to "set aside its ego" and recognise Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc. He also criticised the Congress for its poll debacle in Maharashtra. Kalyan Banerjee emphasised the need for "unified and decisive" leadership to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, drawing confidence from the TMC's impressive performance in the recent by-elections, where the party retained five assembly seats in West Bengal and snatched Madarihat from the BJP. The TMC MP emphasised that Mamata Banerjee's "proven leadership and grassroots connect" made her the "most suitable" figurehead for the opposition alliance. "The Congress and other opposition parties should admit their failures in the recent elections and prioritise unity over individual ambition. They must set aside their ego and accept Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc, he said

Centre to meet party floor leaders today ahead of Parl's winter session

On the eve of Parliament's Winter Session, the government will meet floor leaders of political parties on Sunday to ensure the smooth functioning of the House against the backdrop of the BJP and its rival alliance's surprise victories in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, respectively. The meeting has been convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, leaders of Congress, Trinamool, DMK, Shiv Sena, BJD and others are expected to join the deliberations. The Winter Session of Parliament, beginning Monday, is scheduled to last till December 20. The government has listed 16 bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, for consideration, while the opposition is keen to raise the issues of the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur and the indictment of businessman Gautam Adani by a US court on allegations of bribery. Several opposition leaders have said they will raise the issue of the indictment of Adani in Parliament with Leader of the Opposition Rahul ..

Your blessings will help us work: Mamata to people after TMC's bypoll wins

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday thanked the people of the state as her party, the Trinamool Congress, was on the course to bag all the six assembly seats that went to the by-elections. She said the results of the by-elections would help her work for the people. "I would like to thank and congratulate the 'Maa, Mati and Manush' from the bottom of my heart. Your blessings will help us work for the people in the coming days. We all are common people and that is our identity. We are not zamindars, but the custodians of the people," she posted on X. According to the Election Commission, TMC has already won the Naihati, Sitai, Haroa and Madarihat seats, and was leading by big margins in Taldangra and Medinipur.

Bypolls: BJP edges past SP in UP, TMC consolidates position in West Bengal

The ruling BJP and its ally RLD were leading in six of the nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh while the Trinamool Congress maintained its foothold over West Bengal and the Congress in Karnataka, according to trends available on Saturday for bypolls to 46 assembly seats in 13 states. The AAP and the Congress have won one seat each in Punjab where bypolls were held for four seats. It was a close contest in Rajasthan as the BJP, Congress and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) candidates are leading on two seats each while an Independent was leading in Jhunjhunu. The BJP candidates in Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh were also ahead of their rivals. The ruling NDA alliance in Bihar established lead in all four constituents and in Assam it was leading in four of the five assembly constituencies. The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalya got a boost as party candidate and chief minister's wife Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma won the Gambegre bypoll by a margin of over 4,500 votes. Bypolls .

TMC takes early lead in Bengal bypolls, looks set for clean sweep

The Trinamool Congress is set for a clean sweep in West Bengal bypolls, leading in all six Assembly seats, including the BJP stronghold Madarihat

West Bengal: TMC, BJP set for bypolls on six seats amid RG Kar probe

The by-elections to six assembly constituencies in West Bengal on Wednesday are shaping up to be a test for the ruling TMC, amid a wave of widespread protests across the state surrounding the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident has sparked a months-long agitation by junior doctors demanding justice for their deceased colleague and systemic reforms, significantly impacting the political environment just days before the polls. Both the ruling TMC and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded candidates for all six seats: Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST). Notably, five of these constituencies are in the TMC strongholds of south Bengal, while Madarihat remains a BJP bastion in the northern part of the state. Adding another layer of competition, the CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress are contesting separately for the first time since 2021, following a recent change in the Ben

TMC complains to EC, claims poll code violation by BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

The Trinamool Congress on Monday complained to the Election Commission of India alleging that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari breached the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by making communal remarks during a campaign rally for the byelection to Taldangra assembly constituency. In West Bengal, bypolls will be held in six assembly constituencies on November 13, necessitated due to resignations of sitting MLAs of the six segments following their victory in this year's Lok Sabha elections. The TMC, in a complaint letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, alleged that the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, "made inflammatory and communal remarks" violating the MCC. The TMC sought immediate intervention of the Election Commission of India in enforcing "appropriate penal action including strict censorship of Suvendu Adhikari and BJP as a stakeholder political party for palpable violation of Model Code of Conduct. A 3-member TMC delegation, comprising lead

TMC creates atmosphere of fear before elections, says BJP's Dilip Ghosh

The BJP leader further claimed that TMC have begun vandalising BJP offices. They try to intimidate opposition voices and influence the election results

'What is the source of your funds?' TMC min asks agitating junior doctors

Upping the ante against junior doctors who have been protesting the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, West Bengal's Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay sought to know the source of their funds that helped continue the agitation for over two months. Chattopadhyay was speaking at a post-Durga Puja get-together organised by the TMC at his constituency Khardaha in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday. A video of his address went viral on Thursday, triggering a fresh war of words with the junior doctors. PTI did not independently verify the authenticity of the video. "May I ask them, why are you agitating? For what reason are you agitating? Why is all the anger directed at the government?" he said. "What is the source of your funds? From where are you getting so much money?" he added. Reacting strongly, senior doctor Subarna Goswami said the "outburst" showed the discomfiture of the establishment as issues concerning the healthcare system are being .

TMC blames inaction of BJP-led Centre, Haryana govt for Delhi pollution

The BJP-led Union and Haryana governments are responsible for pollution in the national capital but blaming the AAP dispensation in Delhi, TMC leader Sagarika Ghose said on Monday, asking why the Centre was not working on a national plan to combat it. "It is the same story every year, pollution in Delhi increases in October, and the Union government blames it on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi. Why is the union government not working on a national plan after consulting all states so that pollution can be controlled? Where is this national plan on pollution?" Ghose told PTI. She said the BJP-led government is focused on fighting elections and targeting states ruled by non-NDA parties. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member accused the BJP dispensation in Haryana of not cooperating with the Delhi government. She held the Union and Haryana governments responsible for the increased level of air and water pollution in the national capital. "Why is the Haryana ...

RG Kar case: TMC wants doctors' protest to be halted, says BJP leader

Bhattacharya said, TMC is under pressure, they realised that they are losing their chair

Arrogance towards regional parties is a recipe for disaster: TMC MP

In an apparent jibe at the Congress after its poll rout, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Wednesday said the attitude of not accommodating regional parties in places where they felt they were winning is leading to its electoral losses. In a post on X, Gohakle, without naming any party, said arrogance, entitlement and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster. "This attitude leads to electoral losses- if we feel we're winning, we will not accommodate any regional party... But in states where we're down, regional parties must accommodate us," the TMC MP said. "Arrogance, entitlement, and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster," he said. The remarks came a day after the BJP clinched a stunning hat-trick win in Haryana overcoming anti-incumbency and dashing Congress' hopes of a comeback. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had also questioned the Congress poll strategy. The chairperson of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), which was keen on hav

Kolkata doctor case: Junior doctors resume strike; know why

After junior doctors had resumed partial duties on September 21, they have once again announced to go back to complete stoppage of work.

RG Kar case: CBI questioning of TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh, doctor underway

Questioning of Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh is underway by CBI on Monday in connection with the central agency's investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a medic at RG Kar hospital here last month, officials said. The hospital's forensic department doctor-professor Apurba Biswas is also being grilled by the CBI officers in connection with the same case, they said. The postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. Ghosh, TMC's Panihati MLA, reached the CBI's CGO Complex office in Salt Lake around 10.30 am. "We had summoned him for questioning on the RG Kar hospital incident. He was seen at the hospital and also at various other places including the crematorium (on that day)," a CBI officer said. Ghosh is suspected to have played "an important role in arranging the hasty final rites of the deceased doctor", he said. "We have got the call details and found that there were talks .

RG Kar case: ED summons TMC MLA Sudipta Roy for questioning, says official

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned TMC MLA Sudipta Roy for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the Kolkata-based R G Kar Hospital and Medical College, official sources said Thursday. Roy is the president of the West Bengal Medical Council and also holds charge of the R G Kar Patient's Welfare Committee. He has been questioned by the CBI in this case as it is also probing the alleged irregularities. The premises of the MLA from Serampore apart from that of some others, was searched hy the ED on Tuesday. Roy has been asked to appear at the ED office in Kolkata on Thursday for questioning in the case, the sources said. The CBI has arrested former principal of the hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh and three of his alleged associates in this case. The ED case filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from the CBI FIR. These irregularities surfaced after the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old w

EY employee death: TMC MP to raise 'toxic work culture' issue in Parliament

Highlighting the condition of employees in private firms across India, TMC MP Saket Gokhale has called for an urgent investigation into the working conditions at EY

Why petrol prices stay high despite global oil price drop: Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Monday questioned why petrol prices in India are not decreasing despite a decline in global crude oil prices. In a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP said the crude oil prices have come down by around 24 per cent in last ten years, but petrol price in India has gone up by 30 per cent. In August 2014, crude oil was priced USD 102 per barrel and petrol price was Rs 73, while in August 2024, crude oil is at USD 78 per barrel, and yet petrol price is Rs 95, he said. "Why are petrol prices in India not decreasing despite a decline in global crude oil prices?" wrote O'Brien, TMC's parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha. "In the last 10 years, crude oil price down by nearly 24 percent, but petrol price in India increased by 30 percent," he said. "Windfall profits of oil companies are not being passed on to consumers," the TMC leader added. Petrol, diesel prices in India were last revised ahead of the general election in March when it was redu