Page 62 - West Bengal

Several locations related to Sheikh Shahjahan in land-grabbing case raided

In January, the federal agency also conducted two separate raids on multiple locations on different dates in connection with the Public Distribution System (PDS) scam case, another case against Shahja

CAA linked to NRC, won't allow detention camps in West Bengal: CM Mamata

"The CAA is related to NRC, that is why we are opposing it. We don't want detention camps like those in Assam," she told reporters here

No clarity in rules, have doubts over legal validity of CAA rules: Mamata

Attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said there is no clarity in the rules that were notified and she has doubts whether those have legal validity. Addressing a programme in Habra in North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee urged the people to think several times before applying for citizenship under the law. "This is a game of taking away the existing rights of citizens and is directly linked to the implementation of the NRC in the country," she claimed. The chief minister alleged that the CAA was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

CAA implementation ahead of LS polls sets stage for politics in Bengal

The implementation of the CAA by the Centre just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls is anticipated to intensify communal polarization, significantly influencing the electoral discourse in West Bengal with both the opposition BJP and the ruling TMC poised to reap political dividend out of it. The CAA, enacted by Parliament in 2019, aims to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. With the recent notification of the rules, persecuted non-Muslim migrantsHindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christiansfrom these nations are now eligible for Indian nationality. The Bengal BJP views the CAA as a pivotal issue in the upcoming polls, particularly in Matua-dominated constituencies, foreseeing an advantageous position for the party. Conversely, TMC leaders acknowledge the CAA's potential to shape the electoral narrative but intend to leverage it to highlight their stance against the BJP

Sandeskhali ED attack: CBI arrests 3 associates of Shahjahan Sheikh

The CBI on Monday arrested three alleged associates of suspended TMC leader Shahajahan Sheikh including his security guard in connection with the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate team, officials said. The agency took into custody Sheikh's security guard Didar Baksh Molla, who is the complainant in one of the three FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police after the attacks. These FIRs have been handed over to the CBI by the Calcutta High Court. Besides Baksh Molla, the CBI also arrested Jaiuddin Molla, the Panchayat Pradhan of Sarberia village, and another person Faruk Akunji. All three are close associates of Sheikh who is considered the mastermind behind the attack, the officials said. "They will be produced before a magistrate tomorrow," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement. The CBI had summoned nine close aides and associates of Sheikh for questioning in the case on Monday, the officials said. The agency suspects that these nine individuals were allegedly part

'INDIA' bloc parties will fight in West Bengal to defeat BJP, TMC: Yechury

Trinamool Congress announcing its candidates for all seats in West Bengal means the other INDIA bloc parties will have to sit together and decide how to go about the polls, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, adding that they will fight to defeat the "BJP and TMC". Asked about the TMC's decision to go solo in West Bengal, Yechury said, "Every party has the right to take decisions. If TMC has announced, it is a clear indication that rest of the parties will have to sit together and decide how to proceed in fighting these elections in Bengal." "Our line has always been very clear. We are asking all secular forces in Bengal to come together to defeat the BJP and the TMC, which actually has taken such unilateral decisions... CPI(M)'s appeal has always been to defeat BJP and defeat TMC in order to save democracy in India and Bengal," he said. The TMC has stepped away from the INDIA bloc, the mega opposition alliance against the BJP which includes th

Yusuf Pathan, Mahua Moitra among names in TMC's Lok Sabha candidate list

The TMC on Sunday announced the candidate list for all 42 Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal, dropping at least eight sitting MPs and bringing in several new faces such as former cricketers Yusuf Pathan and Kriti Azad. The party renominated 16 sitting MPs and fielded 12 women. Cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest from the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat, whereas Kirti Aazd will fight from the Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency. From the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, where Sandeshkhali is situated, TMC pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam by dropping sitting MP Nusrat Jahan. The TMC also renominated expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar seat for the second consecutive term. The list was announced from TMC's mega rally held at Brigade Parada Grounds in Kolkata, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the party will contest Lok Sabha elections alone in all 42 seats in the state.

Sandeshkhali unrest: Court extends Shajahan Sheikh's CBI custody by 4 days

A court in West Bengal's Basirhat on Sunday extended the CBI custody of Shajahan Sheikh, key accused in a mob attack on ED officials at Sandeshkhali, by another four days on a prayer by the central agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation got custody of Sheikh on March 6 along with transfer of investigation on an order of the Calcutta High Court. Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked when they went to raid the now suspended Trinamool Congress leader's premises at Sandeshkhali. The judge of the Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas district granted extension of Sheikh's custody to CBI by four days on a prayer by the central agency. The court directed that Sheikh be produced before it again on March 14. Sheikh was produced before the Basirhat court, around 70 km away from Kolkata where he is in CBI custody, under tight security. ED officials were attacked by an around 1000-strong mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in ...

LS elections: TMC to launch poll campaign with mega rally in Kolkata today

The Trinamool Congress will launch its Lok Sabha poll campaign with a grand rally on Sunday at Kolkata's famed Brigade Parade Grounds, where party supremo Mamata Banerjee is expected to set the tone for the upcoming elections. Christened 'Jana Garjan Sabha', the mega event will feature three platforms, including a cross ramp, with Mamata Banerjee and TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee taking centre-stage as the main speakers. The rally's overarching theme revolves around the alleged withholding of the state's financial dues by the central government, a contentious issue that has dominated state politics for the past two years. Lakhs of supporters and numerous block-level leaders were seen in the morning flocking from different districts to hear their leader, affectionately called 'Didi'. "We are organising a rally at Brigade Parade Grounds after a long time. It is going to be a historic event. Our party supremo Mamata Banerjee will give a message which we will take

PM Modi hits out at TMC over corruption, dynasty politics at Siliguri rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday intensified his criticism of the TMC on the issue of corruption and dynasty politics and accused opposition INDIA alliance parties such as the TMC and Congress of prioritising their family interests over the nation's development. Emphasising the need to oust the Mamata Banerjee-led party from power in West Bengal, Modi rallied supporters saying, "The door to oust the corrupt TMC government from West Bengal will open from the Lok Sabha polls." "The corrupt TMC government is anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, anti-OBC, and anti-women. The TMC government has committed a scam in the ration scheme itself. Their leaders and ministers are in jail in the ration scam case. The party is looting the people of Bengal," Modi said while addressing a crowd in Siliguri, located in Darjeeling district in North Bengal, commonly referred to as the "chicken neck" of India. Reaching out to the people of North Bengal, where the BJP had bagged seven out of the eight Lok Sabh

PM Modi unveils infra projects worth Rs 4,500 cr in northern West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 4,500 crore in northern West Bengal on Saturday. The PM unveiled the projects at a programme in Siliguri, the region's largest city, during his third visit to the state this month. Governor CV Ananda Bose was among those present at the programme. Addressing the function, Modi said eastern India was ignored after Independence but his government considers it as the growth engine of the country. "Over the last 10 years, the development of Bengal, especially North Bengal, has been a priority for our government," he said. The PM inaugurated multiple projects of railway line electrification that will benefit the people of northern West Bengal and nearby areas, an official statement said. These railway lines are the Eklakhi-Balurghat section, Barsoi-Radhikapur section, Raninagar Jalpaiguri-Haldibari section, Siliguri-Aluabari section via Bagdogra, and the SiliguriSivokAlipurduar JunctionSamuktala section, it

SC to hear Mahua Moitra's plea on Monday against her expulsion from LS

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea moved by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear the plea, in which the court had earlier refused to grant interim relief to Moitra, who had sought permission to attend the Lok Sabha proceedings till the final adjudication of her plea. The top court had, on January 3, sought the Lok Sabha secretariat's response while observing that one of the issues that arises is with regard to the jurisdiction of courts and power of judicial review in the matter. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Lok Sabha secretary general, had urged the court not to venture into the internal matter of discipline of another sovereign organ of the State. He had said Parliament can internally manage disciplinary issues involving its members through its in-house procedures that are not amenable to a judicial review and hence, Moitra'

ED raids multiple locations in Kolkata over teacher recruitment scam case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday morning started conducting searches at multiple locations in Kolkata and its neighbouring areas in connection with its probe into the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal, officials said. A five-member ED team was conducting searches at the residence of a former para-teacher, alleged to be a close associate of arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, at Patharghata Mazar Sharif area in New Town adjoining Kolkata, they said. Searches were also underway at the house of an accountant in Nagerbazar area in the northern part of the city, the officials said. ED searches were conducted in Rajarhat area at the residences of some businessmen, teachers, and intermediaries allegedly involved in the scam. The ongoing raids are part of the ED's probe to track the flow of money in the multi-crore scam.

TMC critic Abhijit Gangopadhyay joins BJP after quitting as HC judge

Former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay is known for his judgement ordering a CBI probe into the alleged West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, in which CM Mamata Banerjee's nephew is a suspect

PM Modi rides underwater metro, launches Rs 15k crore projects in Kolkata

Prime Minister Modi was spotted taking a metro ride on Kolkata's Esplanade - Howrah Maidan metro route, which is India's first underwater metro

NCW seeks President's rule in WB, calls for overhaul of law enforcement

Imposing the President's Rule in West Bengal, replacing the personnel deployed at the Sandehskhali police station, strengthening intelligence-gathering mechanisms and establishing support services for victims of crime, including counselling, legal aid and rehabilitation, are among recommendations the National Commission for Women (NCW) has made to President Droupadi Murmu in a report submitted on Tuesday. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma met Murmu on Tuesday and submitted the report based on the feedback received by her as well as by a fact-finding team of the commission that was sent to Sandeshkhali last month. The report detailed the heinous acts of violence perpetrated against women in Basirhat police district of West Bengal, particularly within the premises of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office. TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates have been accused of confining women unlawfully and subjecting them to rape, molestation and physical abuse, the report said. "Despite

BJP criticises Bengal govt for opposing HC's ruling on Shajahan Sheikh

The BJP on Tuesday slammed the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal for opposing the Calcutta High Court's order to hand over custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh to the CBI and called it a matter of "great shame". Addressing a press conference, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the state government's decision to move the Supreme Court against the high court's order "highlights its value system". Puri said the TMC are not denying the offence but also giving Sheikh political cover. It is not the accused but the state which has gone in appeal to the Supreme Court, he said. First the state government allows such incidents to happen and then does this, the minister said, adding that "it was a matter of great shame". The high court had on Tuesday directed the investigation into a mob attack on ED officials -- when they went to search the premises of Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe -- to be .

Buses taking Sandeshkhali women to PM Modi's rally stopped by police

A few buses in which women of Sandeshkhali were travelling to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in West Bengal's Barasat on Wednesday were allegedly stopped at multiple places by the police citing "security protocol". PM Modi is scheduled to address the rally at Kachari Maidan in Barasat, the district headquarters town of North 24 Parganas where Sandeshkhali is located. The state BJP made arrangements for buses to take the women of Sandeshkhali, who were allegedly tortured by suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his aides, to the rally venue, around 80 km away. "The buses were first stopped at the Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town, and then again at Airport Gate 1 on the way to Barasat, citing security protocol. The police are trying to stop us from going to the PM's rally," a BJP leader on one of the buses alleged. Police, however, said that traffic movement on the stretch was restricted due to "security protocol" as the PM will travel by that road to Barasat. "The traffic ...

Storm of Sandeshkhali will decimate Trinamool in West Bengal: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the storm of Sandeshkhali will reach every part of West Bengal, asserting that 'Nari Shakti' (woman power) will play a pivotal role in decimating the ruling TMC in the state. Modi, while addressing a rally here, said whatever happened with women in Sandeshkhali is a matter of shame. The riverine island of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district has been on the boil over allegations of sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing by suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his cohorts. TMC leaders are committing atrocities against sisters and daughters of poor, Dalit and tribal families at various places. The women of Bengal and the country are angry. This storm of Sandeshkhali will reach every part of West Bengal, and decimate the TMC across the state, Modi said.

HC grants leave to ED to file contempt petition against Bengal govt

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted leave to the ED to file a contempt petition against the West Bengal government over the state police not handing over custody of suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh to the CBI, despite an order to that effect. Appearing for the ED, Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi prayed for leave to file the contempt petition and sought an urgent hearing of the matter, claiming that it was losing precious time of Sheikh's custody to the CBI. The high court had on Tuesday directed the transfer of investigation to the CBI into a mob attack on ED officials when they went to search the premises of Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe. A division bench comprising justices Harish Tandon and Hiranmay Bhattacharyya granted leave to the ED to file the petition. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Wednesday sought urgent listing of its plea in the Supreme Court challenging the high .