Page 63 - West Bengal

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 .

PM Modi launches India's first underwater metro service in Bengal: 5 points

Kolkata underwater metro launch: Built at a cost of Rs 4,965 crore, the engineering marvel is part of the 16.6 km of the East-West Metro corridor

WB Police Recruitment 2024: Registration for 10,255 vacancies to open soon

Eligible applicants can apply online for WB Police Constable employment 2024 from March 7 to April 5 on the official portal at prb.wb.gov.in and the age limit is 18 to 30 years

ED attaches assets worth Rs 12 cr of suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh

Ongoing investigations were initiated based on multiple FIRs which include serious offences such as threats of injury, murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and illegal land acquisition

Attack on ED officers: Calcutta HC transfers Sandeshkhali case to CBI

The court also directed that the custody of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 in connection with the attack, be handed over to the central agency

Abhijit Gangopadhyay resigns as Calcutta HC judge to join BJP: Who is he?

Abhijit Gangopadhyay sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu. A copy of the same was also sent to CJI DY Chandrachud and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC TS Sivagnanam

Attack on ED officers: HC stays probe transfer from WB Police to CBI

The Calcutta High Court on Monday reserved order in a prayer by the Enforcement Directorate for transfer of investigation from the West Bengal Police to CBI in connection with an attack on ED officials when they went to raid the premises of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh at Sandeshkhali. Hearing in the matter before a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam was concluded following submissions by the ED, the state and the CBI. Alleging that the state police were biased, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju submitted they purposely arrested Sheikh following an FIR by the ED on the attack on its officials by a nearly 1,000-strong mob on January 5 at Sandeshkhali, even though more than 40 other cases are pending against him for years. The investigation in the case was handed over to the CID by the state government from the Basirhat Police after Sheikh's arrest. Raju claimed that this was done to deny the CBI custody of Sheikh even if the probe is transferred to it, as the

BJP demands deployment of CAPF only in Bengal during Lok Sabha polls

The BJP, in its representation to the full bench of the Election Commission (EC), on Monday demanded that only central armed police forces (CAPF) be deployed in West Bengal to ensure free and fair Lok Sabha polls in the state. A three-member delegation of the party met EC officials here and said that area domination exercise and route march must be carried out based on central IB inputs. The saffron party also demanded that the route march by CAPF personnel must be supervised by police observers, and not by the local police due to a "partisan role" of the West Bengal Police. The saffron camp said that "only CAPF and no force from any other states be deployed" during the general elections, the date of which is yet to be announced. Leaders of the state unit of BJP demanded that only CAPF personnel be deployed within 200 metres of polling booths. There should be "no deployment of home guards, civic volunteers or green police even for monitoring queues in front of the polling stations

BJP unable to leverage Sandeshkhali protests

Anti-incumbency against TMC and Mamata Banerjee cannot be discounted. In the end, it all depends on whether she is able to address the deeper structural problems in her party

Bengal BJP chief's car meets with accident, Majumdar escapes unhurt: Police

West Bengal BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar narrowly escaped injury when his car met with an accident on NH-34 in Shantipur, Nadia district, on Sunday, police said. Majumdar said the accident took place when his car, which was trying to overtake a bus, was hit by the trailing pilot car. Three persons in the pilot car sustained injuries, he said. "As the bus was blocking a side of the highway, my car tried to overtake it and collided with a guard rail put up on the same side by police. In the process, the trailing pilot car hit my car," he said. "I escaped unhurt but three occupants of the pilot car were injured," Majumdar, the Balurghat MP, said. Majumdar, who was fielded by the party from Balurghat Lok Sabha seat for the second time, was returning from a football tournament where he was the chief guest. He demanded an inquiry to determine if there was any conspiracy to target opposition BJP leaders in the state. A police official attributed the accident to congestion due to

LS polls: EC full bench arrives in West Bengal to oversee preparations

The full bench of the Election Commission (EC) arrived in West Bengal on Sunday to oversee the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections in the state, officials said. During the three-day visit, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioner Arun Goel will meet representatives of all political parties in the state, and hold a meeting with district magistrates and superintendents of police, they said. It will also meet Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab, and is also slated to hold a meeting with Chief Secretary BP Gopalika and DGP Rajeev Kumar. The visit is primarily aimed at taking stock of the law and order situation in the state, and overseeing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls, officials said.

EC full bench to visit Bengal today, to take stock of poll preparations

The full bench of the Election Commission is scheduled to arrive in West Bengal on Sunday to take stock of the law and order situation, and poll preparation in the state, a senior official said. On Monday, it is scheduled to hold a meeting with all political parties in the state and have discussions with district magistrates and police superintendents, he said. The visit of the EC bench is "primarily to take stock of the law and order situation and preparedness ahead of the Lok Sabha polls", he said. "The full bench will also hold a meeting with the chief electoral officer here, the poll panel official said on Saturday.

Modi attacks TMC over corruption, sets target for to win all 42 LS seats

Launching a scathing attack on the ruling TMC over corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday set a target for the state BJP to win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. Addressing a public rally in Krishnanagar in Nadia district, he alleged the TMC means 'Tu, Main aur Corruption'. "Seeing you all gathered here in such huge numbers is giving me the confidence to say 'NDA sarkar, 400 paar'," he told the crowd at the 'Bijoy Sankalpa Sabha' here. "The TMC is synonymous with atrocities, dynasty politics and betrayal. People of West Bengal are disappointed by the way the state government is functioning," he said. Referring to the incidents in Sandeshkhali, where women have accused TMC leaders of sexual abuse, Modi claimed that instead of supporting the "distressed mothers and sisters" of the area, the state government sided with the accused. "The mothers and sisters kept pleading for justice, but the TMC government did not listen to them. They took votes in the name of '

Another step towards developed WB: PM unveils projects worth Rs 15,000cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled development projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in West Bengal on Saturday. The prime minister unveiled the projects at an official function in Krishnanagar in Nadia district. "Today, we are taking yet another step towards a developed West Bengal. Yesterday, I laid the foundation of and inaugurated projects worth Rs 7,000 crore. The initiatives included development projects related to railways, ports and petroleum, among others. Today, again, I am laying the foundation of and inaugurating projects worth Rs 15,000 crore," Modi said. "These projects will provide momentum to West Bengal's economic growth and create job opportunities," he added. Modi said that West Bengal acts as the "eastern gate" of India. "This gate has the potential to become the entry point of development in the east," he said. "Our govt is developing infrastructure for connectivity via roadways, railways, waterways, and airways in the region," he said. The PM laid the foundatio

PM Modi set to unveil projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil development projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in West Bengal on Saturday. Modi arrived in the state on Friday on a two-day visit. He will travel to Krishnanagar in Nadia district around 10.30, and unveil the projects. Stringent security arrangements have been made for the prime minister's visit to the district, officials said. The PM will lay the foundation stone of Damodar Valley Corporation's Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase II (2x660 mw), located in the Purulia district. He will inaugurate the flue gas desulfurisation (FGD) system at Mejia Thermal Power Station, developed at Rs 650 crore. He will also inaugurate the four-laning of the 100-km-long Farakka-Raiganj section of NH-12, built at Rs 1,986 crore. The PM will dedicate to the nation four rail projects worth more than Rs 940 crore in the state. These are the doubling of the Damodar-Mohishila line, the third line between Rampurhat and Murarai, the doubling of Bazarsau-Azimganj

PM Modi to unveil multiple development projects in West Bengal, Bihar today

At Krishnanagar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of several development projects related to sectors like power, rail and road

PM Modi slams TMC over Sandeshkhali incident; says entire country 'ashamed'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an all out attack against the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal over the Sandeshkhali issue and said the entire country is "ashamed" and seething with anger over sexual atrocities against women by TMC leaders there. Addressing a public meeting at Arambagh in Hooghly district, Modi also criticised the opposition bloc INDIA for keeping silent on the Sandeshkhali atrocities. He likened the inaction of the opposition alliance to the "three monkeys" of Mahatma Gandhi. The Prime Minister took on the TMC government over corruption charges, saying: "It is my guarantee that those who have looted public funds will face consequences." "The whole country is sad and is seething with anger after seeing what the TMC, which beats the drum of Maa, Mati, and Manush, has done to the sisters of Sandeshkhali. The TMC leader crossed all limits of audacity with the sisters and daughters in Sandeshkhali. What TMC has done to the sisters of ...

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrives at Raj Bhavan to meet PM Modi

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday evening went to Raj Bhavan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said. Modi, who is on a two-day tour of the state from Friday, will stay the night at Raj Bhavan. This meeting is as per protocol. It will start in a few minutes," the official said. Banerjee's entourage was seen entering the Raj Bhavan a few minutes before 6 pm, shortly after the PM arrived there. In December last year, Banerjee had met Modi in New Delhi to press for the release of the state's dues. According to the ruling Trinamool Congress, the Centre owes Rs 1.18 lakh crore to West Bengal. The state government commenced payment of dues to approximately 30 lakh MGNREGA workers on Monday, amounting to Rs 2,700 crore, pending since March 2022. The withholding of West Bengal's MGNREGA dues by the Centre has been a focal point in the state's political discourse for the past one year.

PM Modi launches projects worth Rs 7,200 cr in West Bengal's Arambagh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in Arambagh area of Hooghly district in West Bengal. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple developmental projects related to sectors like rail, ports, oil pipelines, LPG supply and wastewater treatment. India of the 21st century is progressing at a fast pace and together we all have set the goal of making a developed India by 2047, he said at the programme. Modi said the Centre has taken steps for the welfare of the poor and that is why in the last 10 years, about 25 crore people of the country have come out of poverty. Our effort is that the modernization of railways in West Bengal should happen at the same pace as it is happening in other parts of the country, he said.