PTI, New Delhi, Jun 9, 2024 : The NIA has arrested a militant currently lodged in an Assam jail for his alleged involvement in the killing of four civilians in Manipur’s Bishnupur district earlier this year, the probe agency said in a statement on Sunday.
Lunminsei Kipgen alias Langinmang alias Mang alias Levi, a resident of Manipur, was arrested on Saturday by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Central Jail, Lokhra, in Guwahati under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act, it said.
He is the first accused to be arrested for the gruesome killings on January 18, when armed assailants brutally murdered four civilians near the water treatment plant at Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou, Bishnupur, the NIA statement said.
“The NIA on Saturday arrested one person, currently in Guwahati jail in another case, in connection with the killing of four civilians in Manipur’s Bishnupur district,” it added.
The assailants had opened indiscriminate fire from sophisticated weapons, leading to the civilians’ deaths, the probe agency said.
The NIA, which had registered a case on February 9, found during the investigation that Lunminsei Kipgen was actively involved in the attack, which was part of the ongoing ethnic unrest and violence in the northeastern state.
Previously a cadre of the Kuki militant outfit KNF(P), he joined another Kuki militant organisation — the United Kuki National Army — during the current spate of violence and participated in the killings, it added.
PTI, IMPHAL, JUNE 9, 2024 : The situation in Manipur’s Jiribam district remained “tense” but under control on Sunday, after suspected militants torched two police outposts and at least 70 houses in a fresh bout of violence in the state, police said.
Additional security forces have been deployed in the affected areas following the incident on Saturday, they said.
“The situation is tense but under control in the wake of violent disturbances that broke out in Jiribam district in which miscreants torched two police pickets, a forest beat office… and several houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities, the Manipur Police said in a statement.
More than 70 houses were set on fire in Lamtai Khunou, Dibong Khunou, Nunkhal and Begra villages, a senior police officer said.
Police is also actively monitoring social media updates, which may incite communal feelings amongst the communities and requests general public to refrain from spreading unfounded/unverified information,” it said.
Violence broke out in Jiribam in the ethnic strife-torn state on Thursday evening, after suspected militants killed a 59-year-old man.
The person, identified as Soibam Saratkumar Singh, went missing after he had gone to his farm on June 6 and later, his body was found with wounds made by a sharp object, an official had said.
Meanwhile, an irate mob stopped a truck at Sorok Atingbi Khunou late on Saturday and reportedly torched essential commodities it was carrying, a police officer said.
A contingent of more than 70 state police commandos was airlifted from Imphal to Jiribam to assist security personnel in their operations against militants, he said.
Around 239 Meitei people, mostly women and children, have been evacuated from peripheral areas of Jiribam on Friday, and moved to a newly set up relief camp at a multi-sports complex in the district, officials added.
The state government has also transferred Jiribam SP A Ghanashyam Sharma to the post of additional director of the Manipur Police Training College, according to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
The transfer order was issued hours after police outposts of Jiri Mukh and Choto Bekra, and the Goakhal forest beat office were set afire on Saturday morning, they said.
Reacting to the incidents of fresh violence, newly elected Congress MP from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, urged the Manipur government to protect the lives and properties of the people of Jiribam.
Jiribam, which has a diverse ethnic composition of Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis and non-Manipuris, had so far remained unaffected by the ethnic strife that has been raging in the northeastern state since May last year.
The ethnic conflict between Imphal valley-based Meiteis and hill-based Kukis has led to the deaths of over 200 people, and rendered thousands of people homeless.
PTI, Kolkata, Jun 9, 2024 : Shantanu Thakur, a second-time BJP MP from West Bengal’s Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency and a leading figure of the backward Matua community in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, was inducted into the Union cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
Thakur has been a strong advocate of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) since 2019, asserting it would grant “legal citizenship” to members of the Matua community.
He sought to alleviate confusion among the Matuas regarding the submission of applications for citizenship under the CAA, weathering all opposition attacks from the TMC and other parties.
He further claimed that while Aadhaar cards do not grant constitutional citizenship upon the Matuas, the CAA would rectify this.
Thakur consistently highlighted the importance of the CAA, stating that no opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, could safeguard the community in the event of an NRC exercise in the future.
The Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are a marginalised Hindu community that migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh due to religious persecution.
Thakur first became a member of the Lok Sabha from Bongaon constituency in 2019.
He had been at odds with family member and rival Matua community leader Mamatabala Thakur, who was elected from the seat in the 2015 byelections, but was defeated by Shantanu in 2019.
Shantanu Thakur, the second son of former West Bengal minister and TMC leader Manjul Krishna Thakur, entered politics in 2015 when he unsuccessfully contested the Bangaon Lok Sabha bypolls from the BJP, finishing third.
The 42-year-old was successful in his second attempt in 2019 and wrested the seat again in 2024.
Appointed as the MoS for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways by Modi in 2021, Thakur told reporters, “Since taking on this responsibility, I have done my best to harness the vast network of navigable waterways and worked towards developing and utilizing the infrastructure and true potential of the ports in the east, including Bengal.”
He added, “As a loyal worker of the party, I am ready to fulfill any responsibility entrusted to me to the best of my ability. I am thankful to the BJP and my leader Narendra Modi for everything. I will discharge my responsibilities to the best of my ability.”
Despite the BJP’s tally decreasing to 12 amid a poor performance by party stalwarts like former Union minister Nisith Pramanik and Dilip Ghosh, who were defeated by their TMC counterparts, Thakur retained his seat with a margin of 73,693 votes.
Despite strong campaigns by the TMC against Thakur, questioning his nationality, the president of the All India Matua Mahasangha received the majority’s backing in his constituency.
Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, J P Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar and others sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately after being sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Sunday. PTI
TT, New Delhi, 09.06.24 : H D Kumaraswamy, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Rajiv Ranjan lallan singh, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu take oath as ministers.
Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Manohar Lal, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Sarbananda Sonowal, Virendra Kumar, Pralhad Joshi, Jual Oram, Giriraj Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu
Narendra Modi sworn in as Prime Minister for historic third term
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Rashtrapati Bhawan for oath-taking ceremony
“We are going to attend this ceremony because of our constitutional duty. It is my duty as I am the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha,” says Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he heads towards Rashtrapati Bhawan to attend the oath-taking ceremony of new government
Billionaire businessmen Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani arrive at Rashtrapati Bhawan to attend the swearing-in ceremony
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu arrives at Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend the swearing-in ceremony
Bollywood celebrities Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Vikrant Massey, Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani arrive at Rashtrapati Bhawan
UP CM Yogi Adityanath, former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajya Sabha MPs Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnaw arrive at Rashtrapati Bhavan for the swearing-in ceremony, reports Indian Express
BJP leader Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said he will take oath as the Cabinet Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and vowed to serve the nation with zeal and devotion. “I will take oath as Cabinet Minister around 7.30 pm on 9th June 2024,” Rijiju, the Earth Sciences Minister in the outgoing government, said in a post on X. Rijiju said that he had taken oath as Minister of State in 2014, Minister of State with Independent Charge in 2019 and as the Cabinet Minister in 2021.”Thank you Arunachal Pradesh, @narendramodi Ji, @BJP4India and people of India. I will serve the nation with greater zeal and devotion,” he said. Rijiju won the fourth term from Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat in the recent general elections
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, who lost the Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana in Punjab, said Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi has chosen him for the council of ministers to ensure Punjab’s progress, according to media reports
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with a group of NDA leaders, many of whom are likely to be appointed as ministers in the central government, reports PTI. During the meeting, prominent figures from the BJP and leaders of NDA coalition partners were seated in the front row as the Prime Minister addressed the gathering
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is set to take oath on Sunday for a third straight term, equalling the feat of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, as the head of a coalition government after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own.
Hectic parleys involving BJP leadership and allies were on over the share of berths of different constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the new government.
Senior BJP leaders such as Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides party president J P Nadda have been consulting the allies, including Telugu Desam Party’s N Chandrababu Naidu, JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde, to finalise their share of representation in the government.
There is a view that heavyweight portfolios like home, finance, defence and external affairs besides education and culture, two ministries with strong ideological hues, will be kept by the BJP, while its allies can get anywhere between five to eight cabinet berths.
While leaders like Shah and Singh are seen within the party as a certainty in the new Cabinet, former chief ministers who have won the Lok Sabha polls like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Basavaraj Bommai, Manohar Lal Khattar and Sarbananda Sonowal are strong contenders for joining the government.
Ram Mohan Naidu of the TDP, Lalan Singh, Sanjay Jha and Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U), and Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) are among the allies who may be a part of the new government, sources said, adding that either Singh or Jha will be accommodated from the JD(U) quota.
Maharashtra, where the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance has fared poorly, and Bihar, where the opposition has shown signs of revival, may be in the focus during the government-formation exercise.
Assembly polls are due in the western state in October, while polls will be held in Bihar next year.
Impending changes within the BJP’s organisation will also be on the mind of its brain trust in finalising the names of ministers from the party.
Nadda’s term was extended due to the Lok Sabha polls, and organisational imperatives will be an important consideration for the party as the poll results have sent signals that all may not be well within its vast machinery.
This opens the possibility of some seasoned hand being sent to the party and Nadda being given a berth in the government, the sources said.
The desertion by a section of voters, especially from the Scheduled Castes and other deprived sections of society, may also be a guiding factor in government formation even though Modi had made a point to increase their relative representation in his outgoing term.
Nehru is the only prime minister who held the post after three consecutive elections after independence.
The BJP is keen to send out a message of continuity and ward off any impression of political vulnerability following its surprising below-par show in the Lok Sabha polls as its seat tally fell to 240 from 303, considerably short of the majority mark of 272.
The government has announced that leaders of several neighbouring countries, including from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Mauritius, will be attending the swearing-in ceremony slated to take place at 7:15 PM on Sunday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose a white kurta and churidar with a blue chequered jacket as he took oath for the consecutive third time on Sunday.
Modi paired his dress with black shoes for the swearing-in ceremony at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
When he took oath as the prime minister for the first time in 2014, Modi had worn a cream linen kurta-pyjama with a beige golden jacket. For his 2019 swearing-in ceremony, the prime minister had chosen a similar dress paired with a beige jacket.
Kurtas and bandhgala jackets are Modi’s popular choice on important occasions. He is also known for sporting flamboyant and colourful turbans during Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.
Modi chose a multi-coloured “bandhani” print safa for his Republic Day look in January this year.
He is the second PM after Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected for a third consecutive term.
Along with Modi, senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Amit Shah also took oath as the cabinet ministers, while party president J P Nadda returned to the cabinet after five years, indicating the prime minister’s focus on continuity and experience in his third term.
PTI, June 9, 2024 : Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut on Saturday criticised people praising the CISF woman constable who allegedly slapped her, asking if they also justify “rape or murder”. Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by the constable during a security check at the Chandigarh airport. “If you are aligned with the criminals strong emotional impulse to commit a crime violating all laws of the land.
“Remember if you are ok with breaking in to someone’s intimate zone, without their permission touching their bodies and assaulting them then deep down you are ok with rape or murder also because that’s also just penetration or stab only what big deal, you must look deeper in to your psychological criminal tendencies (sic),” the 37-year-old posted on X. In her video message, Ranaut said she was hit in the face and abused by a CISF constable, who appeared to be upset with the actor over her stance on the farmer protests, during security check at the Chandigarh airport.
The ugly fracas broke out two days after she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Kulwinder Kaur, the accused CISF personnel, has been suspended and an investigation has been launched. The CISF, tasked with providing security at airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.
In her latest post, Ranaut also advised people to “take up yoga and meditation or else life will become a bitter and burdensome experience”.
“Don’t carry so much grudge, hate and jealousy please , free yourself,” the actor added.
Earlier on Saturday, Ranaut found support from cinema veteran Shabana Azmi, who said security officials should not take law into their hands.
In a post on X, Azmi said though she has “no love lost” for Ranaut, she wouldn’t join people who are celebrating the “slap”. “I have no love lost for Kangana Ranaut. But I can’t find myself joining this chorus of celebrating ‘the slap’. If security personnel start taking law into their hands, none of us can be safe,” Azmi wrote.
Azmi’s husband, veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar, has filed a defamation case against Ranaut over her remarks that he had threatened her. The case is still in court.
CISF cop to get gold ring engraved with Periyar’s image
COIMBATORE: Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) in Coimbatore is planning to send a gold ring engraved with Periyar’s image to CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur who slapped actor and newly elected BJP MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport a few days ago.
TPDK general secretary Ku Ramakrishnan on Saturday said, “We are planning to send an eight gram gold ring on Monday to appreciate Kulwinder Kaur who stood up for the farmers. Her mother was among the farmers holding a sit-in protest against farm laws.”
“We will send the ring to Kulwinder Kaur’s home address. If the courier services won’t accept gold ring, we will send one of our members to her home, either by train or flight, to hand over the ring along with some books about Periyar,” he said.
CISF woman constable gets offer of legal assistance
CISF constable Kulwinder Kaur, who has been booked under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) for allegedly slapping actor and BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut, has got legal assistance support.
According to Times of India, Kulwinder has received support from individuals and organisations, some of whom offered her monetary and legal help if she was arrested or dismissed from service.As per TOI, 82-year-old farm activist Mohinder Kaur, who had previously filed a defamation suit against Kangana for her remarks on the farm protest, has offered support to the suspended constable.
“Kangana has no of how to speak. Since she has been elected as an MP, she should be polite. She tried to brand Punjabis as extremists. She used derogatory words for us,” the octogenarian told the paper.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to have a third term in the post
Vasudha Mukherjee, Business Standard, New Delhi, Jun 09 2024 : Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister for a third term on Sunday evening, marking a historic moment in Indian politics. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the presidential palace in New Delhi at 7:15 PM, attended by over 9,000 guests, including heads of state from neighbouring countries and the Indian Ocean region.
At 73, Narendra Modi becomes the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to have a third term in the post. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, won the post in 1952, 1957 and 1962 General Elections.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office in a grand ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Who attended PM Modi’s oath-taking ceremony?
Notable foreign leaders in attendance included Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu, Seychelles’ Vice President Ahmed Afif, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.
Special invitees included workers who contributed to the construction of the New Parliament House and other key projects. Surekha Yadav, the first woman loco-pilot of the Vande Bharat Express, was among the 10 loco-pilots invited. Representatives of the transgender community and beneficiaries of various central government welfare schemes were also likely to attend.
Ahead of the ceremony, Modi visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. At 73, Modi has equalled the record of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who won the 1952, 1957, and 1962 general elections.
BJP coalition government: Who will be on the Cabinet?
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Modi, formed the government alongside its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners after failing to secure a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP won 240 seats, falling 32 short of the required majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, marking its weakest performance in a decade.
Alongside the Prime Minister, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP President J P Nadda, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Shivraj Chauhan also took their oaths as Union Cabinet Ministers.
Coalition members, especially larger parties, are expected to have demanded concessions from Modi, including ministerial posts in the cabinet. Leaders of the 15-member coalition, such as Andhra Pradesh chief minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar’s political leader Nitish Kumar, began negotiations in New Delhi earlier this week to provide the necessary numbers for Modi to govern for a third five-year term.
PTI, New Delhi, 09.06.24 : Banners of Prime Minister-Designate Narendra Modi are put up ahead of his swearing-in ceremony as PM for the third consecutive term, in New Delhi, Sunday, June 9, 2024.
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with a group of NDA leaders, many of whom are likely to be appointed as ministers in the central government. During the meeting, prominent figures from the BJP and leaders of NDA coalition partners were seated in the front row as the Prime Minister addressed the gathering
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is set to take oath on Sunday for a third straight term, equalling the feat of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, as the head of a coalition government after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own.
Hectic parleys involving BJP leadership and allies were on over the share of berths of different constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the new government.
Senior BJP leaders such as Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides party president J P Nadda have been consulting the allies, including Telugu Desam Party’s N Chandrababu Naidu, JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde, to finalise their share of representation in the government.
There is a view that heavyweight portfolios like home, finance, defence and external affairs besides education and culture, two ministries with strong ideological hues, will be kept by the BJP, while its allies can get anywhere between five to eight cabinet berths.
While leaders like Shah and Singh are seen within the party as a certainty in the new Cabinet, former chief ministers who have won the Lok Sabha polls like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Basavaraj Bommai, Manohar Lal Khattar and Sarbananda Sonowal are strong contenders for joining the government.
Ram Mohan Naidu of the TDP, Lalan Singh, Sanjay Jha and Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U), and Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) are among the allies who may be a part of the new government, sources said, adding that either Singh or Jha will be accommodated from the JD(U) quota.
Maharashtra, where the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance has fared poorly, and Bihar, where the opposition has shown signs of revival, may be in the focus during the government-formation exercise.
Assembly polls are due in the western state in October, while polls will be held in Bihar next year.
Impending changes within the BJP’s organisation will also be on the mind of its brain trust in finalising the names of ministers from the party.
Nadda’s term was extended due to the Lok Sabha polls, and organisational imperatives will be an important consideration for the party as the poll results have sent signals that all may not be well within its vast machinery.
This opens the possibility of some seasoned hand being sent to the party and Nadda being given a berth in the government, the sources said.
The desertion by a section of voters, especially from the Scheduled Castes and other deprived sections of society, may also be a guiding factor in government formation even though Modi had made a point to increase their relative representation in his outgoing term.
Nehru is the only prime minister who held the post after three consecutive elections after independence.
The BJP is keen to send out a message of continuity and ward off any impression of political vulnerability following its surprising below-par show in the Lok Sabha polls as its seat tally fell to 240 from 303, considerably short of the majority mark of 272.
The government has announced that leaders of several neighbouring countries, including from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Mauritius, will be attending the swearing-in ceremony slated to take place at 7:15 PM on Sunday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
‘Beware of the website http://westbengalfreerecharge. blogspot.com claiming free mobile recharges. This is a Cyber Fraud’
TT, Calcutta, 08.06.24: Kolkata Police have issued an advisory against a fake link that says chief minister Mamata Banerjee has initiated a scheme of free mobile recharge of ₹239.
In reality, the link leads those who click on it into a gaming site.
The police have alerted citizens through their social media handles mentioning that it is a cyber fraud. “Beware of the website http://westbengalfreerecharge. blogspot.com claiming free mobile recharges. This is a Cyber Fraud. Do not click on the link or you might face financial loss. Stay vigilant! Legal action is being taken against miscreants circulating such messages.”
The fake free-charge offer was circulated through WhatsApp and text messages. It mentioned that under the initiative of Mamata Banerjee, one can get a phone recharge of ₹239 for 28 days free by clicking on a link.
A senior police officer in Lalbazar said they came across several people who received these messages.
“We don’t yet know of anyone who has been cheated or defrauded through it till now. We wanted everyone to know that this is a fraud link and one must not click on it,” said the officer.
Another officer said by clicking on the link, a new screen appears and on clicking “OK” the screen is diverted to a page which ultimately leads to a gaming site.
“We have not come across anyone who has clicked on the gaming site or incurred any loss. But it is certainly not a mobile recharge site,” said the second officer.
A probe has been launched to find out the creators of the link and those who circulated it on social media.
A cyber crime cell officer said it was never advisable to click on unknown links even if they offered a discount or freebie.
Besides the victors, there are ‘many’ among 30 defeated BJP candidates in Bengal who have been attempting back-channel parleys for induction into Trinamool, said the sources
Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, TT, Calcutta, 08.06.24 : The supreme leadership of the Trinamool Congress, according to sources, is considering the prudence in allowing in two or three of “at least five” of the BJP’s 12 MPs from Bengal, who are in touch with Mamata Banerjee’s party with hopes of switching sides before any of those elected to the 18th Lok Sabha is sworn in.
Besides the victors, there are “many” among 30 defeated BJP candidates in Bengal who have been attempting back-channel parleys for induction into Trinamool, said the sources.
“Two, if not three, of the BJP’s 12 Lok Sabha members from Bengal might actually be allowed in even before anybody is sworn in as an MP this time,” said a source in the senior leadership of Trinamool, aware of deliberations currently underway in the topmost tiers of Bengal’s ruling party.
The swearing-in is likely to take place by mid-June, which is in about a week.
“There are at least five of the 12 who want to jump ship, but a couple of them are waiting to see if they are offered Union cabinet berths by their national leadership, in order to keep them from leaving,” the source added.
If Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee ultimately allow it, the BJP’s national tally would sink to the 230s, from the current 240, and make Narendra Modi — about to be sworn in as a much weakened Prime Minister for his third term — even more dependent on unreliable allies of the NDA to stay ahead of the majority mark of 272 in the Lower House.
Nitish Kumar’s JDU (12 MPs) and N. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP (16 MPs) are constituents of the NDA whose current tally is 293. The JDU and the TDP had left the NDA before.
“Mind you, there are more than 10 MPs of NDA allies who are already in touch with various INDIA partners in several other states, similarly exploring possibilities of defection,” said a source in Trinamool aware of discussions within the INDIA space in Delhi over the past 72 hours.
“Trinamool is confident of winning bypolls, if necessary. But not everyone is. Such MPs are looking to make use of a grey area in the defection rules, which leave scope for convoluted litigation instead of immediate resignation if the defections take place between the election victory and the swearing-in,” the source said.
With 29 of Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha members, Trinamool is already the third-largest force in INDIA, after the Congress and the SP which has 37 MPs.
“Kalighat (home of the aunt and the nephew) is considering this only for the sake of the further weakening of the BJP, and not just nationally. In Bengal, they are in the very real danger of slipping to nine or seven MPs even before the monsoon is able to arrive properly,” said a reelected Trinamool MP.
He said there was no reliable indication yet on what would be done with the defeated BJP candidates who wanted to defect, but a handful of them might be accepted on the basis of their usefulness. “Because the top two are looking to strengthen our position ahead of 2026 (the Bengal Assembly elections), and some of them will change equations locally, for Assembly seats,” added the MP.
The BJP state leadership responded with sarcasm to the reports on the possibility of the party’s MPs defecting to Trinamool.
“Trinamool got the number wrong. Instead of saying two or three, they should have said all BJP MPs are yearning to switch to Trinamool,” said BJP’s chief spokesperson for Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya, also a Rajya Sabha member currently in Delhi.
A source said the meeting, scheduled at 3pm at Mamata Banerjee’s residence, 30B Harish Chatterjee Street, will take place in the presence of the party’s national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee
Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT, Calcutta, 08.06.24 : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will meet the party’s 42 Lok Sabha candidates — both victorious and vanquished — and district presidents and coordinators at her Kalighat residence on Saturday to brief them on the party’s strategies inside and outside Parliament.
A source said the meeting, scheduled at 3pm at Mamata’s residence, 30B Harish Chatterjee Street, will take place in the presence of the party’s national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee.
Abhishek has begun playing a larger role at the all-India level after the Lok Sabha polls in which Trinamool bagged 29 of the 42 parliamentary seats in Bengal.
“Apart from congratulating the new MPs and complimenting the defeated candidates for putting up a good fight, Didi and Abhishek are likely to give directions to the party leaders for the future course of action. As the party will begin preparations for the next Assembly elections without wasting time, the meeting will be very important,” said a TMC source.
A senior TMC leader said that Abhishek wants to change the existing practice of political activism by the TMC leadership only ahead of the polls.
Abhishek considers that the battle with the BJP, which has a robust election machinery, cannot be won unless a system is put in place in which Trinamool leaders remain active 24/7 through the year.
“The party wants to keep its leaders active throughout the year…. Political activities will certainly increase during the election period, but there will be no leisure window,” the leader said.
Sources in the TMC’s election management team said that the party has already taken note of the detailed poll outcome, which has revealed that it was ahead in 192 Assembly segments, which was 21 less than the actual number of Assembly seats it had bagged in the 2021 polls.
A senior TMC leader said that though the party is in a celebratory mood after the June 4 results, its leadership is not taking this statistic — the lower number of leads in Assembly segments — lightly.
Abhishek, who met with leaders in most districts before this crucial Lok Sabha election, had warned that if they failed to give a lead to the Lok Sabha nominees from their areas, they would lose their posts.
He had also mentioned in a few review meetings of the election committees that those MLAs who do not manage to give a lead from their constituency, would not be given poll tickets in the 2026 Assembly polls.
He proposed the same strategy for public representatives in rural and civic bodies.
“In Purulia, the Trinamool candidate, Santiram Mahato, was defeated by a margin of 17,000 votes. In Purulia town, Trinamool trailed by over 20,000 votes. The chairman of the Purulia municipality has to accept responsibility for this defeat,” a TMC leader explained.
Amid the buzz on whether the party would take action against its leaders for failing to provide leads in their respective segments, some heads have already begun rolling.
On Friday, the chief and deputy chiefs of four gram panchayats in Hooghly’s Chinsurah submitted their resignations to the local BDO, a party source said.
The gunmen suspected to be hill-based militants also launched multiple attacks taking advantage of the darkness at Lamtai khunou, Modhupur area
PTI, Imphal, 08.06.24 : Suspected militants torched a police outpost and set several houses on fire in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Saturday, officials said.
The militants torched the Jiri police outpost located in Chotobekra area on the banks of the Barak river at around 12.30 am, they said.
The gunmen suspected to be hill-based militants also launched multiple attacks taking advantage of the darkness at Lamtai khunou, Modhupur area of the district located nearly 220 km from the state capital Imphal.
Several houses have been burnt, mostly in the outlying areas of Jiribam district though the exact number cannot be confirmed, a district official based in Jiribam told PTI.
A commando contingent of Manipur Police has been airlifted to Jiribam on Saturday morning from Imphal to assist in the security operations against the militants, police said.
Meanwhile, newly elected Congress MP from the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has urged the state government to protect the lives and properties of the people of Jiribam district.
Akoijam told reporters at a press conference here that, “I have talked with district officials of Jiribam. They said some reinforcements have reached. While those in the town are being provided security, those in peripheral areas are not being provided security.” Nearly 239 people mostly women and children have been evacuated from their villages in the Jiribam district and are taking shelter at the sports complex in Jiri town after violence broke out following the killing of a man allegedly by militants, officials said Saturday.
On June 6, the Jiribam district administration had clamped an indefinite curfew in the district following the killing of a 59-year-old man belonging to one communtiy allegedly by militants belonging to another community.
The killing triggered fresh ethnic flare-up in the district which had remained unaffected by the violence.
Jiribam, which has a diverse ethnic composition comprising Meiteis, Muslims, Nagas, Kukis and non-Manipuris, had so far remained unaffected by the ethnic strife which has been raging in Manipur since May last year.
The ethnic conflict between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kukis has led to the deaths of over 200 people and rendered thousands of people homeless.
Amitava Banerjee, MP, 7 June 2024, Darjeeling: There are good tidings for the Railway enthusiasts visiting Darjeeling.
The popular New Jalpaiguri-Darjeeling passenger is all set to roll from Sunday, after being temporarily suspended owing to track repairs. However, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) joyrides were plying.
The World Heritage DHR is one of the main tourist attractions of Darjeeling. With the ongoing tourist rush most of the services, especially the joyrides are packed to capacity.
Missing out on the joyrides many avail the Darjeeling-NJP passenger service to get an experience of the DHR. “We had to suspend the services from June 4 owing to damage to the side formation wall between Ghayabari and Mahanadi.
Repair work on this and maintenance of tracks is underway. The service will resume on June 9,” stated Priyansh, Director, DHR talking to the Millennium Post.
To cater to the ongoing rush the Northeast Frontier Service has introduced an additional diesel locomotive DHR joyride service, starting from Thursday.
“This service has been introduced keeping in mind the ongoing rush as all the joy rides are running to capacity. This service will run till June 30,” added the Director. This service departs from Darjeeling station at 3:30 pm and reaches Ghoom, 8km away at 4:15 pm.
After a break of 20 minutes at the picturesque Ghoom railway station, the highest railway station in India, it departs for Darjeeling at 4:35 pm. It is scheduled to reach Darjeeling at 5:05 pm.
The train has 3 first-class chair cars with a combined capacity of accommodating 89 passengers.
At present, there are 11 joyride services, including 4 steam. The earnings of the DHR last year had smashed all previous records. Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations officer of NFR said that the DHRs earnings between April and December 2023 was Rs 17.3 crore.
During this period 1,45,872 passengers had boarded the DHR trains. In 1879 work first started on the DHR, then called the Darjeeling Steam Tramways. The name of the rail company was then changed to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company in 1881.
MP, 7 June 2024, Kolkata: Expressing concern over alleged post-poll violence in certain areas of Bengal following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday issued a directive allowing affected people to submit complaints to the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) via e-mail.
The order came following a petition in the high court seeking direction to police to ensure protection to opposition party workers in the wake of alleged post-poll violence in some places of the state following the elections.
The court cautioned that if the state machinery fails to protect the lives and property of the citizens, appropriate orders will be passed on the next date of hearing.
The division bench presided by Justice Kausik Chanda said the matter will be taken up for hearing again after 10 days.
The bench, also directed that complaints can be e-mailed to the DGP by persons allegedly affected by incidents of post-poll violence, apart from the normal process under the CrPC.
It directed that in the event the complaints disclose any cognizable offence, the DGP will immediately direct the police station concerned to register an FIR under relevant provisions of law.
EOI, SILIGURI, JUNE 7, 2024 : The body of Keya Dutta (26), a lawyer from the Siliguri Court, has been found hanging in her room in the Sanghati More area of Ward No. 38 in Siliguri.
She was the niece of Dulal Dutta, Member of Mayor in Council of Health and Water department of Siliguri Municipal Corporation. Keya lived with her mother in an apartment in Sanghati More.
On the night of the incident, Keya had returned home after a routine day.
Later at night, her mother attempted to call her, only to receive no response.
Alarmed, Keya’s mother asked the neighbours for help. Upon breaking down the door to Kaya’s room, she was found hanging.
Dulal Dutta said on Friday that his niece had a calm personality and that there were no domestic issues that might have prompted her to take the drastic step.
PTI, Chandigarh, Jun 7, 2024 : Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar Friday termed the alleged attack on actor and BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut by CISF woman constable “most unfortunate” and said any form of violence as a means of expressing dissent was unacceptable.
“What is even more concerning is that a person wearing a security uniform indulged in such an unlawful violent act,” he said.
Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face and abused by the constable during a security check at the Chandigarh airport.
Another video circulating on social media had shown the agitated constable talking to people presumably after the incident.
“Kangana made a statement (earlier) that farmers were protesting in Delhi because they were paid Rs 100 or Rs 200. At the time, my mother was one of the protesters,” she said in the purported video.
Some farmer outfits on Friday threw their weight behind the woman constable, saying the entire sequence leading to the incident needs to be properly investigated.
“The statement was made by Kangana Ranault three years ago on protesting farmers. Her statement may be insensitive and not in good taste but a security staffer resorting to physical assault by slapping the MP in resentment of the hurt she felt sets a wrong precedent,” Jakhar said in a statement
Such acts tend to defame Punjab and its people, he said.
Jakhar not only questioned the timing of the incident but also the outpouring of support from certain quarters for a person who took law in her hands.
He said the statement was made three years ago by Ranaut and its aftereffect surfaced now in the form of an attack on the BJP parliamentarian.
“The timing makes the incident curious. It comes at a time when Punjab is undergoing an undercurrent of overt radical posturing. The narrative of support being played out in support of the security staffer, instead of being condemned, endangers the social order.
“It may have far reaching consequences. Such discourse is potent enough to incite hotheaded minds to resort to more similar acts in future endangering harmony and lives,” Jakhar said.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 7, 2024 : Heatwaves like those experienced in India this May are nearly 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the country’s previously recorded hottest heatwaves, according to a new rapid attribution study by an independent group of climate scientists and researchers.
The analysts at ClimaMeter said the intense and prolonged heat wave India endured in May was a result of the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon — unusual warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean — and the rapidly increasing concentration of greenhouse gases — primarily carbon dioxide and methane — in the atmosphere.
The researchers analyzed how events similar to the high temperatures in India’s May heatwave changed in the present (2001-2023) compared to the past (1979-2001).
“The temperature changes show that similar events produce temperatures in the present climate at least 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than what they would have been in the past over a large area of the region analyzed. The precipitation changes do not show any significant variations,” the analysis read.
ClimaMeter’s findings underscore that heatwaves in India are reaching unbearable temperature thresholds because of fossil fuels burning, said Davide Faranda of French National Centre for Scientific Research.
“There are no technological solutions for temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius. We should all act now to reduce CO2 emissions and avoid exceeding vital temperature thresholds in large areas of the subtropics,” he said.
Gianmarco Mengaldo of National University of Singapore said the findings show the complex interplay between natural variability and climate change, with the latter playing an important role in critical synoptic-weather-pattern changes in tropical and subtropical regions that may significantly aggravate heatwaves in the near future.
The world is witnessing weather extremes under a combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino and human-caused climate change.
This May was the warmest May ever and the last 12 consecutive months — June 2023 to May 2024 — have broken temperature records for each corresponding month, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.
Northwest India and parts of the central region reeled under a punishing heatwave in May which tested India’s disaster preparedness, with several states reporting heat-related deaths.
There are concerns that heat waves in April and May have played a role in the lower-than-usual voter turnout during the seven-phase general elections in India that began on April 19 and ended on June 1, the second longest after the 1951-52 parliamentary elections.
According to the Central Water Commission, water storage in 150 major reservoirs in India dropped to just 22 per cent of their live storage this week, exacerbating water shortages in many states and significantly affecting hydropower generation.
The intense heat has already driven India’s power demand to a record 246 gigawatts, with air conditioners and coolers in homes and offices running at full capacity.
India recorded nearly 25,000 suspected heat stroke cases and 56 deaths due to heat-related illnesses from March to May, PTI reported earlier, citing data from the health ministry.
According to data compiled by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 46 of these deaths were recorded in May alone (till May 30). Between May 1 and 30, 19,189 suspected heat stroke cases were reported in the country, it said.
The data does not include deaths from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi, and the final numbers are expected to be higher, a source said.
Severe heat waves have impacted a large number of people in parts of India for three consecutive years, affecting health, water availability, agriculture, power generation, and other sectors of the economy.
The heatwave in May saw several places across the country, including Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh, recording their all-time high temperatures. Parts of India saw record-breaking maximum temperatures in April as well.
Similar heatwaves could occur once every 30 years, and these have already become about 45 times more likely due to climate change, ‘World Weather Attribution’, a group of leading climate scientists, said last month.
Experts say those working outdoors, the elderly, and children are at higher risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
According to a World Bank report, India could account for 34 million of the projected 80 million global job losses from heat stress-associated productivity decline by 2030.
In the absence of adequate cold-chain infrastructure, extreme heat can cause major damage to fresh produce. Studies show India faces food losses worth USD 13 billion a year, with only four percent of fresh produce covered by cold chain facilities.
PTI, Kolkata, Jun 6, 2024 : Several West Bengal BJP leaders have blamed the dismal performance of the party in the Lok Sabha polls in the state on “inexperienced leaders” ruling the roost and hinted at “conspiracy” behind the loss of seats where winning chances were high.
The Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee swept the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, winning 29 of the 42 seats in the state. The BJP’s tally, on the other hand, dropped to 12 from 18 in 2019.
The outcome has raised questions regarding the party’s campaign strategy, organisational effectiveness, and narrative coherence.
“When those without any proper political experience of fighting elections call the shots in the organisation, this is the result that you get. There has to be some sort of accountability of the state leaders who decided everything in this election,” newly elected BJP MP Saumitra Khan told reporters.
Khan managed to hold on to his Bishnupur seat by a slender margin. The state unit also struggled to reach double digits, winning several seats by narrow margins.
Former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who lost from the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat to TMC’s Kirti Azad by nearly 1.38 lakh votes, hinted at a “conspiracy” to ensure his defeat.
“A conspiracy was hatched to ensure that I got defeated or why else would I be sent to Bardhaman-Durgapur. It seems the party had sent me to Bardhaman-Durgapur from Medinipur to ensure that I lost the elections,” he said.
Ghosh, while speaking to a Bengali news channel, said there has been no proper introspection in the party after the 2021 assembly poll debacle.
“No one was held accountable for the loss in 2021. If there is no course correction or introspection even now, this debacle will be repeated in 2026. In the last few years, the party did not have any growth in West Bengal; rather its support base has eroded in the last five years,” he said.
Ghosh, former MP from the Medinipur constituency, was relocated to Bardhaman-Durgapur, a seat where the battle against TMC was perceptively tough, where he replaced outgoing MP SS Ahluwalia.
The latter, in turn, was moved to Asansol. The party’s sitting MLA from Asansol Dakshin, Agnimitra Paul, replaced Ghosh at Medinipur. All three BJP candidates were trounced by their TMC counterparts in the recently concluded polls.
Former BJP MP from Hooghly Locket Chatterjee, who failed to win the seat for the second consecutive time, sought a proper introspection in the party.
West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, although agreed that there is a need for introspection, said the party has increased its vote share by one per cent as compared to the 2021 assembly polls.
“It is not that the party is not moving ahead. Our vote share has increased when compared to the 2021 assembly elections, although it has gone down when compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
The Trinamool Congress registered a 45.77 per cent vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, up by more than two per cent from the 43.7 per cent vote share it received in 2019.
The BJP, on the other hand, registered a vote share of 38.73 per cent in the state this time which, unlike what the pollsters had predicted, was down by over two per cent as compared to the 40.6 per cent votes it received five years ago.
The TMC alleged that the saffron camp has realised that it could not fight the Mamata Banerjee-led party in the state.
“It is good that they have at least realised that they can never fight Mamata Banerjee in the state. I hope they will convey this message to their central leadership,” TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.
The court accepted Rahul’s apology and granted him bail on a surety of Rs 75 lakh. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were also present in the court along with the Congress leader.
PTI, 07 June 2024 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday was granted bail by a special court here in connection with a case filed by the BJP’s Karnataka unit for issuing “defamatory” advertisements in mainstream newspapers.
As reported by PTI, the advertisement ahead of Assembly polls last year accused the then BJP government in the state of indulging in large-scale corruption during its 2019-2023 rule.
The court had on June one granted bail to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the State Congress chief, after they appeared before it in connection with the defamation case, PTI reported.
Judge K N Shivakumar had directed Gandhi to appear before the court on June seven without fail.
In February, the Congress leader attended court proceedings related to the defamation case and was granted bail.
The complaint against Gandhi was lodged by BJP leader Vijay Mishra. Last December, a warrant was issued against Gandhi, prompting him to suspend his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi and appear in court on February 20, where he obtained bail.
The complaint stemmed from remarks Gandhi made during a press conference in Bengaluru in May 2018, during the Karnataka elections. Gandhi’s comments referred to the BJP’s claim of upholding honest politics despite having a party president who was accused in a murder case.
Amit Shah was the BJP president at the time of Gandhi’s statement.
Four years before Gandhi’s remarks, Shah was acquitted by a special CBI court in Mumbai in connection with a 2005 fake encounter case during his tenure as Minister of State for Home in Gujarat.
Gandhi apologised to the court on Friday for seeking exemption from personal appearance in the last two hearings. The court accepted his apology and granted him bail on a surety of Rs 75 lakh.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were also present in the court along with Gandhi.
The BJP had in its complaint filed in June 2023 alleged that false and reckless allegations were made in the advertisements issued by the accused persons on May 5, 2023 in all the mainstream newspapers in Karnataka during campaigning for the Assembly polls, under the title “Corruption rate card”, and “40 per cent Commission Sarkara (government)”.
It was alleged in the complaint that the advertisements were issued by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee through Shivakumar, in his capacity as its president and by Siddaramaiah, as the then Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
Gandhi had put up a post of this “defamatory advertisement” on his social media ‘X’ account, it pointed out.
In a post on ‘X’ after Gandhi personally appeared before the court, the BJP said: “Accused out on bail in the National Herald case, Mr. @RahulGandhi, you are welcome to Namma Bengaluru. We also invite you to experience the consequences of Indian laws for all the misleading and defamatory advertisements you used against our leaders here in Karnataka, which you have failed to prove till today.”
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