The CBI conducted raids in West Bengal targeting six absconders in a post-poll violence case involving Trinamool Congress leaders.
PTI | Kolkata | 17 May 2024 : The CBI conducted raids at various locations in West Bengal on Friday, looking for six absconders in a post-poll violence case, including some Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, officials said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) search operation was aimed at tracing the whereabouts of the six absconding accused against whom non-bailable warrants have been issued by a special court, the officials said.
The court has issued the warrants against Buddhadeb Maity, Pradip Mandal, Debabrata Panda, Tapas Bej, Arjun Kumar Maity and Bikramjit Das, they said.
The CBI team searched the residences of two TMC leaders at Kathi in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal in connection with its ongoing probe into the killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker in post-poll violence in 2021, an officer said.
A team of CBI officers raided the houses of Debabrata Panda, a TMC leader from Kathi Block number 3, and block president Nandadulal Maiti in the early hours, he said.
”Panda, Nandadulal’s son and 52 others have been named in the FIR lodged in connection with the killing of Janmejay Dolui,” the CBI officer told PTI.
Dolui, a BJP worker, was killed in violence following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.
The officer said 30 people were summoned for questioning in connection with the matter but none turned up.
”We are conducting raids at places associated with these people. We need to question them,” he said.
PTI, New Delhi/Kolkata, May 17, 2024 : The Election Commission on Friday issued a show-cause notice to former high court judge and BJP Lok Sabha candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his “improper, injudicious and undignified” remarks against Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The comments by Bandopadhyay triggered a war of words in poll-bound West Bengal, with TMC claiming that the comments reflect the “misogynist mindset of the BJP,” and the BJP claiming that his remarks have been “misconstrued by the TMC.”
Gangopadhyay is the fourth politician in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to have been served a notice for undignified remarks against women.
BJP’s Dilip Ghosh and Congress’s Supriya Shrinate were censured by the EC after being served notices for their remarks against Mamata Banerjee and Kangana Ranaut respectively.
Randeep Surjewala of the Congress was barred from campaigning for 48 hours for his remarks against BJP’s Hema Malini.
The poll panel acted on a complaint by the Trinamool Congress against Gangopadhyay for his remarks against Banerjee while addressing a public meeting held on May 15 in Haldia.
The BJP has fielded Gangopadhyay from Tamluk seat in West Bengal where voting will be held on May 25.
The EC in its notice noted that Gangopadhyay’s comment has been found to be “improper, injudicious, beyond dignity in every sense of the term, in bad taste” and prima facie violative of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and its advisory to political parties.
The EC has sought a response by 5 pm of May 20.
The notice reminded the former Calcutta High Court judge about its recent advisory which said that political parties and candidates should refrain from any deeds or actions or utterances that may be construed as being repugnant to the honour and dignity of women.
The Trinamool Congress said it would also take recourse to legal action and claimed that his remarks had crossed all limits of decency.
In a purported video which surfaced on Thursday Gangopadhyay was heard wondering about “the amount at which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is getting sold,” triggering a row with the TMC labelling it as BJP’s guarantee of disrespecting women, while the saffron party raised doubts about the clip’s authenticity.
PTI, however, couldn’t verify the authenticity of the video.
TMC leader and West Bengal minister Shashi Panja said, “The remarks made by Gangopadhyay smack of his anti-women traits. This shows that the politics of the BJP has reached a nadir”.
“The remarks made by the BJP candidate of Tamluk are sexist in nature and his candidature must be cancelled”, she demanded.
Reacting to EC’s notice, the BJP said Gangopadhyay would reply to the notice but his remarks had been “misconstrued by the TMC.”
“He will give a reply. But the TMC has misconstrued his words. He wanted to point out how Mamata Banerjee is disrespecting women, especially BJP candidate Sandeshkhali Rekha Patra,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
The BJP on Thursday questioned the authenticity of the video and dubbed it as a “ploy by the TMC to release fake videos” to malign the saffron camp.
PTI, May 17, 2024, Kolkata : The Trinamool Congress on Friday demonstrated near Raj Bhavan here over the allegation of molestation against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, demanding his resignation.
The protestors, who included members of the TMC affiliated West Bengal College and University Professors Association (WBCUPA), held placards and shouted slogans, as the police stopped them from advancing towards the Governor’s House.
“It is shameful that he is still sticking to the chair when more than one woman, including a female staff of Raj Bhavan, levelled serious charges against him,” a WBCUPA office-bearer said.
In a police complaint, a woman contractual employee of Raj Bhavan last week accused the governor of molesting her.
Earlier this week, the police also submitted a report to the state secretariat about the complaint filed by a classical dancer that Bose had sexually harassed her at a posh hotel in New Delhi in 2023.
Former state West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson and film-maker Sudeshna Roy, who also walked in the rally, said “I am here to express solidarity with the women. He is not allowing any investigation as his is a constitutional post. But such a post does not guarantee him immunity as an individual from being probed into the charges.”
Article to Art 361(2) of the Constitution, a criminal case cannot be initiated against the President and Governor in a court of law.
The governor has rejected the charges saying these were all politically motivated since he had been voicing grievances of the people in Bengal.
PTI, May 17, 2024, Gopiballavpur/ Daspur (WB) : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of “orchestrating a lie” about granting citizenship to 14 people under the CAA and dubbed it as “politics during the polls”.
Speaking at back-to-back election rallies in Gopiballavpur and Daspur, Banerjee said “those granted citizenship will be thrown behind the bars by branding them as foreigners.”
Accusing a section of the media of publishing advertisements with photographs of the Prime Minister that boast about the achievements of the BJP government at the Centre without proper attribution, Banerjee said, “The BJP is publishing advertisements with false information. One such advertisement says that migrant Hindu and Sikh communities can apply for citizenship under the CAA. Please don’t believe them, you (the electorate) are all already bona fide citizens. If you apply, you will be driven out by being branded as a foreigner.”
“I have nothing against journalists, but how come the authorities of those publications allow such advertisements to be carried without any check,” she said.
Banerjee said the entire thing is a lie orchestrated by the BJP, just as they did in Sandeshkhali, where purported videos have emerged claiming that BJP workers had hatched a conspiracy to malign the TMC government in Bengal.
“The entire thing is a lie orchestrated by the BJP just as they did in Sandeshkhali. I urge my Matua brothers and sisters to not fall for it. This is falsehood and only a part of the politics before the elections. After the polls are over, people will be expelled from their homes and put in jails. Do not trust the BJP,” she said.
The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was issued on Wednesday to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries. This comes in the midst of the general elections which started on April 19.
The last phase of polling will be held on June 1 while the counting will take place on June 4.
The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
After the enactment, the CAA got the President’s assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11, after over a delay of four years.
Wondering why senior BJP leaders are not applying for CAA if they are so upbeat about the Act, she said, “I want to ask Modi and Amit Shah why don’t you apply for CAA in the first place. Show by example.”
She accused the BJP of orchestrating a plan to take away the rights of tribals and sow discord among different backward communities.
Speaking at an election rally in support of TMC’s Jhargram Lok Sabha candidate Kalipada Soren, Banerjee asserted that the BJP was aiming to uproot tribals by implementing the NRC, ultimately depriving them of their land rights.
Accusing the BJP of fomenting tension between Adivasis and Kurmis, Banerjee emphasised her administration’s dedication to safeguarding tribal land rights. “We have already passed a legislation to ensure that tribals can reside on their ancestral lands,” she added.
“BJP may want to drive out Adivasis, Kurmis and other backward castes through the NRC and engineer fights among them by introducing the Uniform Civil Code. But I vow to protect them till my last breath,” she added.
Describing the BJP as anti-tribal, Banerjee referred to jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren.
“The BJP has put behind the bars popular tribal leader Hemant Soren. I am in touch with his wife. This is the BJP, a party which believes in dictatorship and one party rule,” she said.
“If the INDIA bloc comes to power in Delhi, I assure the NRC will be scrapped. We will come up with laws that ensure tribals’ permanent right on their land,” she said.
Banerjee accused the CPI(M) of fostering unrest in the Jangalmahal region during its tenure, contrasting it with her government’s efforts to bring prosperity to the area since 2011.
“Since 2011, Junglemahal has been smiling. Don’t vote for BJP, don’t vote for ‘harmad’ (tormentor) CPI(M),” she said.
Without naming Jhargram BJP candidate Pranat Tudu, she said, “We could have stopped his nomination as he was a practicing physician at a state-run health facility, but we did not.” Tudu later resigned from his position as a state medical officer after being nominated by the BJP.
At a second meeting in Daspur within Ghatal LS seat where Dev is the TMC candidate, the TMC chairperson remarked, “Those who participated in the Freedom movement are not running the country. Instead, the nation is now under the grip of corrupt and greedy people who are selling national assets and using the money to spread false information about their achievements.”
Referring to migrant labourers from West Bengal, she accused the BJP of conspiring to remove their names from the voter list. “Please don’t be absent on the day of voting. The BJP is conspiring to deprive you of your voting rights by taking advantage of your absence. We will issue a separate card for you,” she said.
Banerjee later participated in a road show in the Midnapore Lok Sabha constituency in support of the party’s candidate, June Maliah.
Thousands joined the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner whose life inspired actor Aamir Khan’s character Rancho in Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’
Education reformist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk with actor Prakash Raj during the hunger strike, in Leh, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Sonam was on the hunger strike for the statehood of Ladakh and the protection of the fragile Himalayan ecology.PTI
PTI, Leh, 17.05.24 : In March this year, Leh, known for its breathtaking landscapes and monasteries, made headlines as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk led a 21-day fast in sub-zero temperatures seeking autonomy for Ladakh.
Thousands joined the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner whose life inspired actor Aamir Khan’s character Rancho in Bollywood blockbuster “3 Idiots”.
After ending his fast on March 26, Wangchuk began a sit-in which was called off on May 10 in view of the Lok Sabha elections.
Though the government did not accede to the protesters’ demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, Wangchuk says the movement is anything but over.
“On one hand, land is going to corporations and on the other hand, China is capturing our land, thousands of square kilometres of land. People of the country need to understand our pain,” Wangchuk told PTI.
“The Sixth Schedule is required to protect the mountains, glaciers and ecology. Though it is required in the whole country, mountains are ultra-sensitive. The use and throw philosophy of the present times, whether it is a plate or a river or a glacier… we don’t want it for Ladakh or the nation,” he said.
Wangchuk said that locals are concerned that in the absence of safeguards, their lands will be taken over by corporates and outsiders who may not respect the environment in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.
“These glaciers are the source of water. This is Dev Bhoomi, you cannot pollute it,” he added.
The Sixth Schedule contains provisions related to the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram through autonomous district councils (ADCs).
The ADCs are granted autonomy on legislative, judicial and administrative matters and can make laws regarding land, forest, water and agriculture, etc.
The climate activist said the inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule will ensure that corporates have to ask the people before doing anything with the mountains and rampant development will be stopped.
Asked how he feels after his fast, Wangchuk said, “Better than before. Fasting never hurts.” After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Wangchuk was among those who had welcomed Ladakh getting the status of a Union territory.
However, his view has changed now.
“We supported the abrogation of Article 370 because Ladakh was reduced to being a district of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Ladakh wanted to be a state or Union territory, which could not happen due to Article 370 as the Union government could not do that. So people thought Ladakh would have its own existence now and it was welcomed,” he said.
At the same time, there was concern regarding preservation of the environment and sensitive ecology of Ladakh, Wangchuk said.
“The government came forward and assured that they will protect us under the Sixth Schedule,” he said.
The BJP had also promised safeguards under the Sixth Schedule in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the 2020 Hill Development Council polls, he said.
“First they went cold on the issue, then they went back on their word, so we had to… (launch) an agitation,” he said.
After almost 10 meetings, the government said “we can’t give anything”, he claimed.
The activist cited the example of a 10 GW solar power project planned for the Pang region of Changthang that will be spread over an area of 20,000 acres.
The land earmarked for the project is pasture land where locals graze their Pashmina goats which produce the most expensive wool in the world, he said.
“Hundreds of square kilometres of pastures — I am talking about an area as big as Delhi — is being given to Solar Energy Corporation of India without discussing with the people,” he claimed.
Suggesting that the Union government is probably under “pressure” from corporate lobbies, he said, “We felt we also need to build pressure so that there is a balance. If a deal has been struck, only a change of government can change things.” “Whether the government changes or the government changes its thoughts, we will continue with our movement so that the deal is cancelled,” he said.
A ‘Pashmina March’ that was announced during the recent protests was later called off.
Wangchuk said the march was called off as their point was proved by the restrictions imposed by the administration against the march and they did not want any clashes with police.
“They imposed so many restrictions, imposed Section 144 (of the Code of Criminal Procedure) and threatened to cut off the internet, so we felt what we wanted to prove was done while we were sitting here. The government does not want us to show the truth to the nation,” he said.
Wangchuk hopes that a new government would fulfil Ladakhis’ demands.
“If a Congress government comes, we have a lot of hope. If the BJP does not change its stand, we will hope that those who are in favour of protecting Ladakh come to power,” he said.
If needed, Wangchuk is ready to keep fighting.
“Ladakh is the crown of India. We do not want to protest again… But if there is a need, we will sit on protest again,” he added.
Ladakh goes to polls in the fifth round of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
MP, 16 May 2024, Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold as many as six rallies in East Midnapore and Jangalmahal on May 19-20. These Lok Sabha seats will go to polls in phase VI on May 25.
It was learnt that Modi may attend four rallies each at Purulia, Tamluk, Jhargram and Ghatal or Midnapore on May 20, on the day the fifth phase elections will be conducted.
Elections will be held in Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Serampore, Hooghly, Uluberia and Arambagh Lok Sabha constituencies on May 20.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold two rallies each one at Bankura and Bishnupur on May 19.
On the night of May 19, Modi is expected to stay at Raj Bhawan. PM Modi and the Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee addressed voters of the same districts on May 12 during their respective election campaigns for the same constituencies.
Earlier, both these heavyweight leaders held election rallies on the same day in several places, including Cooch Behar and Burdwan.
While addressing an election rally at Tamluk, Banerjee said that the TMC is not in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal
PTI, Tamluk/ Egra, May 16 2024 : A day after announcing that he would extend outside support to the opposition front INDIA after it comes to power, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she is very much part of the anti-BJP alliance at the national level and would form the next government with it.
While addressing an election rally at Tamluk, Banerjee said that the TMC is not in alliance with the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal.
“At all India level, some people have misunderstood my statement yesterday. I am very much part of the INDIA alliance. The INDIA alliance was my brainchild. We are together at the national level and will continue to be together. INDIA bloc was brought together by me. We will form a government with that alliance and we are a part of it,” she said.
Banerjee alleged that the West Bengal units of both CPI(M) and Congress, who are part of the INDIA alliance, have joined hands and helped the BJP in the state.
“Do not count on the CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal. They are not with us, they are with the BJP here. I am talking about that (INDIA bloc) in Delhi,” she said.
The TMC boss urged the people not to vote for anyone other than TMC candidates in Bengal.
Banerjee on Wednesday said her party will extend support to the opposition INDIA bloc from outside to form the government at the Centre.
Expressing scepticism about the BJP’s ambitious target of achieving 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, she said people will reject them.
“The entire country has understood that the BJP is a party full of thieves. We (TMC) will support the INDIA bloc from outside to form a government at the Centre. We will extend our support so that in Bengal, our mothers and sisters never face a problem… and those who work in the 100 days’ job scheme, also do not face problems,” Banerjee had said.
The TMC had walked out of the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January but asserted that she would continue to be part of the opposition bloc at the national level.
The TMC supremo was addressing a rally in Tamluk, under which comes the Nandigram assembly constituency from where she had lost to the BJP in the 2021 state polls.
On Thursday, she vowed to avenge the defeat as she asserted that the poll results didn’t reflect the people’s mandate.
“As far as Nandigram is concerned, I have said it before, I was betrayed. There was rigging and votes were looted. The mandate was stolen by the BJP through unscrupulous means. They disconnect the power supply at the counting centre. I had moved court against it. But either today or tomorrow I will avenge my defeat. I will avenge this injustice,” she said.
The anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram in 2007 against the then Left Front government was instrumental in the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress’ rise to power in 2011 in Bengal.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated Banerjee by 1,956 votes in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly polls.
Vowing not to allow the implementation of CAA and NRC in the state, she said, “If people do not want divisive CAA-NRC or UCC that will erase our diversity, they must vote against the BJP.”
“The BJP must be voted out of power. When the INDIA government comes to power, we will abolish CAA, NRC, and UCC. The BJP knows that as long as I am here, I will not allow CAA-NRC in Bengal,” she said.
PTI, PRATAPGARH, MAY 16, 2024 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said the INDIA bloc wants to make five prime ministers in five years and claimed that it will disintegrate after June 4.
The counting of votes for all the seven phases of polling for the Lok Sabha elections will be undertaken on June 4.
Addressing an election rally in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sangam Lal Gupta at the Government Inter College Pratapgarh grounds here, Modi said the INDIA bloc wants to replace the stable NDA government and make five prime ministers in five years.
“Many things will happen after June 4. The INDI alliance will disintegrate and they will look for a scapegoat after the defeat.”
Modi took a jibe on Rahul Gandhi’s statement of sending money khata khat, khata khat (quickly) in the account of women after coming to power.
“The Modi government will definitely be formed after June 4 but the INDI alliance will disintegrate khata khat, khata khat,” said the prime minister.
“These people will run away khata khat, khata khat after the elections. Only we will remain. I guarantee that I will work day and night to serve you,” he said.
In an apparent attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, he said, “The shehzade (princes) of Lucknow and Delhi will leave for abroad on summer vacations,” said Modi.
Commenting that running a country is not a play for those born with a golden spoon, Modi said, “They have gone from Amethi and will go even from Rae Bareli.”
The prime minister said, “The entire country is saying that the third term of this government will be more powerful.”
Modi said his every moment and every bit of his body will be in the name of the people.
He attacked the INDIA bloc leaders by saying they had questioned the bravery of the Army.
“What is their agenda? They are saying they will reinstate Article 370 in Kashmir. They will repeal the CAA law made by Modi… These people are appealing for ‘vote jihad’ against Modi,” he said, referring to an SP leader’s remarks.
Without taking names, Modi said a companion of the Congress’ prince remarked that if their government is formed they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent again and will lock him. But these people are forgetting that it is impossible to happen under him and the country will force the people of this mentality to live in tents, he added.
Modi said the SP and Congress leaders will again go to Pakistan with bouquets of flowers and fly pigeons with them and asked the people to be cautious with them.
He said the Congress and INDIA bloc have been out of power for 10 years and their coffers of “black money” have become empty. Their eyes are on the country’s treasury now, he added.
“The prince of the Congress is saying that they will get everyone’s earnings investigated. They will confiscate your money and distribute it among their vote bank,” he said.
Accusing the opposition parties of ruining the country before 2014, he said, “When the country became independent, it was the sixth largest economy in the world. These people caused such destruction that we reached number 11 from the sixth position.”
He claimed, “You gave Modi an opportunity to serve. We worked hard. Today we have brought the country’s economy to number five in the world. If we form the government for the third time, we will make India the third largest economy in the world. This is Modi’s guarantee.”
Enumerating schemes like toilets, housing and Ujjwala, he said the opposition questioned the development done in the country and they asked what was its need.
Modi said for the “princes” of the SP and the Congress, the development seems like children playing “gilli-danda”.
“But these princes born in palaces have neither the habit of doing hard work nor of getting results,” he said.
Modi asked the excited crowd shouting slogans, “Today the world is watching the glory of India. India’s voice is heard in the world. India organises G20 with great success. India leaves the imprint of its tricolour on the Moon. So don’t you feel proud of these successes?”
Appealing for votes for the BJP candidate, he said, “Could you have imagined such success 10 years ago? Was there any such news except the scams worth thousands of crores?”
Polling in Pratapgarh is in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 25.
Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The BJP has nominated around eight turncoats out of the 42 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha candidates. Party’s leaders have justified their decisions, citing “winnability and political strategy” as paramount considerations.
However, the nomination of turncoats has triggered protests and resentment against the BJP in certain regions.
BJP had earlier also adopted a strategy of favouring turncoats over seasoned leaders in their candidate selections.
BJP which had no robust organisation base in Bengal has increasingly been embracing the practice of endorsing turncoats, causing dissatisfaction among their loyal supporters.
BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, who returned to the saffron camp after defecting to the TMC two years ago, was re-nominated from the same seat.
Tapas Roy, a four-term MLA from TMC, joined the BJP due to disagreements over candidate selection and was nominated from Kolkata North.
Silbhadra Dutta, a two-term TMC MLA who had switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, was nominated from the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat this time.
Soumendu Adhikari, former TMC leader and chairman of TMC-led Kanthi municipality, is contesting from Kanthi on BJP’s ticket. He had switched sides after his elder brother Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP.
From the Howrah Lok Sabha seat, Rathin Chakraborty, a former TMC leader and ex-Mayor of Howrah, who joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls, has been nominated.
Soumitra Khan is contesting from Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat on BJP’s ticket. Khan had once been associated with Trinamool Congress.
Nisith Pramanik who had once been a Trinamool Congress leader had switched to the BJP and became an MP from Cooch Behar. He is again contesting from the same seat on BJP’s ticket.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, in its roster of 42 candidates, has included four turncoats who are either elected representatives from other parties or joined the party in recent years.
Among the notable turncoats fielded by the TMC are Biswajit Das, Mukutmani Adhikari, and Krishna Kalyani, contesting from Bongaon, Ranaghat and Raiganj Lok Sabha seats respectively.
Another prominent candidate, Sujata Mondal from Bishnupur, is a former BJP leader and ex-wife of BJP MP Soumitra Khan. Mondal unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on a TMC ticket in 2021.
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who won the Asansol seat in a bypoll on a TMC ticket in 2022, has been renominated from the same seat.
Sinha, a former Union minister and two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, had defected from the BJP to join the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls before joining the TMC in 2022.
MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha seat Rekha Patra on Wednesday approached Calcutta High Court seeking protection from coercive action by the state police.
On the same day, BJP leader Piyali Das approached the High Court against the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court’s order refusing her bail. The lawyer representing Patra reportedly stated that several false cases have been filed against her by the police. Patra also sought for security and protection from the Calcutta High Court.
The case will be heard by Justice Jay Sengupta on Thursday. Meanwhile, it was learnt that Das surrendered in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on May 14. There were allegations against her of getting women in Sandeshkhali to sign on white papers.
The court rejected the bail plea and sent her to seven days judicial custody. When questioned by the media, Das said that the allegations against her are false and that there is no evidence to support those allegations.
The ruling Trinamool Congress recently shared a video of an alleged sting operation featuring BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal. In the purported video, the veracity of which could not be confirmed by news agency, a man resembling Koyal was seen claiming that allegations of sexual abuse in Sandeshkhali were “staged”.
Koyal had approached the High Court seeking transfer of investigation to the CBI into an alleged sting video. He claimed in his petition that technology-aided videos mimicking his voice were being circulated in a bid to defame him.
MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The daughter of Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur, has started an indefinite protest against the BJP Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur for allegedly not allowing them access to Boro Maa’s (Matua matriarch Binapani Devi) idol.
On being asked the reason for this indefinite protest, Madhupartna Thakur told the media: “BJP’s Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur drove us out of our home a month back using muscle power and locked it. This is our birthplace. We are not able to see Binapani Devi’s idol. The room where it is kept remains ill-maintained. We will not tolerate this and won’t stop our protest till we get justice.”
On April 7, TMC claimed that Santanu Thakur had attacked its Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur.
The feud broke out between the two factions over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as ‘Boroma’, lived till her death five years back. Santanu is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law. Thakurnagar is in North 24-Parganas district.
According to the TMC, the incident happened on April 7 when Santanu Thakur along with his supporters allegedly tried by force to take control of the house where Mamata Bala presently resides.
She had taken out a rally in North 24-Parganas’ Thakurnagar to protest the attack. She had said: “I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my residence.
They forcibly entered my residence”. TMC wrote on X: “Madhuparna Thakur, the daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakur, is leading an indefinite protest at the Thakurbari premises.
After being forcefully evicted by Shantanu Thakur over a month ago, they are now denied access even to Boro Maa’s idol.
The ancestral house is shrouded in darkness and dirt. This reprehensible act is yet another proof of the BJP’s Matua-Birodhi agenda!”
Soumyadip Mullick, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: Campaigning for his party candidates of Arambagh and Barrackpore seats, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said as soon as the BJP government at the Centre gets dislodged from power, his party will get back the dues of Rs 1.65 lakh crore owed to Bengal. Banerjee assured the gathering that the exit of the BJP government at the Centre is inevitable.
He said BJP is anti-poor and anti-people and that is apparent from how the Centre has withheld dues owed to Bengal in relation to 100 days work under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana. He urged the people to give a “befitting” reply to the BJP in this Lok Sabha elections.
Banerjee claimed that following the defeat of the BJP, “TMC will play a decisive role in the formation of a government at the Centre as part of the INDIA bloc”. “As soon as that happens, we will get back the dues for Bengal and will use it rightly for people’s welfare. We will get it back in three months from the time of the formation of the new Central government,” he promised.
Abhishek also held a contrasting picture where he said that on one hand the BJP-led Centre is depriving people of their rightful dues and on the other TMC is spending on welfare schemes for people in Bengal.
On the Sandeshkhali issue, he called the BJP “anti-national” and accused the party of allegedly insulting the women by paying them money to level false allegations of rape. He said that by doing this the BJP has also insulted Bengal.
Banerjee maintained his position on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as he claimed once again that if it is implemented the most affected will be the backward classes.
He alleged that the BJP wants to change the Constitution to suppress the rights of minorities and backward classes.
PTI, Leh, May 14, 2024 : Congress candidate in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat Tsering Namgyal is contesting the election on a four-point agenda for the Union territory, the key among which is the fight for implementation of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution that guarantees land and job for the locals.
The four-point agenda also includes statehood demand, a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Stressing the INDIA bloc was committed to safeguarding the rights of the people of Ladakh, he said there is discontent among the populace following the failure of talks involving Home Minister Amit Shah and representatives of Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance over the demand for the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.
“The dialogue stopped there and so did our hope… people are now worried and angry,” Namgyal said in an interview with PTI.
The political landscape of Ladakh has been roiled by nearly two months of protests led by activist Sonam Wangchuk, culminating in a 21-day climate fast. Demonstrations, commencing on March 6 and concluding on May 10 to pave the way for parliamentary polls saw a turnout of around 50,000 people, representing a substantial portion of Ladakh’s population.
Ladakh’s transition into a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has catalysed divergent reactions in the region. While celebrations marked the response in Leh, Kargil witnessed a contrasting sentiment marked by dissatisfaction with the territorial restructuring.
“At that time people danced and sang. Today, people are crying. People had hopes that our youth would get jobs and that ecology would be protected. But at the end of the day people are not happy with this government,” said Namgyal, the leader of the opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
The unfulfilled promises of attaining the 6th schedule status pledged by the BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and subsequent hill development council elections have fueled a shift from jubilation to discontent, prompting a wave of protests throughout the region.
“People hoped for a new beginning, but the dialogue did not go the way it should have. The government delayed it first, kept it hanging till the Model Code of Conduct came into place, and at the last moment, our leaders were called for talks,” said Namgyal, the leader of opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Citing unmet expectations regarding job opportunities, land rights and environmental preservation he alleged that there was a lack of transparency in budgetary allocation and a failure to empower the hill councils effectively.
The Congress candidate accused the BJP of fooling the people of Ladakh.
“People of Ladakh are aware… they will not believe the false promises. People will vote in favour of the four-point agenda,” he said.
Namgyal remains optimistic about the prospects of the INDIA bloc and hints at a potential shift in national leadership dynamics.
Poling in Ladakh will be held on May 20. The showdown between Namgyal, BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, and Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan can shape the region’s political trajectory significantly.
The BJP had won the Ladakh seat for the first time in 2014, with prominent Buddhist leader Thupstan Chhewang becoming an MP. Chhewang, however, resigned from the post and BJP in 2018, citing disagreements with the party’s leadership. In 2019, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP won the seat.
PTI, New Delhi, May 15, 2024 : The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was issued Wednesday here to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries.
Sources said 14 people were handed over the certificates symbolically at a special function held here while digitally signed certificates are also being sent to a “few hundred” other applicants through email.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a “historic day”, saying the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over.
Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to the 14 people after their applications were processed online through a designated portal, an official spokesperson said.
This comes in the midst of the general elections which started on April 19. The last phase of polling will be held on June 1 while the counting will take place on June 4.
The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
After the enactment, the CAA got the president’s assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 after over a delay of four years.
“It is a great feeling to be an Indian. It has given a new life to me,” 24-year-old Bharat Kumar, who had come from Sindh in Pakistan 11 years ago, told PTI minutes after he received the citizenship certificate.
Shah said the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian brothers and sisters who fled religious persecution in the three countries have started getting Indian citizenship and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the promise made at the time of the country’s independence.
“I express my gratitude to Modiji for giving justice and rights to these people who suffered for decades. I also assure all my refugee brothers and sisters that the Modi government will give citizenship to all of them through the CAA,” he said on X in Hindi. “Modi’s guarantee…the guarantee of fulfilling promises.” While granting the citizenship certificates, the home secretary congratulated the 14 applicants and highlighted the salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
Secretary Posts, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session when the certificates were issued.
The CAA rules envisage the manner of application form, procedure for processing applications by the District Level Committee (DLC), scrutiny and grant of citizenship by State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC).
“In pursuance of these rules, applications have been received from persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to December 31, 2014 on account of persecution on grounds of religion or fear of such persecution,” the spokesperson said.
The DLCs chaired by Senior Superintendents of Post or Superintendents of Post as designated officers, on successful verification of documents, have administered the oath of allegiance to the applicants.
After processing as per rules, the DLCs have forwarded the applications to SLEC headed by Director (Census Operation). Processing of application is completely done through the online portal.
The empowered committee, Delhi, headed by Director (Census Operation), Delhi, after due scrutiny, has decided to grant citizenship to 14 applicants. Accordingly, Director (Census operation) granted certificates to these applicants, the spokesperson said.
The passing of the CAA in 2019 sparked protests in different parts of the country with agitators terming it “discriminatory”. Over a hundred people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action in various parts of the country.
Shah has been maintaining that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA as it is the law of the land. He accused opposition of misleading the people on the issue.
Srinagar voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections after the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. The parliamentary constituency had recorded a total voter turnout of 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections.
Ashesh Mallick, Edited By: Ashesh Mallick, India Tv: In a tectonic shift and noticeable change in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, which voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections post-Article 370 era on Monday (May 13), the parliamentary constituency has witnessed highest voter turnout of over 37.98 per cent till 11 pm since 1996. It is more than double the turnout of nearly 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections. It breached the 2014 turnout of 25.86 per cent as well. The polling began at 7 am amid tight security in the fourth phase of polls in which 17.48 lakh voters are eligible to use their franchise in the city.
Polling was incident free without any calls of poll boycott.
According to the latest Election Commission data at 11 pm, the following are voting percentages in the Srinagar city
Central Shalteng – 26.43 per cent
Chadoora – 49.10 per cent
Char-e-Shareef – 56 per cent
Channapora – 22.60 per cent
Eidgah – 26.81 per cent
Ganderbal – 49.48 per cent
Habba Kadal – 14.05 per cent
Hazratbal – 28.28 per cent
Kangan (ST) – 58.80 per cent
Khan Sahib – 50.35 per cent
Khanyar – 24.24 per cent
Lal Chowk – 27.33 per cent
Pampore – 38.01 per cent
Pulwama – 43.39 per cent
Rajpora – 45.79 per cent
Shopian – 47.88 per cent
Tral – 40.29 per cent
Zadibal – 29.41 per cent
Overall: 37.98 per cent
Voting percentages in Srinagar in various general elections before the abrogation of Article 370:
1996: 40.94 per cent
1998: 30.06 per cent
1999: 11.93 per cent
2004: 18.57 per cent
2009: 25.55 per cent
2014: 25.86 per cent
2019: 14.43 per cent
Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, ending the special status given to the erstwhile state, which is now a Union Territory.
The order was issued by a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta
PTI, New Delhi, 15.05.24 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared as “invalid in the eyes of law” the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in a case under the anti-terror law, and directed that he be released from custody.
The apex court observed that a copy of the remand application in the “purported exercise of communication” of grounds of arrest in writing was not provided to Purkayastha or his counsel before the passing of the remand order dated October 4, 2023 which “vitiates” his arrest and subsequent remand.
“As a result, the appellant is entitled to a direction for release from custody by applying the ratio of the judgement rendered by this court in the case of Pankaj Bansal,” a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said.
“Accordingly, the arrest of the appellant (Purkayastha) followed by the remand order dated … and so also the impugned order passed by the High Court of Delhi are hereby declared to be invalid in the eyes of law and are quashed and set aside,” it said.
The bench delivered its verdict on Purkayastha’s plea challenging the high court’s October 13 last year order dismissing his plea against arrest and subsequent police remand in the case.
He was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3 last year.
While pronouncing the judgement, the apex court said, “Though, we would have been persuaded to direct the release of the appellant without requiring him to furnish bonds of security but since the charge sheet has been filed, we feel it appropriate to direct that the appellant shall be released from custody on furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court.” The bench made it clear that none of the observations made by it shall be treated as a comment on the merits of the case.
After the verdict was pronounced, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, said since the arrest was declared to be void, it should not preclude the police from exercising the correct powers of arrest.
“We need not observe anything on that,” Justice Gavai said, adding, “Whatever you are permitted in law, you are permitted in law.” The high court had on October 13 last year dismissed the pleas of Purkayastha and NewsClick’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty against their arrest and subsequent police remand.
Chakravarty had earlier withdrawn from the Supreme Court his petition against his arrest under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A Delhi court had earlier allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case lodged against the news portal under the UAPA over allegations that it received money to spread pro-China propaganda.
According to the FIR, the news portal allegedly received huge amount of funds from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.
It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group — People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) — to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
On April 30, a Delhi court had taken cognisance of a charge sheet filed against Purkayastha in the case.
The court had in January allowed Chakravarty to turn approver in the case.
The judge had pardoned Chakravarty, who was arrested in the case on October 3, 2023, on his application that claimed he had material information which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter.
China’s deadly serious about undermining India’s influence in Nepal, and India needs to come up with a counter strategy hinging on more bilateral trade, investment in infrastructure sectors and building on ‘civilisational ties’
Paran Balakrishnan, TT, 14.05.24 : It was a distinctly unsubtle punch from across the border. Nepal’s new 100-rupee banknotes show parts of India as being Nepalese territory – and it’s gone to unusual lengths to publicise the move. India, uncharacteristically, shrugged off the provocation, with foreign minister S. Jaishankar observing mildly that the Uttarakhand territory marked on the bills is definitely inside India.
The banknote row marks yet one more, albeit minor, skirmish in the battleground between India and Nepal. The strategic buffer state sandwiched between China and India has long resented India as the Big Brother that flexes its muscles too often. Nepal hasn’t forgotten the 2015 blockade at a crucial land crossing with India – New Delhi denied involvement – which came months after two deadly earthquakes when Kathmandu promulgated its new constitution.
But the once minor differences have become exacerbated. That’s partly because Nepal’s other giant neighbour is taking way more interest in the mountainous nation than it used to when Nepal was not only known as landlocked but “India-locked”. Says one former Indian ambassador: “In the old days, the Chinese were mostly worried about Tibetans using Nepal as an escape route to India. Now, they are deadly serious about undermining India’s influence in Nepal.”
There’s an additional factor also at play which has put Nepal in the headlights of big power rivalry. The US has turned its gaze on Nepal, and has become the third player in the 21st-century’s Himalayan Great Game. The Chinese, meanwhile, are liberally splurging money to make headway in Nepal.
Now, also, the Chinese have their dream ruling ticket in Nepal. The incoming prime minister is a pro-China advocate: Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, best known by his rebel civil war name Prachanda. And his main coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal, is headed by former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli has alway been pro-Beijing. Indeed, in what’s seen as “advantage Beijing,” Nepal’s foreign minister broke with tradition and made his first foreign visit to Beijing rather than New Delhi. “Today, after working with the left forces in Nepal, the Chinese are most satisfied because leftist forces have come together.” says another former diplomat.
At times, the Nepalese moves to annoy India have verged on the farcical – though they’re deadly serious for Hindu believers. Veteran politician Oli, Nepal’s then prime minister, claimed that Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born, was actually a place called Thori in Nepal. Says Oli firmly: “The place called Thori, near Birgunj is the real Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born. In India there is a great dispute on Ayodhya. But there’s no dispute in our Ayodhya.”
Oli stirred the pot once again by claiming that yoga originated in Uttarakhand, which he insists was a part of Nepal in ancient times. He also laid claim to Samkhya philosophy, which is said to form the theoretical framework for yoga. “Yoga originated from Uttarakhand and at that time Uttarakhand was not in present-day India.” said Oli, adding for good measure that, “India was not even born as an independent country at that time.” Going one step further, he also claimed that the founder of ayurveda, Charak Rishi, was born in Nepal.
But these are mere pinpricks. There are much bigger battles being fought over Nepal. The biggest battles involve a plan by the US to pour $500 million over the next five years into Nepal for vitally needed infrastructure, under what’s called the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The money will go mainly to boost hydropower generation and build roads. For starters, the US is looking at building a 300-km high voltage power line that will run through almost one-third of the country and have an extension to the Indian border.
Not to be left behind, India’s just signed a deal to buy 10,000MW from Nepal over the next 10 years. For the moment it appears that India has checkmated China – by refusing to buy power from projects built with Chinese money. That’s forced Nepal to hand-over several projects that had originally been given to the Chinese. It’s reckoned that Nepal has the capacity to produce about only 42MW of hydropower from its many fast-flowing Himalayan rivers.
But the Chinese are playing power games of a different kind meddling in Nepal affairs. (It’s believed to have helped engineer the coming to power of the current seven-party coalition and its crucial position in Nepal was visible when the deputy prime minister and foreign minister Narayan Kaji Sreshta made China his first port of call. He spent a full week there and China has managed to persuade Nepal to resume cooperation on Belt & Road projects – a move strongly opposed by India and the US which have warned Kathmandu it could fall prey to a Sri Lanka-style debt trap.
Can Nepal’s fragile democracy bring prosperity to the impoverished country? Nobody’s betting big on it. Nepal’s most recent government is barely 45 days old. (Since the advent of Nepal’s chaotic multi-party democracy in Nepal in 1990, the country has had a string of revolving-door governments).
There’s also still a royalist party and former king Gyanendra’s hoping the political parties mess up so badly, he’s called on to return to the throne. Says a senior Indian diplomat: “Gyanendra is hoping there’ll be this huge nostalgia for the monarchy. It’s more wishful thinking, though certainly pro-monarchy sentiment has grown.”
There’s another new factor in India-Nepal relations. The BJP and RSS have strong links in Nepal, which, while being overwhelmingly Hindu, now is constitutionally a secular republic. The BJP and RSS are eager to promote Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra. Says one former diplomat: “The BJP’s foreign cell and the RSS are supporting a lot of voices in Nepal that want a Hindu state.”
Also, there’s Yogi Adityanath who has always had a deep interest in Nepal though he hasn’t talked much about it after becoming Uttar Pradesh chief minister. His matt in Gorakhpur has always been close to Nepal. Says a diplomat: “His group has a very old connection with the Gurkha kings.”
Can India steer its way through the Nepalese minefield and regain its “special relationship” with Kathmandu? For what it’s worth, we’ve got some friends in Nepal who’ll raise their head above the parapet. On the weekend, Chiranjivi Nepal, an economic advisor to the Nepalese president, quit over the bank notes issue. Nepal, an ex-central bank governor, said it was “inappropriate” to publish notes with the inaccurate map. India and Nepal’s borders are internationally recognised, he pointed out, and clearly different from those shown on the banknote map.
But India has been facing increasing hostility from some Nepalis who object to what they see as New Delhi’s “high-handedness” and meddling. To counter this image, India’s been playing its cards right by keeping a low profile and avoiding interference in Nepal’s internal affairs, trying to lower the pitch in the “Big Brother-Small Brother” relationship, analysts say.
And India faces a stiff challenge from China. “Chinese diplomats are publicly warning Nepal about the ‘dangers’ of close relations with India. They’re openly meddling in Nepal’s internal affairs,” says a former ambassador. While China’s pockets are far deeper than India’s, and it’s been extending its sway in countries that have traditionally been India’s strategic backyard, New Delhi can’t afford to give up. More bilateral trade, investment in important Nepal infrastructure sectors and building on “civilisational ties” are all recipes for India to rebuild ties with Nepal.
