Category Archives: Politics

Politics, Regional, Religion, West Bengal

‘Never indulged in politics’: Bengal monks dismiss Mamata’s allegation : Mamata accused some monks of working in favour of BJP

Leave a comment

PTI, May 19, 2024 : Amid a raging controversy over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing some monks of two prominent monastic orders of working in favour of the BJP in the elections, the religious bodies on Sunday claimed that they have always stayed away from politics and never sought votes for candidates of any party.


Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, had in an election rally on Saturday alleged that some monks of two prominent monastic orders in West Bengal were working “under instructions of the BJP”.

Banerjee had alleged that some monks of Ramakrishna Mission had asked devotees in Asansol to vote in favour of BJP, while a monk of Bharat Sevashram Sangha had forbidden a TMC agent to sit at a polling station in Baharampur in Murshidabad.

Referring to the allegations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a rally in Purulia on Sunday, said that TMC has gone “beyond limits” by spreading canards against Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha and that Banerjee was “threatening them” to appease her vote bank.

Both Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha dismissed the allegations and asserted that they focus only on service to the society.

A senior monk at Ramakrishna Mission’s headquarters at Belur said, “We are pained and anguished at the insinuations… we do not wish to be implicated in any controversy… thousands of visitors from all walks of life come to our premises to pray and meditate, including the PM and the CM… everyone is same for us.”

“We try to spread among people the eternal values of religion and spiritualism. To my knowledge, neither the mission nor any monk of our order had asked anyone to vote for any particular party,” he added.

A spokesperson of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha said, “From cyclones to COVID, we have always rushed to the aid of the affected in far flung areas. We are a 107-year-old organisation and our monks run charitable health clinics, hospitals and educational institutions across the country. Neither had we ever been involved in politics nor we will be in the future.”

Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said in a post on X, “I stand with Bharat Sevashram Sangha, I stand with ISKCON, I stand with all revered Hindu monks.”

Adhikari later told reporters that the monks are widely revered by people of West Bengal and respected by all communities for their service to the poor.

“Her statement was condemned by all,” Adhikari said.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Banerjee’s comments showed “how she uses monks for her own political interest and when ties sour for some reason, she speaks against them”.

“The monk concerned (of Murshidabad) against whom she levelled charges used to be very close to her. She had even used him against me in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Apparently, their equations have changed with the emergence of the BJP,” he alleged. 
National, Politics, Regional, West Bengal

TMC insulting faith of Hindus, infiltrators changing demography of Bengal: Modi

Leave a comment
PTI, Medinipur (WB), May 19 2024 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the TMC of insulting the faith of Hindus to appease its vote bank and asserted that infiltrators are “perilous” to West Bengal since they are “disturbing” the demography of the state.
Addressing his third election rally in West Bengal during the day, the Prime Minister said, “Infiltrators, who are the vote bank of the TMC, is a threat to the state as in many areas, Hindus have become fewer in number.”
“In Bengal, TMC is synonymous with terrorism, corruption, appeasement and nepotism. To appease its vote bank, the TMC is insulting the Hindu society and its faith. The entire country is angry due to the recent derogatory statement made by West Bengal CM,” he said at the Medinipur rally.
Modi was referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent remarks against Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
The PM said that ongoing infiltration in West Bengal is “fast changing the demography” of the state.
“TMC’s appeasement has disturbed Bengal’s demography. Infiltration has disturbed the state’s demography. The TMC calls people from other states ‘outsiders’. However, it embraces infiltrators,” he said.
He also said, “Infiltrators are perilous to Bengal since they are disturbing the state’s demography. In many parts, Hindus have become a minority.”
Modi alleged, “Infiltrators are capturing the land of Dalits and the underprivileged. Our daughters and sisters are not safe anymore.”
The Prime Minister said in areas where infiltrators are in majority, “the TMC considers those as safe seats.”
“The TMC government kowtowing before its vote bank doesn’t deserve your votes. Teach TMC a lesson in this election,” he said.
Criticising the TMC for opposing the CAA in Bengal, Modi said, “Due to vote bank politics, they are opposing it.”
“The TMC welcomes infiltrators, but the West Bengal CM opposes the persecuted Hindus from neighbouring countries getting citizenship. I had promised to give citizenship to these refugee families. They are our brothers and sisters. However, TMC opposes the CAA, stating that they will not let it be implemented in Bengal and withdraw it,” he said.
Reaching out to the Matua community of the state, who are expected to benefit most from the CAA, he said, “Till Modi is alive, you won’t be able to do anything against the CAA. CAA is a law to accord citizenship.”
“The TMC is spreading lies, claiming that it will revoke citizenship as soon as the forms are filled,” he said.
Earlier, while addressing an election rally at Bishnupur, Modi said, “The refugee families of West Bengal will also soon get their citizenship under the CAA.”
“I am happy that the first batch has received citizenship under the CAA,” he said.
The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was issued Wednesday in New Delhi 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 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.
National, Politics

Fifth phase: Voting to be held today on 49 LS seats; Amethi, Rae Bareli among high-profile contests; EC flags urban apathy

Leave a comment
 The Election Commission on Sunday said 89.5 million electors would be eligible to cast their voters on the 49 seats. Simultaneous polling for 35 Assembly seats will be held in Odisha

PTI, 19 May 2024 : Polling will be held on Monday in 49 constituencies in six states and two UTs in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections that will decide the electoral fate of several prominent leaders like former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani and former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Over 8.95 crore people, including 4.26 crore females and 5,409 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote in this round and 9.47 lakh polling officials have been deployed across 94,732 polling stations.
Among the seats going to polls, 13 are in Maharashtra, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, five in Odisha, one in J-K and the lone seat in Ladakh. This round covers the least number of seats (49) in the seven-phase elections.
It is another important phase for the BJP as over 40 of these seats were with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
On the eve of poling, the Election Commission on Sunday pointed out that Mumbai, Thane and Lucknow have shown apathy towards voting in the past and asked city dwellers there to turn out in higher numbers.
The poll authority noted that in the past these cities have “suffered” from urban apathy in voting. “The Commission especially calls upon these city dwellers to erase the stigma by turning out in higher numbers,” it said.
So far, the last four phases have registered a total voter turnout of 66.95 per cent.
Other prominent candidates include Union ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North, Maharashtra), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur, UP) and Shantanu Thakur (Bangaon, WB); LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan (Hajipur, Bihar), Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde (Kalyan, Maharashtra), and BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy and RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya (both Saran, Bihar).
Voting will also be held in 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha, where BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is among the candidates.
In Maharashtra, where polling will be held in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, including six in Mumbai, Piyush Goyal, Bharati Pawar (Dindori) and Kapil Patil (Bhiwandi) are among the key nominees of the BJP, which has also fielded prominent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam (Mumbai North Central).
Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde (Kalyan) and city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad (Mumbai North Central) are also among the candidates in this phase, which is the last for the state in this election.
In Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh (Lucknow), Irani (Amethi), Jyoti, Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj) and Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma (Jalaun) are the five Union ministers in the fray. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypolls to the Lucknow East assembly constituency.
Rahul Gandhi, who has contested from Wayanad in Kerala, is also in the fight for Rae Bareli, a Nehru-Gandhi family pocket borough represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004. The BJP has fielded UP minister Dinesh Pratap Singh.
In Amethi, Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019, is seeking a second term, while KL Sharma, an aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded by the Congress.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is up against SP MLA from Lucknow Central Ravidas Mehrotra.
In the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, the electoral contest is mainly between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya.
In Baramulla, besides Omar Abdullah, former separatist Sajad Lone, ex-MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias ‘Engineer Rashid’, currently lodged in the Tihar jail, and the PDP’s former Rajya Sabha member Fayaz Ahmad Mir are among the 21 others contesting.
More than 500 centenarians are among the 17.37 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise in the constituency, with political observers expecting a high turnout on the back of the huge crowds that thronged election rallies and roadshows in the first major political battle post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
In Ladakh, Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal, BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, and Independent candidate and NC rebel Haji Hanifa Jan are locked in a keen contest.
Security has been stepped up in West Bengal’s seven constituencies which have a history of election-related violence, with over 57 per cent of the polling stations identified as sensitive in this phase, the highest till now in this Lok Sabha election.
Over 60,000 personnel of central forces and around 30,000 personnel of the state police, have been deployed, which is more than in the four previous phases in the state, an official said.
BJP’s Arjun Singh, who has been in and out of the saffron party and the Trinamool Congress on four occasions in the last five years, is taking on West Bengal minister Partha Bhowmick in Barrackpore in a bid to retain the seat he won in 2019.
Actor Rachana Banerjee has been fielded by the TMC to stop actor and BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee from winning a straight second term from Hooghly.
In Serampore, the TMC’s sitting MP Kalyan Banerjee is fighting against the BJP’s Kabir Shankar Bose.
Voting will take place in Saran, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani Lok Sabha seats of Bihar, which are all with the NDA.
In Hajipur, the primary contest is between Chirag Paswan, whose late father Ram Vilas Paswan had won the seat eight times, and RJD’s Shiv Chandra Ram, a former MLA and ex-minister in the state.
Former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s bid to score a hat-trick in Saran has been challenged by RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, who had donated her kidney to her father.
Voting in three Jharkhand Lok Sabha constituencies Chatra, Koderma and Hazaribag and by-election in Gandey assembly seat, where Kalpana Soren, the wife of jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, is contesting, will take place on Monday.
An interesting fight is expected in the Koderma Lok Sabha seat where Union Minister and BJP candidate Annapurna Devi is up against Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation nominee Vinod Singh, an MLA from Bagodar assembly constituency.
In Odisha, CM Patnaik is contesting from two assembly segments — Hinjili under the Aska Lok Sabha seat in Ganjam district and Kantabanji under the Bolangir parliamentary constituency.
Apart from Patnaik, major contestants include around half a dozen Odisha ministers, BJP’s sitting MPs Jual Oram and Sangeeta Singh Deo, BJD MP Achyut Samant and former Indian Hockey captain Dilip Tirkey.
Around 45.1 crore electors have exercised their franchise in the last four phases.
Polling for 23 states and Union territories and 379 seats has been completed so far.
The sixth and seventh phases are on May 25 and June 1 respectively. The counting of votes is on June 4.
National, Politics

Demand for statehood, 6th Schedule in focus: Ladakh Independent candidate

Leave a comment

PTI, Kargil, May 18, 2024 :  Amid a three-cornered fight in Ladakh, Independent candidate Mohammad Haneefa Jan said his focus remains on the demands such as safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and statehood raised with the Union government.


Haneefa, who was a National Conference (NC) leader till recently, quit the party along with the entire Kargil unit to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ladakh. While he belongs to Kargil, INDIA bloc’s Tsering Namgyal and BJP’s Tashi Gyalson are from Leh.

It is believed that being the lone candidate from Kargil gives Haneefa an edge over the other two candidates.

Of the around 1,84,000 voters in Ladakh, Kargil has around 95,000 voters while Leh has around 89,000 voters, according to the local officials. With votes from Leh likely to split between Congress’s Namgyal and BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, Haneefa seems to have an advantage.

Haneefa told PTI that he is getting support from all social and religious groups in Kargil. His team is also campaigning in the Leh district with a four-point demand in focus.

The Ladakh seat was given to the Congress under the seat-sharing arrangement of the INDIA bloc. Namgyal, the leader of opposition in Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council, was announced as their candidate.

The entire unit of the NC in Kargil resigned citing pressure to support the Congress candidate. The local unit of the Congress is also backing Haneefa.

“We were hoping that the Congress will give a chance to a candidate from Kargil this time. We had decided that we will give a candidate from the NC.

“I had already been announced as the candidate. Unfortunately, the decision went in favour of Leh,” Haneefa told PTI in an interview.

He said under the seat-sharing deal of the INDIA bloc, the Ladakh seat was given to the Congress. The NC’s Kargil unit was under pressure to support the Congress candidate.

“We said the whole Kargil is united. The whole NC’s Kargil unit resigned,” he said.

Haneefa said supporting the opposition bloc candidate from Leh could have worked in favour of the BJP.

“It was not possible to support the Leh candidate at the ground level. That would have meant the BJP’s victory or the emergence of some other independent candidate,” he said.

At his rallies in Kargil, ‘ittehad’ or unity is the key word, as all social, political and religious groups are backing him under the banner of Ladakh Democratic Alliance (LDA).

For Haneefa, the focus remains on the four demands being raised by the Ladakhis — safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, statehood, job reservations and a separate public service commission. Two separate Lok Sabha seats for Kargil and Leh are also on his agenda.

He said the Union Territory status for Ladakh was originally the demand of the people from Leh. The people of Kargil wanted to remain with Jammu and Kashmir. But in today’s scenario, the people of Kargil are also on the same page over the demands.

“This is the first time in history that Kargil and Leh are unitedly fighting over something. We have staged protests in Leh, Kargil, Jammu and at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Unfortunately, in the last five years, the elected MP did not raise the issues of Ladakh.

Haneefa was referring to Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, the outgoing Ladakh MP, who was replaced with Gyalson as the BJP candidate from the constituency in these Lok Sabha elections.

“Maybe he was under some pressure from his party. He became a representative of the party and not of the people of Ladakh. He kept trying to please his party leaders by talking about Kashmir and not about the people of Ladakh,” Haneefa said.

“Had he (Jamyang Tsering Namgyal) been a representative of Ladakh, he would have acted as a bridge between the government and the people. Maybe our message could have reached the leadership,” he said.

Haneefa claimed that despite the regional divide, all communities in Kargil are supporting him. His team is also campaigning in Leh, where the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), a prominent religious body, has said the focus remains on their demands for safeguards and democracy.

“Earlier the divide was on a regional and religious basis. But today, Buddhist, Christians and Sikhs, all are together. We are united over the issue of Ladakh.

“The LBA president also said we will support the candidates who are secular and talk about the interests of Ladakh. That is why we are able to campaign openly in Leh as well. Many Buddhist brothers called me and welcomed that I was fighting elections on the four demands,” he said.

Haneefa stressed that implementation of both statehood and Sixth Schedule are extremely important here in order to protect the local culture, identity, as well as interests of people, specially when it comes to employment.

“Ladakh has a very huge area but a very low population. If a large number of outsiders come here, we will be finished,” he said.

Ladakh, which holds the distinction of being India’s largest constituency in terms of area, will go to polls on May 20. This is the first time Lok Sabha elections are being held here since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir which paved the way for the creation of Ladakh as a Union Territory but without legislature. 
Crime, Northeast, Politics

Four militants of the banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party arrested in Manipur

Leave a comment

PTI, IMPHAL, MAY 18, 2024 : Four militants of the banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (People War Group) were arrested by a combined team of Manipur Police and Assam Rifles in Thoubal district, an officer said on Friday.

“Acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of militants, a coordinated operation was launched at Yairipok Bazaar area during which the militants were arrested on Thursday,” the police officer said. 
The officer said five mobile handsets, two 9mm pistols with 15 live rounds, five demand letters, twenty 5.56 mm ammunition, four 7.62mm ammunition were seized from the possession of arrested militants. 
Police also apprehended one active member of the proscribed outfit KCP (Taibanganba) organization from Imphal West district on Thursday.
The arrested militant was involved in extortion of money from shops located at Paona and Thangal bazar in the Imphal area, police said, adding one .32 pistol along with four live round ammunition were seized from his possession.
Crime, Politics, Regional, West Bengal

FIR against 3 Raj Bhavan officials for ‘restraining’ woman who accused Guv of molestation

Leave a comment


PTI, Kolkata, May 18, 2024 : A case was lodged against three officials of the Raj Bhavan here for allegedly wrongfully restraining the woman, who accused Governor C V Ananda Bose of molesting her, police said on Saturday.

    The FIR against the three officials was lodged at the Hare Street police station after the woman, a contractual employee of Raj Bhavan, recorded her statement before a magistrate in the molestation case, a police officer said.

    “The three officers have been included in the FIR for stopping the complainant woman from leaving Raj Bhawan by wrongfully restraining her on May 2. We will investigate their roles on that evening,” the officer said.

    On May 2, the woman had alleged molestation by Bose following which the Kolkata Police started a probe.

    Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his term in office.

National, Politics, Regional, West Bengal

A right lesson has to be taught to BJP: Abhishek – TMC will play decisive roll in formation of INDIA bloc govt, claims MP

Leave a comment


PTI, Kolkata, May 18, 2024 :  Asserting that electors of the country will teach a lesson to the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday claimed that the term of the saffron party-led NDA government at the Centre will expire soon.

    Addressing a rally in Kultali in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district in support of Trinamool Congress candidate from Jaynagar Pratima Mandal, Banerjee blamed the BJP for “making the lives of poor people miserable”.

    “A right lesson has to be taught to the BJP which always makes empty promises. The saffron party has stopped making payments to West Bengal under various central schemes like 100-day work and housing programmes,” he said.

    Banerjee, also the nephew of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, said the “central government every year takes away Rs 1.20 lakh crore from West Bengal and the state owes Rs 1.65 lakh crore from the Centre on account of various schemes”.

    He also claimed that though the Centre is “not making payments” under various schemes, the West Bengal government is “meeting up all these monetary dues of the poor from its exchequer”.

    The TMC has accused the BJP-led NDA government of withholding dues to Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Gramin Awas Yojana.

    The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 aims at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.

    The time has come to secure the basic rights of the people, Banerjee said.

    “The state government, through various social welfare schemes like the ‘Laskhmir Bhandar’, is making efforts to financially help the people of West Bengal,” he said.

    ‘Laskhmir Bhandar’ is a popular welfare scheme of the TMC government, which provides a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for general-category women and Rs 1,200 for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women in the state.

    The Trinamool Congress MP also alleged that under the present dispensation at the Centre, the “poor are becoming poorer and the rich getting richer”.

    “The term of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre will expire soon, which will be evident once the Lok Sabha election results are out on June 4. The INDIA bloc will form the government and the Trinamool Congress will play a decisive role,” he claimed.

    He also accused the saffron camp of orchestrating a conspiracy to defame the women of Sandeshkhali by “paying them to make false rape allegations”.

    “Also see, how Tamluk BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhay had made obnoxious comments against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP should be thrown away into the Bay of Bengal”, the TMC leader said at the rally.

    A purported video in which BJP nominee and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay was heard wondering about “the amount at which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is getting sold,” triggered a row with the TMC labelling it as the saffron party’s guarantee of disrespecting women, while the BJP raised doubts about the clip’s authenticity.

    PTI, however, couldn’t verify the authenticity of the video.

    Banerjee said that the BJP always delves into “divisive politics” and is “not bothered about social and economic uplift of the poor”.

    Later speaking at a roadshow at Diamond Harbour from where he is contesting in the Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee said, “Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate had tormented my family by summoning in fabricated cases against us”.

    Banerjee, who is also the sitting MP from the constituency, said the time has come now to give a reply in a befitting manner.

    The Trinamool Congress leader said the “saffron party will have to be immersed democratically so that development of the state continues unabated”.

    The BJP seeks votes in the “name religion and always believed in divisive politics”, he alleged. 

National, Politics

Article 370 buried in ‘kabristan’, Cong should

Leave a comment

PTI, Sonipat (Haryana), May 18, 2024 :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday kept up the attack on the Congress, saying it should forget the “dream” of bringing back Article 370 as it has been “buried” in the “kabristan (graveyard)”.

    Addressing a rally at Gohana, his second of the day in Haryana after one at Ambala, Modi referred to the Lok Sabha polls as a “Kurukshetra (battle)” in which “there is development on one hand and ‘vote jihad’ on the other”.
    Striking a chord with the locals, Modi referred to Gohana’s famous “Matu Ram ki jalebi” to target the opposition INDIA bloc, saying it has a formula of having five prime ministers in five years if they come to power. “Ask them is the prime minister’s post our Matu Ram ki jalebi,” he told the crowd.
    “In the 2024 ‘kurukshetra’, there is development on one hand and ‘vote jihad’ on the other,” he said. “I want to ask the people of Haryana… who will win?”
     He waited for the crowd to respond before saying, “Your reply has decided ‘Phir Ek Baar’,” and the crowd went, “Modi Sarkar.”
    Modi said now the Congress is not even hiding its “desh-virodhi agenda (anti-national agenda)”. They are saying openly what Modi did in 10 years they will reverse it if they come to power, he said.
    But their “dream” of bringing Article 370 back will never be fulfilled, he added. “They are saying that we will restore Article 370 in Kashmir… This means once again a free run for terrorism and bloodshed in the Valley.”
    “From the brave land of Haryana, I want to tell those associated with the Congress that only tricolour will fly in Kashmir now,” he said.
    “Forget the dream of bringing back 370 in Kashmir. And if you try to do it ‘lene k dene padd jayenge’ (you will to pay very heavy price),” he said. “Dhara 370 ki deewar hamne kabristan me gaad di hai….We have buried the hurdle of Article 370 in the kabristan (graveyard).”
    Earlier at the Ambala poll rally too, Modi attacked the Congress and said it was his “dhakad” (strong) government that removed the Article 370 impedient and as a result, Jammu and Kashmir is now moving on the path of progress.
     Back at Gohana in Sonipat, Modi said the Congress is out of power for 10 years and therefore they are jittery. They are remembering their old days when the “shahi parivar” used to run government with a remote control, he said, adding all government schemes used to be in the name of only one family and there was corruption too.
    During the Congress rule, he said, firing at the borders and ceasefire violations used to be in the headlines regularly.
    But under his government, he said, the situation has changed even though the enemy is the same. It is not Modi, but the power of a vote of people which changed the situation, he added.
    Modi said he gave the soldiers, including the brave soldiers from Haryana, guarding the borders a free hand.
     The Congress and INDIA alliance are not able to digest these decisions, Modi said.
“They cannot see this situation of Pakistan. Now people associated with the Congress have become Pakistan’s spokespersons and are saying the neighbouring country has nuclear bomb.”
    “Tell me, should India be scared of Pakistan?” he asked the gathering.”Ye Modi ka daur hai, hum ghar mein ghus ke marte hai (This is Modi’s period, we hit the enemy inside its territory).”
    He railed against the opposition INDIA bloc, calling it a gang of the corrupt. (Jamaat of ghotalebaaz).” “They want power at any cost. And what is that cost? It is the country’s security, stability and respect. And five prime ministers in five years. This is their formula to run the government,” he said.
     “Will the country benefit, if there is new PM each year. What will they do? Will you allow the country to go back to that period of instability.”
     Accusing the Congress of appeasement politics, Modi said its manifesto has Muslim League imprint. “It will X-ray your land, jewellery, will get property inquired, where is Mangalsutra, all of this property, which is in excess of your requirement, will be distributed among those who do Vote Jihad,” he said.
    “Will you allow your property to be snatched away? Will you allow those who do Vote Jihad have rights on your property.”
    He also attacked the Congress by mentioning the 2006 remark then PM Manmohan Singh and on the issue of “inheritance tax”.
    Accusing the Congress of backstabbing Babasaheb B R Ambedkar and shredding the Constitution, Modi said the party wants to give reservation meant for SC, ST and OBC to Muslims.
    “They have started this in Karnataka. After forming the government, they declared all Muslims as OBC and as a result, they robbed the OBC of their share, looted a big chunk of it while the original OBC were left in the lurch,” said Modi.
    He also alleged the Congress created as many obstacles as it could in the Ram Temple construction to make those who do ‘Vote Jihad’ happy. “They have so much hatred towards Lord Ram that they rejected the invitation (for consecration ceremony).”
    Whereas Iqbal Ansari, who fought against Ram Mandir in court, attended the ceremony, he said.
    Modi alleged “INDI Alliance” leaders openly say Ram Mandir is “useless”. One Congress leader said there was a discussion on how to overturn the court verdict and send Ram Lalla back to the tent, the PM said. “Will you make the poisonous politics of Congress and INDI alliance a success.”
    Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll candidate from Sonipat Mohan Lal Badoli were also on the stage.
Politics, Regional

Kuirobhitra Darjeeling of C R Rai released at Kalimpong

Leave a comment

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 18 May 2024 : “Kuirobhitra Darjeeling“ Nepali version of the book Darjeeling: The Unhealed Wound, authored by C.R.Rai and published by BukAnt was released today during a programme at Hotel Trace in Kalimpong.

The book depicts the people and circumstances responsible for creating political uncertainty in the Darjeeling Hills. 
The programme hosted by Anjana Bhandari had the presence of Renulina Subba, former MLA as Chairperson of the programme and Dr. C. B. Sunuwar, Thomas Mukhia and P L Subba all former teachers as the guests. 
The other dignitaries present in the programme were, Dr. Samuel Rai, Director of the Directorate of Cinchona and other Medicinal Plantation, Dr H.B.Chhetri, Former MLA and representatives and officials of different social organisations and political parties.

The programme was started with welcome address by Rudra Karki and keynote address by Dr.C.B.Sunuwar and Pravakar Dewan. C. R. Rai, the author and other dignitaries also addressed the programme.   

The original English version of the book (254 pages) was published by Bluerose Publishers Pvt. Ltd. and released in July 2022.
The Nepali version has 319 pages and has an attractive and beautiful cover. 
The beautiful hill district of Darjeeling has been in the throes of political uncertainty for several decades now. Mr. CR Rai, the author is a former civil servant who served in several executive posts. He resigned from the West Bengal Civil Services to form a new political party, hoping to solve the Darjeeling imbroglio and other problems with rich experience. 

Rai had access to some of the prime political actors and events at the height of the Gorkhaland agitation and brought his unique perspective on the issue in this unusually interesting book. Rai led several delegations to New Delhi and also had been actively involved in various social, cultural, and literary organizations. His involvement in administration and politics gave him a unique insight into the affairs of Darjeeling as well as Sikkim, Nepal, and Bhutan. 
Author Rai has come forward to address the lack of “indigenous intellectuals” who are responsible for clearly bringing into light the “facts” of Darjeeling, which is covered with a dark cloud of “illusion”.

Though this book calls for an inclusive solution to the Darjeeling conundrum based on pragmatism and non-violence, it discusses the people and circumstances responsible for creating political uncertainty. There are fascinating insights into the roles played by the local leaders and the main players as well as Dr BC Roy and Shri Vallabhai Patel in determining Darjeeling’s post-independence position. What influence did Nepal have? How did Sikkim’s annexation influence regional politics? These and other questions are discussed with great passion. Darjeeling enthusiasts will also be fascinated by the references to the many known and lesser-known figures who played a crucial role in the establishment of the original “Queen of the Hills”
National, Northeast, Politics, Regional

Naga body rejects government appeal, remains firm to boycott urban local bodies’ poll

Leave a comment

Lokmat Times, Kohima, May 17, 2024 : The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) on Friday rejected the Nagaland government’s appeal and remained firm on abstaining from participating in the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections, scheduled on June 26.


ENPO Secretary W. Manwang Konyak said that they did not receive any written appeal and only saw in the media that the state government has made an appeal not to boycott the ULB polls.

“We have to go by the decision of our grassroots level people and organisation. We would abstain from participating in the ULB polls,” Konyak told IANS.

After a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the Nagaland government on Thursday urged the ENPO not to boycott the vital ULB polls.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister K.G. Kenye, who is the Spokesman of the state government said that the government has appealed to ENPO and its constituent bodies to participate in the ULB elections, which are being conducted on the directions of the Supreme Court.

The ULB election is for empowering local self-governance and facilitating development and uplift of the citizens at the grassroots, he said.

Kenye said that after a prolonged battle involving the women’s reservation in the ULBs, the state would be holding the ULB election in the larger interest of the public and their welfare.

He said that ULB elections should not be seen as a means for ENPO to register resentment and protest for their demands on Frontier Nagaland Territory.

Since 2010, the ENPO has been demanding a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ or a separate state comprising the six eastern Nagaland districts — Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang and it also boycotted the election to the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat on April 19 in support of its demand.

The ENPO Secretary said that they have already informed the State Election Commission (SEC) that the people of the six districts would abstain from voting in the ULB polls, covering three Municipal Councils and 36 Town Councils.

Konyak said that the ENPO had, on March 19, adopted a unanimous resolution that the people of the region would not participate in any central and state elections due to the delay in creating the ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT)’ as offered and assured by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on December 7, 2023.

“Through many letters to MHA and mass rallies, we tried to persuade the Central government to resolve our demand but it turned a deaf ear,” the Naga leader said.

However, the ENPO has clarified that this stance should not be misconstrued as opposition to the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2023 with 33 per cent reservation for women.

Nagaland Chief Minister earlier said that the state government has proposed the constitution of an autonomous body for the development of eastern Nagaland and its people.

The ENPO has been demanding a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ comprising six eastern districts inhabited by seven backward tribes — Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung.

The ENPO and its allies had given a call to boycott the Assembly elections held in February last year but withdrew it later following an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Crime, Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Post-poll violence: CBI looking for 6 absconders; residence of 2 TMC leaders raided

Leave a comment
 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.
National, Politics, Regional, West Bengal

EC show-cause to Abhijit Gangopadhyay for ‘improper, undignified’ remarks against CM

Leave a comment

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.
Crime, Politics, West Bengal

TMC demonstrates near Raj Bhavan over molestation charge against Guv

Leave a comment

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. 
Politics, West Bengal

Modi govt orchestrating plan to drive out Adivasis from their own land: Mamata

Leave a comment

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.
National, Politics

BJP went back on Sixth Schedule promise, will continue movement till demands are met: Sonam Wangchuk

Leave a comment
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.
National, Politics

Modi to hold 6 rallies in Bengal

Leave a comment

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. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/modi-to-hold-6-rallies-in-bengal-564110
National, Politics, West Bengal

We are and will be part of INDIA bloc at national level, asserts Mamata

Leave a comment
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.