Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 4 May 2024, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to intimidate IAS and IPS officers. “They (BJP) are so scared that they are calling IPS and IAS officers and threatening them to stand by the side of the BJP.
The officers are asked to stay away from the Trinamool Congress. Do you think that this news will not reach us,” Banerjee slammed the BJP. She was addressing two election rallies in East Burdwan — Raina and Purbasthali. Banerjee also alleged that around 1,500 state police who were taken by the Election Commission for conducting polls in other states were not given postal ballots.
“State police can be taken to other states but why they will not be given postal ballots? Why will the permission not be given? Either you (ECI) give them permission to cast their votes or else I will bring them back to the state. You can do whatever you wish to,” Banerjee hit out at the ECI.
Banerjee also hit out at Modi for mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over contesting from two Lok Sabha seats, saying PM Modi and many others from the BJP have done the same in the past.
“He (Modi) unnecessarily made a statement this morning. Although CPI(M), Congress and BJP are contesting as partners in Bengal, he referred to the Congress and asked why Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rai Bareli.
He (Rahul) has done what he wanted. He has every right. How does it concern you? You also fought from two seats in the past. Many in your party did it,” Banerjee trained her guns at the PM from an election rally in Burdwan.
Incidentally, PM Modi held back-to-back election rallies in Bengal on Friday. Also Read – Trinamool ‘fact-checks’ PM Modi, counters his claims at Bengal rally “It seems he (Modi) has no work to do.
A PM doesn’t even know what should be said, and what shouldn’t,” Banerjee said, referring to the barbs that PM Modi threw at Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi from a rally in Burdwan said that he had spoken about the Congress losing the elections in his Parliament speech.
“When their senior leader quit her Lok Sabha seat and entered Parliament through Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, it was evident they sensed defeat,” he said, a reference to Sonia Gandhi’s decision not to contest from the Gandhi family pocket borough Rae Bareli due to health reasons.
On Friday, the Congress announced Rahul Gandhi will contest from the constituency. Reacting to Modi’s comment that BJP would open a legal cell for the help of genuine candidates who have been rendered jobless following High Court order, Banerjee said that Modi should not say anything about this as his party BJP in connivance with the CPI(M) snatched jobs of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The crime investigation department booked Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, after a JD-S worker from Hassan lodged a complaint against him
PTI, 03, May 2024 : The Criminal Investigation Department investigating the sexual abuse allegations against Janata Dal-Secular leader and National Democratic Alliance’s Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna has registered a case of rape against him, based on the complaint by a party worker.
The crime investigation department booked Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, after a JD-S worker from Hassan lodged a complaint against him.
Besides the rape charges, the CID invoked sections against Prajwal pertaining to voyeurism, disrobing and making videos and taking photographs by threatening the complainant.
In the complaint, the woman said Prajwal had raped her at gunpoint and made videos on his mobile phones.
She said Prajwal had taken her to the MP quarters where he perpetrated the crime at gunpoint and threatened that he would kill her as well as her husband, if she revealed to anyone what he had done.
The accused allegedly forced her to satisfy his lust whenever he demanded, and threatened to make her video public if she did not cooperate.
Prajwal is facing allegations of sexually abusing several women. The state government-constituted Special Investigation Team is investigating the case.
Scores of explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old MP sexually abusing several women had started making the rounds in recent days.
Prajwal is the BJP-JD-S alliance’s candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held on April 26, after which he left the country on a diplomatic passport.
The JD-S had joined the NDA in September last year.
The JD-S leadership has suspended Prajwal from the party.
All four people were pronounced dead at the scene on Highway 401 in Whitby, about 50 kilometres east of Toronto, police said on Thursday.
PTI, Toronto, May 3, 2024 : An Indian couple visiting Canada and their three-month-old grandchild were among four people killed on the spot in a multi-vehicle collision when Ontario police pursued a liquor store robbery suspect driving the wrong way.
All four people were pronounced dead at the scene on Highway 401 in Whitby, about 50 kilometres east of Toronto, police said on Thursday.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said that two of the victims, a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, were visiting from India. However, the SIU did not release the names of the victims.
The couple’s three-month-old grandson also died in the multi-vehicle collision. Highway 401 was closed for several hours after the incident on Monday, it said.
The agency said that the parents of the infant, his 33-year-old father and 27-year-old mother, were travelling in the same vehicle and were taken to hospital.
The mother’s injuries are serious, the SIU said.
The 21-year-old robbery suspect was also killed in the collision, which involved at least six vehicles, CBC News reported.
Officials have said the deadly car chase started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville and ended around 20 minutes later after the suspect in a cargo van led Durham police on a high-speed chase against opposing traffic on Highway 401.
A 38-year-old male passenger from the cargo van was also taken to the hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
The autopsies for the victims were conducted in Toronto on Wednesday.
Seven investigators, one forensic investigator and one collision reconstructionist continue to investigate this case, the statement said.
The SIU is an agency called in to investigate whenever police are involved in a death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
Milica Maljkovic Birkett, a witness to the deadly police chase and had a lucky escape, said she didn’t have time to think.
She was driving her regular commute on the 401, when she was suddenly face-to-face with the suspect van barrelling toward her car on the wrong way.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, like what just happened? What’s going on?'” Maljkovic Birkett told CBC Toronto on Thursday.
Maljkovic Birkett said the experience has taken time to process.
“It’s so scary,” she said. “For whatever reason, somehow my life was spared. But (four) others were taken and that was just really heavy,” she said.
Matar Singh, EOI, 4 May 2024 : Speed breakers on Indian roads have been a topic of much controversy and debate in recent years, as they pose several problems for both drivers and pedestrians alike. While speed breakers are installed with the intention of controlling vehicle speed and reducing accidents, they often end up causing more harm than good due to their design, placement, and maintenance issues. You can find small rumble type breakers , double speed bumps and even some where you will find humps of about 8 to 10 inch heights.
One of the main problems associated with speed breakers on Indian roads is that they are often poorly constructed and not properly maintained. Many speed breakers are haphazardly built using substandard materials, leading to uneven surfaces that can cause damage to vehicles and endanger the safety of drivers.
Additionally, the lack of regular maintenance and repair of speed breakers only exacerbates the problem, as they become more dangerous overtime.
Another issue with speed breakers in India is their inconsistent design and placement. Speed breakers are often installed without considering factors such as visibility, traffic flow, and road conditions, leading to confusion and uncertainty among drivers. This lack of standardization in speed breaker design and placement can increase the risk of accidents and make navigating Indian roads even more challenging for motorists. In some states you can find speed breakers on state highways and national highways.
Furthermore, speed breakers can also have a negative impact on the environment and public health. The constant braking and acceleration required to navigate speed breakers can result in increased fuel consumption and emissions, contributing to air pollution and climate change.
Additionally, the noise pollution caused by vehicles passing over speed breakers can disturb surrounding communities and have negative effects on the well-being of residents.
In addition, speed breakers in India are often used as a means of revenue generation by local authorities, leading to their indiscriminate placement and overuse.
This practice not only undermines the intended purpose of speed breakers in promoting road safety but also reflects a lack of coordination and accountability within the transportation system.
It is essential for policymakers to address this issue and ensure that speed breakers are installed and maintained in a responsible manner.
Moreover, speed breakers can also pose a threat to emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks, which require smooth and uninterrupted access to reach their destinations quickly. The presence of speed breakers on Indian roads can hinder the response time of emergency services and potentially endanger the lives of those in need of urgent medical attention or rescue.
Additionally, the proliferation of speed breakers on Indian roads can also have economic repercussions, as they can cause damage to vehicles and increase maintenance costs for drivers.
The repeated impact of vehicles passing over speed breakers can lead to wear and tear on suspension systems, tires, and other components, resulting in costly repairs and reduced vehicle lifespan.
This added financial burden can be particularly challenging for low-income individuals and contributes to the overall economic strain on society.
In conclusion, the problems related to speed breakers on Indian roads are multifaceted and require a comprehensive and coordinated approach to address.
The issues of poor construction, inconsistent design and placement, environmental impact, revenue-driven installation, obstruction of emergency services, and economic burden all underscore the urgent need for reform in the management of speed breakers. It is essential for policymakers, urban planners, and transportation authorities to work together to develop and implement sustainable solutions that prioritize road safety, efficiency, and the well-being of all road users in India.
This is my observations while travelling frequently by road from Durgapur to Tata, Purulia, Kolkata, Digha, Chandrakona Road, Bolpur, Tarapith, Dhanbad, Chittaranjan & Deoghar, nearby areas.
Reporters Without Borders puts the number at 108. In the first 50 days of the conflict, journalists were being killed at a rate of roughly one per day, making Gaza the most dangerous conflict for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began keeping records in 1992
Editorial, EOI, 4 May 2024 : Journalism is under attack on an international scale, both from outside and from inside, as recent developments have revealed. The most glaring evidence of attack from outside is from war-torn Gaza, where a total of 97 journalists are estimated to have been killed since October last.
Reporters Without Borders puts the number at 108. In the first 50 days of the conflict, journalists were being killed at a rate of roughly one per day, making Gaza the most dangerous conflict for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began keeping records in 1992.Some of those were the inevitable ‘collateral damage’ of the conflict, caught in crossfire because they were working close to active fighting.
But Israeli troops have also been accused of targeting many of the journalists because of their work. Many of them were reporting in the field and were clearly identifiable as journalists.
Others were killed by strikes that specifically targeted their homes. Of course, the life of a journalist is no more precious than that of anybody else, but the issue at stake is not the safety of journalists but the right to know.
The trouble is, if journalism is criminalized, dismissed or sidelined as it tells inconvenient truths, capacity for sensible public debate will be lost in society. Thanks to social media, there is enough information available, but often full of rumour, conjecture and opinion.
In the absence of professional journalists, what will be missing is information underpinned by the necessary journalistic rigor, without which it becomes impossible to filter out reliable fact from conjecture, rumour and pure fiction.
Not only Gaza, journalism is under unprecedented assault all over the world. The Committee to Protect Journalists has estimated that on December 1 last year there were 320 journalists in prison in the world. In an analysis of the charges the journalists are facing, the CPJ has found that almost two-thirds of them are being held on broadly described “anti-state charges,” like terrorism, sedition, and treason.
The troubling conclusion is that governments have taken to treating journalism not as something that supports the state by upholding democratic values such as transparency, accountability and vibrant public debate; but as an existential threat.
The threat from within comes from social media which is now cornering an increasing share of advertising revenue.
News outlets have relied for so long on advertising to sustain them. They will find it difficult to recover once the advertisement revenue goes elsewhere.
Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism; because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business.
The business of most news outlets has been primarily about attracting attention, not delivering the best or highest quality news. Data on the shifting share of advertising, in Australia and elsewhere, makes clear the profound change of the last two decades.
Money previously spent on print advertising and direct mail has migrated to search, social media, and online classifieds.
Money spent on television advertising has moved as well, though more slowly and mostly just in the last decade.
The development of more effective and efficient advertising tools is what killed traditional newspaper operations, not the circulation of news on social media. The commercial failure of news organisations is not due to their journalism product but because they are no longer nearly so strong a tool for attracting attention for advertisers
PTI, Imphal, May 2, 2024 : A bank was robbed in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Thursday, officials said.
The incident happened at SBI’s Salbung branch in the Tuibong area around 2 pm, they said.
Preliminary information suggests that around Rs 20 lakh in cash was robbed by four armed men, who are yet to be identified, they added.
An investigation was underway, officials said.
Following the robbery, the armed men who were wearing masks and helmets fled towards Kangvai, eyewitnesses told the police.
A search was underway to arrest the perpetrators, officials said.
Another bank looted in CCpur
Chronicle News Service, CCpur, May 02 2024: The State Bank of India (SBI) branch located in K Salbung, Churachandpur district, became the latest target in a string of bank robberies plaguing the hill areas of the state since the onset of the crisis on May 3 last year.
According to reports, a group of 4 or 5 armed individuals with faces concealed with masks and helmets, stormed into the SBI K Sal-bung branch on Thursday around 1.30 pm.
Brandishing small firearms, the assailants held both bank officials and customers at gunpoint as they ransacked the branch.
The intruders also fired shots both inside and outside the bank, before seizing approximately Rs 15 lakh in cash from the cash counter no 2 of the bank as well as the customers, who were inside the bank at the time of the heist.
The branch manager has lodged a complaint at Churachandpur police station, detailing the events.
Witnesses recounted the chaos and fear that ensued as the armed robbers made their way through the bank, rifling through drawers and demanding cash from both staff and customers.
In a show of violence, shots were fired towards the branch manager’s cabin, heightening tensions and leaving the customers in fear.
The robbers also proceeded to threaten employees at gunpoint, vandalising strategically placed CCTV cameras and damaging certain machines within the premises.
Eyewitnesses and law enforcement sources confirmed that the perpetrators swiftly fled the scene, escaping towards Kangvai road in Churachandpur district.
In response, a rapid and extensive manhunt was launched by police and central forces to apprehend the culprits and recover the stolen funds.
In the aftermath of the robbery, authorities discovered a live round left on the desk of cash counter no 3, which was promptly handed over to the police for further investigation.
This latest incident adds to a grim tally of bank robberies that have plagued the hill areas of the state since the crisis erupted last year.
On May 16 last year, armed miscreants looted Rs 11.7 lakh from the Manipur State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) branch in Churachandpur.
On July 10 last year, gunmen robbed Rs 3 crore from the Axis Bank branch in Churachandpur.
Just four days later, on July 14, armed assailants targeted the MSCB branch in Kangpokpi, looting cash and equipment worth nearly Rs 1 crore.
November 23 last year, witnessed a brazen heist at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Ukhrul, where gunmen decamped with nearly Rs 19 crore.
Mention may be made that all the Meetei residents of Churachandpur district have fled the district after armed Kuki mob targeted their properties and lives on May 3 last year.
In the aftermath, almost all of the standing properties in the Meetei localities have been flattened to the ground using bulldozers.
Even a Kuki youth was killed while trying to demolish a multi-storeyed building owned by a Meetei resident of Churachandpur.
Police personnel from the RAF and Bidhannagar police commissionerate intervened, halting the demonstrators near the commission’s head office at Karunamoyee
PTI, Calcutta, 03.05.24,: Around 1,000 young teachers, who were rendered jobless following a recent ruling by the Calcutta High Court, staged a demonstration outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) office here on Friday to express their grievances.
The teachers said they were part of the 26,000 candidates who appeared for the SSC 2016 test, a recruitment process deemed null and void by the high court in its recent verdict.
Police personnel from the RAF and Bidhannagar police commissionerate intervened, halting the demonstrators near the commission’s head office at Karunamoyee.
Approximately, 100 protesters were briefly detained for obstructing the road, a police official said.
SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumder told PTI that he met about 10 representatives from the protesters, explaining the legal constraints faced by the commission.
He expressed sympathy towards deserving candidates and assured them that the commission would do whatever possible within the legal framework to assist them.
“I have told them we are sympathetic to the deserving candidates.
The commission will certainly do whatever is possible, as per the legal framework, to help them,” he said.
However, he highlighted that the commission’s actions were restricted as the matter was now sub-judice.
Responding to queries regarding demands for the release of answer sheets in the public domain, Majumder clarified that the commission couldn’t even disclose candidates’ results, as the entire issue was sub-judice.
The SSC had earlier said while results of around 20,000 candidates were not suspicious, there are anomalies in the results of over 5000 and it had been brought to the notice of the court in past submissions.
The accused had established a “brotherly relationship” with a woman on social media to gain her trust before swindling her of lakhs of rupees.
EOI, SILIGURI, MAY 3, 2024 : A man involved in an alleged online scam has been arrested six months after the filing of the complaint.
The accused had established a “brotherly relationship” with a woman on social media to gain her trust before swindling her of lakhs of rupees.
The accused scammer, a resident of Cooch Behar, established contact with the woman, a resident of Hakimpara in Siliguri, by introducing himself on social media.
Gradually he gained the trust of the woman. He persuaded her to provide him with Rs 10,000 and returned Rs 17,000 to build her trust.
Later, he deceived her into handing over around Rs 50,000 on one occasion while returning Rs70,000.
Finally, he disappeared after swindling the woman of lakhs of rupees. Following the complaint of the woman the Panitanki Outpost tracked the man, using his mobile tower location.
The bench asked Singhvi when are the elections scheduled in Delhi to which he replied that on May 23 the campaigning will come to an end in the national capital and on May 25 the polling will be held
PTI, New Delhi, 03.05.24 : In a ray of hope to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after 43 days of his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case, the Supreme Court on Friday told the Enforcement Directorate to be ready with the case as it may consider hearing arguments on his interim bail on May 7 on account of Lok Sabha polls in Delhi.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody.
A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), that the hearing on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest is likely to take time and therefore, the court was considering hearing the probe agency on interim bail to him.
“It appears we can’t complete today. We will post it on Tuesday morning itself. Mr Raju, one more thing. If it is going to take time and it does appear to us that it may take some time, we will then consider the question of interim bail because of the elections,” the bench told Raju, who was wrapping up his argument for the day.
Raju submitted that he will oppose the bail to Kejriwal and pointed out that to the statements made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh after getting bail last month in the case.
“Just, look at the kind of statements he is making,” he said.
The bench said it is putting the agency on notice about the court’s intention, so that it is not taken by surprise on May 7, when the interim bail issue will be dealt.
“We are not commenting on it either way. We are just saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail,” the bench said.
It also told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal,
“Just one thing more. Please also take instructions. Because of the position he holds, whether he should be signing official files?” During the hearing, Singhvi informed the bench that on March 16 the elections were announced and on March 21, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on the basis of statements and materials which were available with the agency since last July.
The bench asked Singhvi when are the elections scheduled in Delhi to which he replied that on May 23 the campaigning will come to an end in the national capital and on May 25 the polling will be held.
The top court was also critical of Singhvi’s arguments that AAP being a political party will not be covered under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which deals with offences by companies.
“Anything done by a political party cannot be attributed to its President, Convenor or General Secretary, else it will be a case of vicarious liability. A political party is out of the section 70 of the PMLA,” he submitted, adding that the provision only deals with companies.
The senior lawyer further said that a political party is not a partnership, private corporate firm or a society but an entity which is registered under the Representation of the People Act.
The bench said, “It is difficult to accept your arguments.
AAP is a juristic person and cannot be arrested. It can be impleaded as accused. Person in-charge can be prosecuted along with the juristic person under section 70 of the PMLA. Will the society not be covered under section 70.
Anyways, we have noted your arguments and will deal with it.” Singhvi said that there is no direct evidence of Kejriwal receiving kickback and if at all he has, then the case will fall under the Prevention of Corruption Act and not the PMLA.
He added that all the materials the ED has, were covered in the bail case of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the court has said that no case is made out based on them.
The top court also posed several queries to ED including on why nine exculpatory statements of witnesses were not mentioned in the ground of arrest of Kejriwal and why only inculpatory statements were mentioned.
Raju replied that the investigating officer, though having considered all the materials before him, is required to only mention the relevant material which make him believe that the accused has committed the offence.
“I have considered all the materials but I need to mention only the relevant material and not irrelevant materials. The statements which are exculpatory are irrelevant material and if the investigation officer is to record all the materials before it, then the record will be voluminous and he will not be able to file the chargesheet in 60 days,” Raju submitted.
However, the bench did not agree with the submissions and said that the scheme of the law and the 2022 verdict in Vijay Madanlal Choudhury has kept section 19 at higher pedestal and therefore, entire material should be before the court at the time of his arrest.
Section 19 of the PMLA empowers the ED to arrest persons based on the material in its possession, providing a reasonable basis to suspect that an individual has committed an offence punishable under the law.
The top court issued the ED a notice on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal’s plea.
On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal’s arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with “little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave
PTI, Bengaluru, 03.05.24 : Citing the ongoing heatwave in the state, Karnataka BJP on Friday petitioned the Election Commission with a request to modify the polling hours to the 6am-7pm period in the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state that goes to polls on May 7.
Polling is currently scheduled to be held in the second phase in the state in 14 segments in the northern districts between 7am to 6pm on May 7.
“It has become hard to come out and vote between hours 10.00 to 17.00 due to uncontrollable heat. The average heat in those parts (north Karnataka) covering 14 parliamentary constituencies are between 37 and 42 degree (Celsius). The mercury is rising at an alarming level and it would become hard for the electors to come out and vote,” BJP’s petition said.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave.
“To keep up the good spirit of voting, necessary action should be taken,” the BJP petition urged the Election Commission, saying, “In this background, it is requested to modify the time of voting in the 14 parliamentary constituencies from 06.00 to 19.00 hours on May 7”.
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm during Karnataka’s first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies on April 26.
‘I was unhappy with some things and had to speak,’ says Ghosh who seems even more emboldened now that he no longer holds any party post. ‘The party was unhappy with what I said. I have distanced myself a little’
(L-R) Abhishek Banerjee, Kunal Ghosh and Mamata Banerjee.: TTO Graphics.
Arnab Ganguly, TT, Calcutta, 03.05.24 : The chronicle was foretold but the timing has taken political Bengal by surprise.
It began with minor skirmishes. Abhishek Banerjee, the heir to Didi’s political empire, is known to be impatient. For a while he has been targeting the explosion of movie stars in TMC politics. He has no problem with full-time politicians coming from the entertainment background. But he thought the glamorous TMC brigade in the Lok Sabha were first movie stars and politicians only next.
Also, he has little time for the elderly “has beens” like Sougata Roy, four-time MP from Dum Dum, and Sudip Bandopadhyay, the five-time MP from North Calcutta. They should give way to the next generation, the nephew was believed to have said.
Aunt Mamata Banerjee did not wholly agree. The more glamorous contestants were not given Lok Sabha tickets this time. But others got the ticket and there were fresh entries. But, a whopping one-third of women candidates were from the entertainment sector.
TTO Graphics.
Didi had her own reasons. The TMC is riven by factions in many districts. Giving tickets to an outsider and a movie star will make them less unhappy. Rather an outsider than losing to rivals. But Didi does not tolerate opposition from the party or from her nephew.
Then Gaza like bombing began. Deb, a superstar who has seen better times and has won twice from the south Bengal constituency of Ghatal, was the provocation. Deb himself did not wish to contest, but Didi suspected he was in touch with the BJP. She persuaded him to contest and even forced her nephew to request Deb.
The story took a curious turn here. Mithun Chakraborty, the aging superstar of Bollywood, is a local favourite being the only Bengali national figure after Saurav Ganguly. Mithun was a Didi nominee in the Rajya Sabha but switched sides and joined the BJP. Didi had called him a “gaddar”.
Professional affiliation runs deep in Deb’s vein. I do not like the use of words such as “gaddar”, he had said solemnly. Yet, Didi did not take umbrage and went on to campaign for Deb.
Then the drone attacks began. Abhishek Banerjee used Kunal Ghosh, a spokesman for the party, an unguided missile generally believed to be the public voice of the nephew. Ghosh thus punches above his weight. “We dare not say anything lest it antagonises the nephew,” said a senior Trinamul leader on condition of anonymity.
But Ghosh is irrepressible. He has found his second target: his old nemesis, the BJP MP from Calcutta North. Suitably inspired, Ghosh did himself one better. He attended a social event (blood donation camp) along with the BJP candidate in North Calcutta, Tapas Roy, who was till recently not just a star member of the Trinamul, but also a vocal critic of Ghosh for years. Roy had tried his best to be the Trinamul candidate himself. When that failed he joined the BJP.
At the event, Ghosh spoke a lot, praising Roy and even going on to say, tellingly, that this time Trinamul did not want “false votes” to be cast in Calcutta North, thereby casting aspersions on Bandopadhyay’s record of winning the seat since 2009. Rebuff came immediately. He was handed over a letter from Derek O’Brien telling him he was no longer one of the state secretaries of the party. Ghosh is understood to have made a face before mockingly referring to the party’s Rajya Sabha MP. “Quiz master,” he muttered, loud enough for all to hear.
Undeterred, Ghosh let loose another bombshell soon after, that too on television. “The party was well aware of the fact that large-scale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls,” he said in an interview to Bengali news channel ABP Ananda.
Ghosh did not mention names. But the Trinamul struck back within 24 hours. By Thursday afternoon, Ghosh’s name was struck off the list of the party’s star campaigners. But that further emboldened Ghosh, the proverbial ant which could drive the elephantine Trinamul crazy by his antics. A good writer and speaker, Ghosh is able to unleash all kinds of verbal missiles at will.
But Ghosh continues to hold other plum responsibilities. He runs the party mouthpiece and also looks after ā Bengali daily on Didi’s behalf. Clearly, he has powerful backers.
Since his release from prison in October 2016 (he was arrested in connection with the Saradha scam in 2013) and reinstatement in the party around four years later, Ghosh has cemented his position as a trusted aide of Abhishek.
“If someone says that I am being tutored to say these things, then the issues I am raising will become redundant,” Ghosh told The Telegraph Online. “I was unhappy with some things and had to speak. The party was unhappy with what I said. I have distanced myself a little.”
Bandopadhyay apart, Ghosh has had other Didi favourites in his line of fire, like, for instance, jailed ex-minister Partha Chatterjee, ex-MP Subrata Bakshi, candidate Kalyan Banerjee and mayor and state minister Firhad Hakim. Hence, hiding behind Ghosh’s diatribes is the answer to the question that has bothered the Trinamul rank and file in the last three years. How deep is the chasm between Didi and her nephew?
In the last four years, Ghosh has convinced many that like Abhishek, he too believes Trinamul needs to replace the old guard and some of Mamata’s personal favourites to stay ahead in the game. “Didi runs the party with an emotional connect. Abhishek wants to run it more in the manner of a corporate,” said a Trinamul leader, trying to make sense of the nephew’s line of thinking.
There are those in the Trinamul who believe Abhishek is hungry to take over the reins of the party, though no one is saying he would go the whole hog anytime soon. Side by side, Ghosh’s gradual return to favour has been the stuff of legends.
As the only Trinamul leader who publicly vilified Mamata when he was in jail, Ghosh’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular. Ghosh is also said to have played a key role in the rehabilitation of “renegade” bureaucrats. Nandini Chakravorty, a civil servant with lots of spunk, was shunted to dead posts such as secretary to the Governor. But she bounced back as a senior secretary after she paid obeisance to Ghosh.
All this may or may not be entirely true. But people believe in such stories. An impression is created. Soon that holds ground. And that’s what matters. Now that he’s no longer a star campaigner for Trinamul, Ghosh is making full use of his freedom. He has hit the road. “The issues that I am talking about, like the teachers’ recruitment scam (it was wrongly handled). The party will reap the benefits if it is solved. Trinamul leaders from the heart of the city have quit. They could have been stopped. I am not a policymaker. I am simply drawing the attention of the party,” he said.
Today, Kunal Ghosh is believed to be the “Nabi” to Abhishek’s “Allah”. And as long as Abhishek is all but inaccessible, Ghosh will remain a factor in Bengal politics.
Modi slammed the Opposition bloc INDIA and the Congress for ‘supporting’ the ‘vote jihad’ comments made by a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh
PTI, Bardhaman, 03.05.24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha polls will be an “all-time low”, as the grand old party would struggle to cross even the “half-century” mark in the hustings.
Modi also mocked Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat, and said the Congress leader did so after “sensing defeat” in Kerala’s Wayanad, where he is a sitting MP.
Addressing back-to-back rallies in the Bardhaman-Durgapur, Krishnanagar and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies, the PM said if Congress is voted to power, it would “snatch” quotas meant for the Scheduled Caste, Dalits and OBCs and give those to its “jihadi vote bank” to pursue the party’s “appeasement politics”.
Modi slammed the Opposition bloc INDIA and the Congress for “supporting” the “vote jihad” comments made by a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh.
“There is no need for opinion polls or exit polls, as I had talked about their (Congress) defeat long back in Parliament. When their senior leader quit her Lok Sabha seat and entered Parliament through Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, it was evident they sensed defeat,” he said, in an apparent dig at Sonia Gandhi.
“Now, the ‘shehzada’ of Congress, who went to Wayanad after losing the Amethi seat, is also contesting from Rae Bareli. He knows he will lose Wayanad this time,” Modi said.
He said Rahul Gandhi should not be afraid and “keep running away”.
“I had said earlier that the ‘prince’, after the polling in Wayanad, would look for another seat, due to fear of defeat in that constituency. Now, he had to run away from Amethi and choose Rae Bareli. They go around and ask people not to feel afraid. I would tell them the same thing – don’t be afraid and don’t run away,” the prime minister said.
The Congress on Friday ended the suspense over Amethi and Rae Bareli, announcing his candidature from the seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades.
Rahul Gandhi had lost from the adjoining Amethi constituency in 2019 but won from Wayanad – a seat he is contesting this time as well.
“The Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha polls will be an all-time low. Let the Congress try as much as it wants, but the party won’t be able to cross the half-century mark this time. They would struggle to get even 50 seats,” Modi asserted.
The grand old party’s lowest tally in the Lok Sabha polls was in 2014 when it bagged just 44 seats. In 2019, it managed 52 seats.
“Can the TMC by winning 15 seats across the country, the Congress by getting less than 50 seats or the Left Front, which has lost its support base, win the elections and form a stable government? The answer is no. Only the BJP-led NDA can win the polls and form a stable government,” he said.
The prime minister also challenged the Congress to give in writing that it would not amend the constitution to provide reservations based on religion.
“Our constitution explicitly states that the government of India must not provide reservations based on religion. The Congress wants to do the same as they are angry with the OBCs, Dalits and the tribals because they supported Modi,” he said.
Modi said he has been challenging the Congress on three points for the last 10 days, but it has remained silent.
“My first challenge is – Congress and the INDI alliance should give assurance to the country in writing that they will not make any changes in the Constitution or give reservations based on religion. My second challenge is – they should promise the country in writing that they will not snatch the reservations of SC/ST and OBCs and divide those based on religion.
“My third challenge is they should give in writing that wherever their state governments are in power, reservations will not be given to Muslims based on religion by slashing the OBC quota,” he said.
Modi also said the “game of vote jihad” has been silently continuing in the country for decades.
“The royal family of the Congress, the TMC and the Left are silent on this appeal of ‘vote jihad’ against me. This means that every single member of the opposition alliance agrees with it,” he said.
Hitting out at the coalition, the PM said the INDIA bloc of Congress, TMC and the Left parties “has only one policy – appeasement”.
“First, they divided the country based on religion, and the brunt was borne by communities like the Sikhs, Christians and Parsis, who were left stranded on the other side. To take care of such communities, our government decided to bring the CAA, but these parties, including the TMC, are fighting tooth and nail against it to not upset their vote bank,” he said.
Reaching out to the Matua community of West Bengal, Modi said: “We had hoped that the TMC would support the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as the Matuas would benefit from it. But, the state’s ruling party is opposing it for their vote bank politics.” On Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks over wealth redistribution, the PM said, the Congress and the INDIA bloc are planning to “take the wealth that you have accumulated by working hard and enduring hardships, and distribute it among their vote bank”.
KalimNews, Kalimpong, 3 May 2024 : NNH 10 from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile will remain closed for three complete days of 72 hrs starting from 6am of 6 April to 6am of 9 April. Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate of Kalimpong has notified that the said highway from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile for carrying out bituminous work.
His order states that a prayer has been received from the Executive Engineer II, National Highway, Division IX, P.W (Roads) requesting restriction and diversion of movement of all type of vehicles to carry out bituminous work at the stretch between Rabi bora to Gail Khola along NH 10. Therefore the administration finds it necessary to impose temporary restriction for movement of all type of vehicles to carry out the said bituminous work at the stretch between Rabi bora to Gail Khola along NH 10 to be carried on by PWD, National Highway, Division IX, P.W (Roads).
The restriction of movement of all types of vehicles in the NH 10 stretch from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile starting from 6 am of 6 May till 6 am of 9 May will be in effect.
Alternative route as traffic diversion will be allowed as follows:
1) Only small vehicles will move from Rangpoo towards Siliguri via Munsong – 17’1′ Mile – Algarah – Lava -Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock
2) Small vehicles will move from Chitrey – Kalimpong town Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock.
3) Goods Vehicle will move from Chitrey – Kalimpong town Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa from 21.00 hrs to 06.00 hrs.
4) Goods vehicle and small vehicles will move from Reshi – Pedong – Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock.
Necessary restrictions at Rangpoo Check post, Chitrey and at District border – NH – 10 stretch shall be imposed by police (Traffic) for facilitating the route diversion, the notice adds.
Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development
Dead fish from Sumendu Lake in Mirik on Thursday: Picture by Passang Yolmo
Bireswar Banerjee, TT, 03.05.24: Shoals of fish were found dead and floating on Sumendu Lake in Mirik over the past few days, much to the concern of residents and the district fisheries department.
Mirik, a popular tourist destination nestled in Darjeeling hills, is known for its lake in the heart of the town. Hundreds of tourists flock to the lakeside or take a walk along the arch-shaped concrete footbridge that connects the two ends of the water body and feed the fish. Boating is yet another attraction for people visiting the town.
Fish like Cyprinus Carpio, commonly known as American Rohu, trout and silver carp, which can survive in cold water, are found in the lake.
Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development.
“We have retrieved hundreds of dead fish from the lake here since yesterday (Wednesday). It is surprising that the fish are dying in the lake. The fisheries department should engage experts to find out what has led to the incident,” said Aita Rai, an official of the tourism department of the GTA posted in Mirik.
Rai, who also heads the Small Food Cart Association in Mirik, said local civic authorities, along with NGOs, regularly clean the lake and clear debris to keep the water body clean.
“But unplanned dumping of waste in a part of the lake by a section of residents seems to have polluted the water, leading to deaths of the fish. This practice must be stopped now and the municipality should act on it,” he added.
As the news spread, officials of Darjeeling district fisheries department which works under the GTA, has initiated a probe.
“We have instructed our staff to visit the lake and submit a report to us. We will also collect water samples and get those tested in a lab to ascertain what caused the deaths and if the water is contaminated,” said Kaushik Maity, the district fisheries officer of Darjeeling.
Courtesy & source- The Telegraph https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/shoals-of-dead-fish-float-on-miriks-sumendu-lake-raising-serious-concerns-among-residents/cid/2017343
Results of state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography
Subhankar Chowdhury, TT, Calcutta, 03.05.24 : The number of students with scores above 90 per cent has surged in all subjects, except the second language and physical science, in Madhyamik this year, compared with last year’s results.
The results of the state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show the maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography.
As many as 22,951 students scored above 90 in mathematics in 2024, compared with 12,951 last year.
Students who scored above 90 in geography numbered 49,994, compared with 31,294 last year.
This year witnessed a significant rise in female candidates — 25.95 per cent more girls, compared with last year’s count, wrote the papers.
Of the 9,12,598 candidates, 7,65,252 students have passed the exams. The overall pass percentage is 86.31, a mild improvement from last year’s 86.15.
The number of students with scores above 90 per cent rose in history, life science and first language (vernacular) as well.
But the number of students with “AA” grade (90 per cent or more) — the highest grade — in the second language dipped to 9,922. Last year, the count was 11,229.
The number of AA scorers in physical science was 14,415, compared with 17,357 last year.
This year there was also a drop in the percentage of candidates who got first division, which is 60 per cent or above, in the aggregate.
This year 12.98 per cent of the examinees scored first-division marks, against 13.67 per cent last year.
When asked about the results, Ramanuj Ganguly, the president of the ad-hoc committee of the state secondary education board, said: “We have to study the reasons that led to the rise in the number of high scorers in some subjects and fall in some others. We will make a detailed analysis.”
Swapan Mandal, of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “It is a matter of concern that the number of high scorers has dipped in two subjects despite a rise in the number of total candidates. This year, 9,12,598 appeared for the exams, against 6,82,321 last year. The percentage of first division also dipped.”
The secondary education board asked the school heads to open the URL https://www.wbbsedata.com after noon on May 2 for post-publication scrutiny (PPS) and post-publication review (PPR) of Madhyamik answer scripts.
The applications will be received till midnight of May 18.
The instruction tab for details of the login and application process has been uploaded on the board’s website.
The board also announced that applications for certified copies of answer scripts, under the RTI Act 2005, must reach the respective regional offices of the board within 75 days of the publication of the results (by July 16).
The board said that if such candidates apply for PPS/PPF as well, the RTI application for the certified copy will be processed after the publication of PPS/PPR results.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai
Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, 03.05.24 : The surge in mercury across north Bengal like other parts of the state and the absence of rainfall have badly hit the tea industry, prompting planters to appeal to the labour minister to announce subsidies and financial assistance for the sector.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai.
“In April, there was a rainfall shortage of around 50 per cent in the Terai, which has directly affected the production. At a time when the cost of production has increased because of the rise in cost of different components, the decline in production has put several gardens in crisis,” said Maitra.
With no rainfall reported in the Terai in recent weeks, over 40 tea estates in the region are entirely dependent on irrigation to ensure that tea bushes don’t dry up. Also, the absence of rain has led to pest attacks in several gardens. In most gardens of the Terai, picking of tea leaves could be carried out only three to four days a week because of low yield, said a source.
“For irrigation purposes, the gardens had to pay huge power bills. That is why we have brought it to the notice of the state labour minister and have requested him to see that a substantial discount on electricity bills for irrigation is provided by the state from November to May,” said the TIPA secretary.
He said the central and state governments should come forward with other financial assistance, subsidies and additional relief and aid for the tea industry.
“Such assistance would help the industry tide over the current situation and contribute to the socio-economic well-being of the region,” added Maitra.
Those associated with the small tea sector, which contributes over 50 per cent of the total tea produced in Bengal, also articulated their distress.
“We don’t know when the weather conditions will improve. Most of the growers are dependent on the sale proceeds of tea leaves. These days, because of low yield, their earnings have deceased and many of them are finding it tough to pay the workers who pick tea leaves,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations.
Meetings called
Subhagata Gupta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri, has convened meetings in Jalpaiguri on May 6 to expedite the reopening of the Totapara tea estate.
The management of the garden in Banarhat block announced the suspension of work on Wednesday. As a result, 855 permanent workers became jobless.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 2 May 2024, Jalpaiguri: The management of the Totapara Tea Garden in Jalpaiguri abruptly suspended operations, leaving about 850 tea garden workers unemployed. Workers claim this action was illegal, while the owners blame a section of the workers.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Aside from the contentious issue of work suspension, workers at Totapara tea plantation are grappling with outstanding dues, including Provident Fund (PF), gratuity and unpaid wages.
Seeking redress, a cohort of workers converged at Banarhat Police Station on April 27, staging a sit-in protest to expedite the resolution of their dues. Despite efforts, a scheduled tripartite meeting convened at the Banarhat Block Development Officer (BDO) office found none of the management representatives in attendance.
However, the administration received a letter from the owners assuring settlement of one installment of the outstanding wages on Tuesday. Expressing his dismay, Ramesh Mahali, a plantation worker, lamented: “The garden owner pledged to settle the dues by Tuesday, only to abscond and post the notice of suspension overnight, leaving us unaware until Wednesday, a holiday.”
Punita Mahali, another worker, echoed the sentiment, stating: “From basic amenities like access to drinking water to essential medical treatment, the garden fails us.
Adding insult to injury, our PF and gratuity remain unpaid. We hold onto hope that the garden will reopen following administrative intervention, once these issues are addressed.”
