Former Congress MLA Shankar Malakar joins Trinamool, hits out at Grand Old Party
Political observers view his switch as a calculated move by the TMC to bolster its presence among Scheduled Caste communities. Malakar's entry into the TMC comes after former Union minister John Barla joined the party last month, potentially expanding its footprint among tea garden workers and Adivasi communities."The TMC's growth in north Bengal has been slow, but with the right strategy and connection with the people, Malakar and Barla's induction can turn the tide," said political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty. Must Watch
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Business Standard
4 minutes ago
- Business Standard
DC residents protest as WH says federal agents will be on patrol 24/7
Residents in one Washington DC neighborhood lined up Wednesday to protest the increased police presence after the White House said the number of National Guard troops in the nation's capital would ramp up and federal officers would be the streets around the clock. After law enforcement set up a vehicle checkpoint along the busy 14th Street Northwest corridor, hecklers shouted, Go home, fascists and Get off our streets. Some protesters stood at the intersection before the checkpoint and urged drivers to turn away from it. The action intensified a few days after President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the city's police department for at least a month. The city's Democratic mayor walked a political tightrope, referring to the takeover as an authoritarian push at one point and later framing the infusion of officers as boost to public safety, though one with few specific barometers for success. The Republican president has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago. For two days, small groups of federal officers had been visible in scattered areas of the city. But more were present in high-profile locations Wednesday and troops were expected to start doing more missions in Washington on Thursday, according to a National Guard spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the planning process. On Wednesday, agents from Homeland Security Investigations patrolled the popular U Street corridor. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers were seen on the National Mall, while National Guard members were parked nearby. DEA agents also joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighbourhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue. Hundreds of federal law enforcement and city police officers who patrolled the streets Tuesday night made 43 arrests, compared with about two dozen the night before. DC Councilmember Christina Henderson downplayed the arrest reports as a bunch of traffic stops and said the administration was seeking to disguise how unnecessary this federal intervention is. I'm looking at this list of arrests and they sound like a normal Saturday night in any big city, said Henderson. Unlike in other US states and cities, the law gives Trump the power to take over Washington's police for up to 30 days. Extending his power over the city for longer would require approval from Congress, and that could be tough in the face of Democratic resistance. Trump suggested he could seek a longer period of control or decide to call on Congress to exercise authority over city laws his administration sees as lax on crime. We're gonna do this very quickly. But we're gonna want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will, he said. Later, on his Truth Social site, Trump reiterated his claims about the capital, writing, DC has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, DC is back under Federal Control where it belongs. Henderson, who worked for Sen Chuck Schumer of New York before running for the DC Council, said she was already in touch with friends on the Hill to rally opposition for any Trump extension request. She added, It's Day Three and he's already saying he's going to need more time? Targeting a variety of infractions The arrests made by 1,450 federal and local officers across the city included those for suspicion of driving under the influence and unlawful entry, as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, according to the White House. Seven illegal firearms were seized. There have now been more than 100 arrests since Trump began beefing up the federal law enforcement presence in Washington last week, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital, she said. The president has full command of the National Guard and has activated up to 800 troops to support law enforcement, though exactly what form remains to be determined. Neither Army nor District of Columbia National Guard officials have been able to describe the training backgrounds of the troops who have so far reported for duty. While some members are military police, others likely hold jobs that would have offered them little training in dealing with civilians or law enforcement. The federalisation push also includes clearing out encampments for people who are homeless, Trump has said. US Park Police have removed dozens of tents since March, and plan to take out two more this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said. People are offered the chance to go to shelters and get addiction treatment, if needed, but those who refuse could be fined or jailed, she said. City officials said they are making more shelter space available and increasing their outreach. Violent crime has dropped in the district The federal effort comes even after a drop in violent crime in the nation's capital, a trend that experts have seen in cities across the US since an increase during the coronavirus pandemic. On average, the level of violence Washington remains mostly higher than averages in three dozen cities analyzed by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice, said the group's president and CEO, Adam Gelb. Police Chief Pamela Smith said during an interview with the local Fox affiliate that the city's Metro Police Department has been down nearly 800 officers. She said the increased number of federal agents on the streets would help fill that gap, at least for now. Mayor Muriel Bowser said city officials did not get any specific goals for the surge during a meeting with Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, and other top federal law enforcement officials Tuesday. But, she said, I think they regard it as a success to have more presence and take more guns off the street, and we do too. She had previously called Trump's moves unsettling and unprecedented while pointing out he was within a president's legal rights regarding the district, which is the seat of American government but is not a state. For some residents, the increased presence of law enforcement and National Guard troops is nerve-racking. I've seen them right here at the subway... they had my street where I live at blocked off yesterday, actually, Washington native Sheina Taylor said. It's more fearful now because even though you're a law-abiding citizen, here in DC, you don't know, especially because I'm African American.
Hans India
4 minutes ago
- Hans India
Saffron party raises issue in Assembly
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra said Nayak from the Valmiki community was murdered heinously for being in love with a woman from another community. Noting that the accused had made reels using the machete a day ahead of the murder and had posted the video on Instagram, he alleged that police not taking caution had led to the murder. Claiming that only after the protests, police took action and made arrests, Vijayendra pointing out that Nayak's family is poor, demanded compensation for them, as Rs 25 lakh was given to the family of Mohammed Fazil, who was killed in Mangaluru. 'As Gavisiddappa Nayak family is poor, a minimum of Rs 50 lakh compensation should be given, along with 2 acre land and a government job to one of his family members,' he said, adding that the case should be handed over to NIA, as there is no faith on the police department. Later, when Speaker U T Khader said that the government will give its reply on Thursday, as the home minister was not present, the BJP members demanded an answer today itself, as it was a serious case. This led to a heated exchange between BJP and the ruling Congress. The BJP members, including C N Ashwath Narayan, accused the government of showing negligence in the case, and questioned whether the 'government is alive?' Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi hit back, alleging that the opposition party was playing politics over death, and asserted that the administration had taken prompt action in the case. The Speaker denied any further discussion on the issue as it was raised under the Zero Hour. He said the government will give its reply when the home minister is present in the House.
Hans India
4 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP seeks NIA probe into activist's murder, writes to Guv
Bengaluru: The BJP on Wednesday urged Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prevail upon the state government to hand over the probe into the murder of a Hindu activist in Koppal to the NIA, alleging a 'deep-rooted conspiracy' by Jehadi extremist groups. In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Governor at Raj Bhavan, the BJP legislators said Gavisiddappa Nayak, a Scheduled Tribe Valmiki community leader, was brutally murdered on August 3 in front of the Syed Nadeemullah Qadri Mosque at Koppal town. The party alleged that the murder bore the 'stamp of the PFI and SDPI' and accused the Congress government of showing a 'soft corner' to 'dangerous elements.' 'The peace and tranquility of Koppal were shattered due to the brutal, cold-blooded murder of one Gavisiddappa Nayak on 3rd August 2025. The murder took place between 7.30 pm and 8 pm right in front of the Mosque in the heart of Koppal town,' the memorandum said. The BJP legislators alleged that the prime accused, Sadiq Kolkar, had openly paraded with swords and machetes in Koppal a day before the murder and posted videos on social media. 'Had the police made preventive arrests on the same day, the murder, perhaps, could have been prevented. We charge the police of dereliction of duty, negligence and irresponsibility,' they said. According to the memorandum, Nayak was first called to a highway for talks but was later killed inside Koppal town. 'The intention and motive are very clear -- to create terror among the Hindus and prove to the society that they can kill anybody with impunity and escape with felicity,' it said. The BJP further alleged that the nature of the attack--beheading and throat-slitting--resembled earlier killings of Hindu activists in coastal Karnataka. 'Going through the intention, the pattern and the motive behind the killing, it can be safely concluded that this Koppal murder has all the stamp of the SDPI and PFI,' the party said, adding that 'Jehadi forces operating in coastal districts have entered Koppal in Kalyana Karnataka region. This needs to be nipped in the bud, lest it spreads to entire North Karnataka region.' The memorandum also accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara of adopting a 'kid-gloves method' in dealing with such elements. 'The pusillanimous attitude of the state government headed by Chief Minister Sri Siddaramaiah and the flip-flop approach of the Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara have been the main contribution for this bloody chapter. Koppal is the latest addition,' it stated. The BJP legislators argued that the NIA probe was necessary to uncover 'the nefarious designs of the jehadi forces operating elsewhere in Karnataka.' They claimed that the killers were 'trained and abetted by sleeper cells with foreign funding' and said only a central investigation could ensure a 'fair, transparent and thorough probe.' Expressing optimism that the Governor would intervene, the BJP said, 'We are optimistic that Your Excellency will give a positive look to our request and prevail upon the state government to hand over the Gavisiddappa Nayak murder case to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) immediately.' The murder of Nayak triggered widespread outrage in Koppal and other parts of north Karnataka, with opposition leaders accusing the Congress government of failing to curb extremist violence. Police have arrested a few suspects and intensified their search for Kolkar, the prime accused, even as pressure mounts for a central investigation.
