logo
'TMC Extends Full Support To...': BJP's Suvendu Adhikari After Privilege Motion In Assembly

'TMC Extends Full Support To...': BJP's Suvendu Adhikari After Privilege Motion In Assembly

News18a day ago

Last Updated:
Adhikari's heated remarks came after TMC moved a motion for breach of privilege in the Assembly against Adhikari for his alleged derogatory remarks against CM Mamata Banerjee.
Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering extremism in the state.
Adhikari's heated remarks came after TMC moved a motion for breach of privilege in the Assembly against Adhikari for his alleged derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
'The TMC party extends full support to terrorism and extremists… People of Mamata Banerjee's party are turning Bengal into a valley of extremists and are protecting them," Adhikari alleged.
On Tuesday afternoon, ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shobhandev Chatterjee, Arup Biswas, and Indranil Sen submitted a notice for Privilege Motion against Adhikari to Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on behalf of the state's ruling party.
The ruling party alleged that on Tuesday, Suvendu Adhikari accused the Chief Minister of 'speaking in favour of Pakistan" outside the Assembly chamber.
Earlier in the day, the West Bengal Assembly also passed a resolution expressing appreciation for the Indian armed forces for their recent operations targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The resolution also condemned the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people—most of them tourists—lost their lives.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed sorrow over the tragic incident and paid tribute to the victims.
'We do not support terrorism in any way. In Pahalgam, tourists lost their lives. We condemn this incident. Three victims were from Bengal. During the incident, one Muslim man (Adil Hussain Shah) opposed them and sacrificed his life. We salute and pay tribute to him also," Banerjee said.
She also noted that West Bengal was the only state to bring forward such a resolution in its Assembly.
Just days earlier, on Sunday, Adhikari had also accused the Chief Minister of shielding extremist groups and anti-national elements, claiming she was providing protection to Jamaat Hefazat and other radical forces.
First Published:
June 10, 2025, 23:18 IST

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's travel ban fuels despair and disgust with politics among Arab Americans in Michigan
Trump's travel ban fuels despair and disgust with politics among Arab Americans in Michigan

Time of India

time31 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Trump's travel ban fuels despair and disgust with politics among Arab Americans in Michigan

AP image The ban on travel from certain countries that took effect Monday - reminiscent of President Donald Trump's first-term restrictions that became known to many as the " Muslim ban " - is once again souring relationships among Arab American voters in the key battleground state of Michigan, a group that Trump sought to make inroads with during the 2024 election. It came as a particular shock to many Yemeni Americans in the Dearborn area, who were surprised to find their country on Trump's new list banning travel to the US by citizens of 12 different countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. "This is the reward to the community that defied everybody else?" asked Wali Altahif, a local activist who advocates for Yemeni and other immigrant communities. "That said, 'No, we're going to support you, we going to vote for you'?" The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. While it may not elicit the same protests as 2017, many Yemeni and Arab Americans in the all important battleground state see it as yet another offence contributing to enormous dissatisfaction with both major political parties in the US. The aim of the new ban, the Trump administration said, is to "protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes." Altahif described it as "selective discrimination" and "collective punishment." Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab American populations in the US, largely concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area. The state was an epicentre of anger at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the administration's support of Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in a worsening humanitarian crisis and sparked a historic shift away from the Democratic Party. With Trump's history of policy and rhetoric, including the restriction on travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries during his first term, the new restrictions and anger over the toll on Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war have left many Arab American voters feeling that both major political parties have failed to deliver for them. A dramatic change in Dearborn In the November election, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Dearborn, America's largest Arab-majority city, since 2000. Harris lost 15,000 of Democratic votes compared to Biden's 2020 win after Trump visited the area days before the election, campaigned in a local cafe and said he'd bring peace to the Middle East. The shift was muted but real. Trump picked up 3,000 votes in the city and third-party candidate votes swelled to 20% of the overall vote. Many did not vote for a candidate at all. Trump won Michigan - and the presidency - for the second time in three attempts. In Dearborn, nearly half of its 110,000 residents are of Arab descent and the largest Arab nationalities represented are from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. Many Yemeni Americans in the metro Detroit area voted for Trump in the 2024 election after his vows for peace, which came at a time of widespread conflict and instability in the Middle East, Altahif said. In Yemen, a near decade-long civil war has pushed its population to the brink of famine. In Trump's first months in office, the US bombed Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in a two-month long campaign that ended with a ceasefire agreement in May. "Every single family of Yemeni descendant is affected by the war in Yemen," Altahif said. "And we were hopeful based on Trump's promise that he was going to end the war." Rasheed Alnozili, publisher of the Dearborn-based online and print news services the Yemeni American News, said the travel ban will only stigmatise Yemeni and Arab communities in America and fuel Islamophobia, not counter terrorism. "They are part of the society, they are raising their kids," he said of Yemeni communities. There are exceptions to the ban. They include green-card holders and people with US family members who apply for visas in connection to their spouses, children or parents. Altahif expects the ban to make it much harder for families separated by the distance to reunite. He said it took his wife from Yemen five years to get a visa approved before coming to live in the US in 2024. Widespread unease Many in the community are reluctant to talk openly about the new travel restrictions for fear of retaliation, even if they are US citizens or green-card holders. Others are reluctant to leave the country for fear of being held up by border agents when returning home, something Arab and Muslim Americans already report dealing with at airports. Amir Makled, a Dearborn-based civil rights attorney, said the restrictions have been "similarly chilling" for Muslim travellers compared to the 2017 policy. He's received several calls from people worried about being detained when traveling back to the U.S., even if they are citizens or lawful residents. One person of Yemeni descent ultimately canceled travel for the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a pillar of Islamic faith, Makled said. "People overall are opting not to travel, even when they have a legal right to do so," he said. Both major political parties will have to appeal to the Arab and Muslim communities in the Detroit area in key upcoming races in 2026. With open races for the governor's office and a US Senate seat, a few thousand votes could tip the balance of power in Lansing and in Congress. "Where these voters land is going to, I think, make a difference in terms of who ends up in those seats," said Peter Trumbore, chair of the department of political science at Oakland University. The war in Gaza drove Yemeni Americans away from the Democratic Party, Altahif said, and Trump has not made good on his promise to quickly bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war which has resulted in the deaths of more than 55,000 Palestinians. Altahif noted state Democrats who have vocally opposed the travel ban, but said he has not seen Republicans do the same. Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, said candidates from both parties who are running for governor and the US Senate have met with him in recent months as the 2026 midterm races start. He also met with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat who is running as an independent for the governor's office. Siblani called the travel ban a "racist" executive action that does nothing to help people in war-torn Yemen and Sudan, nations where many metro Detroit residents have relatives. But their disappointment in both Democrats and Republicans may leave them looking for a third option. "I can see that there is an appetite in our community or a need in our communities to vote for an independent," Siblani said.

Tension grips Bengal's Maheshtala amid clash over temple vandalism, 13 arrested
Tension grips Bengal's Maheshtala amid clash over temple vandalism, 13 arrested

India Today

time35 minutes ago

  • India Today

Tension grips Bengal's Maheshtala amid clash over temple vandalism, 13 arrested

Tension gripped in Bengal's Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas after a violent clash broke out between two groups, leading to the alleged vandalism of a Shiva temple. The situation prompted heavy police deployment and the prohibitory order of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been imposed to maintain law and to police sources, 13 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, and raids are ongoing. 'Raids are presently underway, and additional personnel remain deployed. Several arrests were made,' a police officer unrest reportedly started after a dispute over the construction of shops in front of a Shiva temple in Maheshtala. Local residents opposed the move and instead built a small Tulsi Mandir, which allegedly triggered a violent backlash. As per eyewitnesses, chaos broke out when mobs pelted stones at police, torched vehicles, and clashed with authorities outside the Rabindranagar Police Station. 'Bricks were hurled from rooftops, tyres were set ablaze on the roads, and miscreants torched a motorbike in front of the police station,' said a police officer. 'Several police vehicles were damaged, and at least one police personnel was left bleeding after being hit by a brick.'To contain the violence, police fired tear gas shells, and reinforcements from Kolkata and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed. Several police personnel, including a woman constable, sustained injuries during the stone BJP launched a political offensive over the incident. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari led a protest outside the West Bengal Police headquarters in Alipore, demanding the deployment of central forces. He accused the state government of allowing the violence to spiral unchecked.'The Hindu community in Rabindranagar has been subjected to looting, arson, and violence for hours while the police watched silently. Several police vehicles were set on fire, yet there was no effective intervention,' Adhikari further claimed that DGP Rajiv Kumar refused to meet him. 'Despite such grave attacks on police, the top brass seem indifferent. I will move Calcutta High Court tomorrow seeking urgent intervention and central forces, as ordered earlier during communal tension in Murshidabad.'BJP IT Cell Chief also said in, posting on X: 'West Bengal is burning in communal fire once again and Hindus are the target. This is not governance. This is total surrender to mob rule all for vote-bank politics. West Bengal Home Minister Mamata Banerjee is silent.'Accompanied by several BJP MLAs and Hindu monks, Adhikari said, 'Monks have received desperate calls from residents in the area seeking protection. This is a complete breakdown of governance.'The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) dismissed the BJP's claims and accused the party of politicising a local dispute. 'All necessary steps have been taken to control the situation. The police acted swiftly and with firmness. The BJP is trying to give a communal colour to what was essentially a dispute over setting up a shop,' said TMC spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal the violence, Kolkata Mayor and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said, 'We wish a speedy recovery to the injured police personnel. At the same time, we strongly condemn the BJP's attempt to communalise and politicise a sensitive issue.' He accused the BJP of attempting to 'disturb the peace and harmony of Bengal.' IN THIS STORY#West Bengal

India, EU nearly 90% ready on market access in FTA talks, says Piyush Goyal
India, EU nearly 90% ready on market access in FTA talks, says Piyush Goyal

India Today

time36 minutes ago

  • India Today

India, EU nearly 90% ready on market access in FTA talks, says Piyush Goyal

India and the European Union (EU) are fast-tracking their long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal asserting that the deal is now within striking during his visit to Stockholm, Goyal told news agency ANI that over half the FTA chapters are already finalised, and negotiations have achieved nearly 90% readiness on market access.'The important issue to be addressed between us is non-tariff barriers,' Goyal said, while expressing confidence that upcoming discussions on services and rules would not present major minister also underlined the political backing behind the deal, referring to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi on 28 leaders had guided the two sides to conclude the Free Trade Agreement before the end of calendar 2025,' Goyal on the remaining chapters are set to resume on Monday, with the Indian side hopeful that only 'a few areas' will require ministerial-level intervention. While tariff-related aspects have progressed significantly, tackling regulatory and procedural non-tariff barriers remains a key challenge. 'It's a two-way traffic,' Goyal said, indicating that both India and the EU must work toward easing business conditions and ensuring mutual benefits from the trade Watch

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store