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BJP unleashing ‘linguistic terrorism' on Bengalis: Didi

BJP unleashing ‘linguistic terrorism' on Bengalis: Didi

KOLKATA: SETTING the Trinamool Congress' strategy for the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2026, party chief Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that 'harassment' of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states won't be tolerated and directed her party workers to launch a 'language movement' on July 27 which will continue till the polls are over. She also called for ousting the BJP-led government at the Centre after 2026.
'We will get more seats in 2026 and then Delhi will be our next target. We will have to remove the BJP from power,' she said, addressing the TMC's Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata.
'Our fight for identity and language will continue till the BJP is defeated, in the state and at the Centre. From July 27, we will launch a language movement against the BJP's terrorism on Bengali language. The movement will start on Nanoor Divas in West Bengal, protesting attacks on Bengalis and will continue till Assembly polls next year,' she said.
Banerjee claimed that fearing development works in Bengal, the BJP is doing politics of deprivation. 'Why have they unleashed terrorism on Bengali language? Bengal fought for independence. The renaissance has come from Bengal. If people of Bengal are arrested outside for speaking Bengali, this fight will take place in Delhi,' the Chief Minister said.
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Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders
Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders

Indian Express

time26 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday likened the Election Commission (EC) to a 'cheating cricket umpire' that cost his party the 2017 and 2022 Assembly polls in the state, senior leaders of the party said. The remarks were made by Gandhi in Anand district, at the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee's (GPCC) inaugural session of a three-day training summit for newly-appointed district and city unit presidents of the party. Calling Gujarat the Gangotri (origin) of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi told the leaders present that the Congress has to work hard in the state and bring out the 'truth' about the ruling party's 'bad governance'. According to senior Congress leaders, Gandhi said that for years, the Congress in Gujarat had been 'like a cricketer, who wondered why he was adjudged out during his batting'. According to the leaders, Gandhi said that 'getting out constantly makes (a cricketer) feel they were not good enough,' but the losses suffered by the Congress in Gujarat in 2017 and 2022 were 'the doing of a cheating umpire (EC), which manipulated voter lists.' Gandhi said that the Congress workers were 'babbar shers (lions)' who needed to 'get back their roar', senior leaders said. Gandhi urged the party workers to regroup and 'go in the midst' of people to 'clean the Ganges of politics from Gangotri — Gujarat'. In his hour-long address at the closed-door session held in Nijanand resort, Gandhi likened the BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) combine to a temple, where devotees can pay obeisance but don't have a say in 'what or how much prasad' they will have. Most Congress leaders that The Indian Express spoke to stated that Gandhi's mention of the EC in the context of 'unfair results' in 2017 and 2022 struck a chord with party leaders. Congress's Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Gujarat Assembly, Tushar Chaudhary told this newspaper that Gandhi emphasised that the party leaders must begin verification of voter rolls in advance. Chaudhary said, 'Rahulji mentioned the fact that in 2017 and 2022, manipulated voter lists had a lot to do with the results… He enquired with us as to when we actually receive the electoral rolls. When he learnt that we receive it either on the last day or five days in advance, he said you can't do anything or verify the list in such a short time…' Quoting Gandhi, Chaudhary said, 'The issue of fake voters being added to electoral rolls is changing the results… incidents of 1.5 lakh fake voters found in Karnataka or Maharashtra were mentioned. So, it is a fact that when the updated electoral rolls are received, they have new voters who are of much older age whereas it should be young, first-time voters added to the list.' In his address, Gandhi said the BJP's working model is like a temple. 'You have the right to come to a temple, pay obeisance and bow your head; but how much prasad will be given to you is in the control of the BJP-RSS. They will see which caste one belongs to and decide how much prasad should be given… Adani or Ambani will be given different quantities of prasad (than the rest)… There is no right over the prasad. Whatever is mercifully given to you, you have to accept it. The BJP is being unjust to the people of Gujarat who are being told to visit the temple but no prasad is being given out…' Gandhi is said to have told the leaders. 'The district presidents have been told to create awareness among people about the misadministration under the current BJP-led state government as well as the cheating that the Congress has suffered (at the hands of the EC),' a district president from Central Gujarat said. Gandhi told Gujarat Congress leaders that the BJP's roots in the state should be the party's goal in the upcoming Assembly polls. 'Rahulji said that it has always been a presumption that if the BJP has to be defeated, one has to work hard in UP, Rajasthan and Karnataka. But the fact is that the BJP's gangotri (origin) is in Gujarat and one has to work hard in the state and bring out the truth about their bad governance. The cleaning of the Ganga of politics can be done from Gujarat…,' GPCC Spokesperson Manish Doshi said. GPCC President Amit Chavda said Gandhi has urged the leaders to 'go in the midst' of the people and 'raise voice' in the support of those fighting injustice. 'The three-day camp (in Anand) is part of Sangathan Srujan Abhiyan and Rahulji has urged that the party must be strengthened from root to top in Gujarat and that it should be oriented towards service to people. New leaders should be given the opportunity to work… The party wants to go in the midst of the people to fight the battle against injustice as in the last 30 years of the BJP's rule in the state, there has been a government of fear, coercion and corruption with officer-raj and commission-raj going on in Gujarat,' Chavda said. 'The presence of Rahulji on the first day of the three-day training camp shows how important Gujarat is for him. He has made it clear that in any district, any complaint of the people or any injustice must be taken up by the Congress. Wherever it is necessary, the state leaders, or Rahulji himself, will be by the side of the people… He told the leaders to go to the people. Take up issues related to misadministration and injustice and raise voice against it. On the last day of the Shibir (camp), the party will also put forth the entire roadmap for the state before the high command as well as the people,' Chavda added. Gandhi, Congress leaders said, also met the members of the milk cooperative unions and urged them to 'inform him whatever is needed to be done and if they need him to raise pressing issues related to cooperatives in the Lok Sabha.' Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha. The families of some of the 21 victims of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge collapse also arrived at the venue in Anand, where the Congress leader was meeting the milk cooperatives, to make representations to him. According to Congress leaders, the kin of the victims were 'stopped by the police' from meeting Gandhi but later, they were allowed to proceed and make petitions regarding the incident. Doshi said, 'The police said that the victims could not be allowed to meet Gandhi as they did not have a security pass… At first, they were turned away but eventually, we managed to get them to meet Rahul ji, who expressed his solidarity with the families and assured them of assistance in their fight for justice in the incident.'

Bengal Governor confirms sending back 'Aparajita Bill' to Mamata govt for reconsideration
Bengal Governor confirms sending back 'Aparajita Bill' to Mamata govt for reconsideration

Hans India

time26 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Bengal Governor confirms sending back 'Aparajita Bill' to Mamata govt for reconsideration

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor, C.V. Ananda Bose on Saturday brought an end to the confusion over contradictory information regarding sending back of Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill -- meant for harshest of punishment for accused in cases of rape and rape and murder -- to the state government for reconsideration. Earlier, an information regarding this was passed on to the media on Friday by a section of the insiders in Raj Bhavan. It was claimed that the Governor has sent the Bill back to the state government for reconsideration following serious objections raised by the Union Government. However, confusion started surfacing over the development, since none in the state or within the ruling Trinamool Congress were agreeing to accept that the said Bill has been referred back to the state government for reconsideration. On Saturday evening, while interacting with the media persons at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, the Governor brought an end to the confusion, saying that he had to send back the Bill back to the state government for reconsideration following serious objections raised by the Union Government. 'There are three options for the government when a Bill is sent from the Assembly secretariat for the Governor's assent. The first is that the Governor could give assent to that Bill, which I have done in several cases. The second option is that the Governor can send the Bill back to the assembly authorities, raising queries and suggesting changes. But in that case, if the assembly resends the bill to the Governor without making any change, the Governor has no other option but to give assent to the Bill,' Bose said. He added that the third option for the Governor was to send the Bill for consideration of the Office of the Indian President, which he did in case of the Aparajita Bill. 'Now, the Union government has some queries about certain provisions in the Aparajita Bill, and so it has been sent back to the state government for reconsideration,' the Governor added. The Bill was passed on the floor of the West Bengal assembly last year amid the ghastly tape and murder of a lady junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises. Subsequently, the office of the West Bengal Governor forwarded the Bill to the office of President Droupadi Murmu for the latter's consideration. Now, with information surfacing about the Bill being sent back to the state government for reconsideration, uncertainties have started surfacing over the fate of the Bill. The said Bill has provisions for completion of investigation in such cases in 21 days and filing of chargesheets within 30 days. In the Bill, there are provisions for quick completion of the trial process in the matter, as well as some proposed additions in the provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.

AGP grassroots push for more seats ahead of Assam polls, declare candidates in some constituencies
AGP grassroots push for more seats ahead of Assam polls, declare candidates in some constituencies

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

AGP grassroots push for more seats ahead of Assam polls, declare candidates in some constituencies

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) workers are pushing for more seats in the upcoming Assam assembly polls, with some even naming potential candidates. Despite internal pressure and seat demands, AGP President Atul Bora denies any rebellion within the party. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Guwahati: Grassroot workers of BJP's ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have started flexing their muscles for they want more seats for the regional party in the next year's assembly polls. In some seats the workers have even declared probable 2021 assembly polls the regional party AGP contested 29 while in contested 26 seats directly and in three seats in a friendly fight. It won nine seats. The party has been in alliance with BJP since 2014. Assembly polls in Assam are likely to take place early next year.A section of AGP workers is seeking Majuli seats besides Lakhimpur, Bihpuria, Ranganadi, Gohpur and Nalbari. The workers are also seeking to contest six assembly seats in Kamrup districts Recently AGP President Atul Bora was visiting different places and talking to the workers and pacifying recently claimed that there is no rebellion in the party. Such discussions are going on only in the media. 'Our grassroots workers are good; some leaders are aspiring for these seats. In alliance there is give and take.'Recently Satyabrata Kalita former MLA announced that he will contest in 2026 from Kamalpur. In 2011 this seat was given to BJP and the party wrested Thursday AGP president and State Cabinet Minister Atul Bora led a party delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. They also met BJP national JP AGP delegation included working president and State Minister Keshab Mahanta , AGP general secretary and newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Birendra Prasad Baishya, and senior AGP leader and Lok Sabha MP Phani Bhusan Choudhury. 'We expressed our heartfelt gratitude to Amit Shah for his unwavering support and visionary leadership, which continue to guide Assam toward lasting peace and accelerated progress,' Bora added that under the NDA Government, Assam has witnessed transformative growth, and the AGP, a proud ally of the BJP-led NDA, remains fully committed to this path of stability and development. Bora further stated that the BJP-AGP alliance will continue working in close coordination to ensure inclusive development and a brighter future for every citizen of the workers are pressing that this time Koliabor seat must have a BJP candidate. AGP's Keshav Mahanta has been winning the seat since Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that alliance with AGP is a settled fact and both parties will jointly contest the next year's assembly polls.

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