Shah arrives in Kol, to address party workers' rally today
Kolkata: Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Bengal on Saturday night on a two-day visit, held a meeting with the key state functionaries. Shah, who reached at 10.10pm, is expected to address BJP functionaries at a meet on Sunday.
Former BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh, whose absence was noticed at PM Narendra Modi's Alipurduar rally, is not likely to be present at Sunday's meet.
Two days after Modi asked party workers to take up the "big responsibility" of "deciding the future of Bengal", Shah is likely to touch upon issues that will define BJP's campaign in the months to come. In tune with the tempo set by the PM in Alipurduar, Bengal BJP netas have named Shah's Sunday meet as "Vijay Sankalpa Karyakarta Sammelan".
"Party workers are enthusiastic and eagerly looking forward to listening to Shah. Bengal is at a crucial juncture as recruitment scams and violence in Malda and Murshidabad have disillusioned people about Trinamool," said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Indranil Khan.
Shah will begin his day with the inauguration of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Rajarhat. He is scheduled to attend the party functionary's rally at Netaji Indoor Stadium and then visit Swami Vivekananda's residence before leaving Kolkata.
While 15,000 karyakartas — including representatives from mandals across the state — have been invited to attend Shah's rally, Ghosh's name is not on the list.
Ghosh said: "I don't attend meetings of top leaders unless I am invited. There is a culture in politics to follow top leaders wherever they go. That is not correct. I work with ground-level workers and meet them when they want to meet me."
Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, however, said that Ghosh's presence is decided by the party brass in Delhi. "Dilip Ghosh is our party leader and the party will only decide on inviting him," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Don't see myself in national politics for long': Chirag Paswan on contesting Bihar assembly polls
NEW DELHI: Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday said that he is prepared to return to state politics in Bihar, explaining that his original motivation for entering politics was to contribute to the development of Bihar. "I have said this previously, that I don't see myself in national politics for long. The only reason I came into politics was Bihar and Biharis. My vision has always been 'Bihar first, Bihari first', and I always want Bihar to prosper and be at par with other developed states," Paswan said while speaking to reporters. Paswan, who recently secured a third term as Lok Sabha MP from Hajipur, signalled that a shift in focus was necessary to fulfil his political goals. "I have realised after becoming an MP for the third time that this would not be possible in Delhi. I had expressed my wish before the party that I want to return to Bihar soon." Poll Are you supportive of Chirag Paswan's decision to prioritize Bihar's development over national politics? Yes, it's commendable No, he should focus on national issues The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief revealed that internal discussions are ongoing regarding his potential candidacy in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections . "My party is still evaluating whether my party will benefit if I contest the Vidhan Sabha elections now... by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en San Miguel De Tucumán (ver precio) Verisure Undo If my strike rate gets better and the performance of my alliance gets better, of which there are high chances, then I will definitely contest," he said. However, Paswan dismissed speculation about any chief ministerial ambitions. "There is no vacancy for the CM post in Bihar. Nitish Kumar will become the CM after the elections," he said. His party is party of the ruling alliance in Bihar, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United). The comments follow an internal push from within his party. Lok Sabha MP Arun Bharti hinted that Paswan may be asked to take on a more direct leadership role in state politics. "Chirag Paswan ji has said from every platform that Bihar is the centre of my politics... We had given him a formal proposal in the state executive meeting that he should come to Bihar and think about playing a bigger role," Bharti said, adding that a party survey would help finalise the decision. While Paswan has not officially confirmed his candidacy, he stressed his willingness to abide by the party's final call. "I will obey my party's wishes. For now, we are yet to discuss it..." he said. Paswan's re-entry into state politics could be a potential gamechanger for the NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections, expected in October or November this year. The BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance will be aiming to return to power against the Mahagatbandhan alliance of Congress and RJD. Earlier, Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor welcomed Paswan's possible return to Bihar politics, saying, "...He (Chirag Paswan) is a part of the NDA and every person is free to contest elections. If Chirag Paswan contests the elections, it is a good thing for Bihar... If Chirag Paswan becomes active in Bihar Assembly politics, it is a good thing."
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Different sets of rules for Hindus and Muslims in Bengal': BJP on arrest of Instagram influencer Sharmishtha Panoli
NEW DELHI: BJP leader Agnimitra Paul on Monday directed her attack at the West Bengal government after the arrest of 22-year-old Instagram influencer Sharmishtha Panoli, alleging a lack of free speech and unequal treatment of communities in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The remarks came after Panoli was remanded to 14-day judicial custody for allegedly making communal comments in a video on social media. Speaking on the incident, Paul said, "Kangana Ranaut very rightly said that don't make West Bengal another North Korea because there's no freedom of speech there. There is no constitutional freedom of speech in West Bengal, and there are two different sets of rules for Hindus and Muslims." She also thanked the Bar Council and Kangana Ranaut for supporting Panoli. "I thank the Bar Council and Kangana Ranaut (for standing by Panoli). Every Indian, Hindu and nationalist Muslim must stand against this injustice," she added. Paul accused the state government of selective enforcement and bias, saying, "We have seen so many posts from West Bengal lately abusing India, PM Modi, our Goddess Maa Kamakhya, after , but no action was taken... It is a clear message from the Mamata government that if you are a Hindu or a Muslim who is abusing or saying something against Muslims, you will not be spared, but if it is the opposite, no action will be taken." She urged the Hindu community in West Bengal to rise, saying, "Hindus of West Bengal also need to rise; they are sleeping under the cloud of secularism. We need to have a neutral government... The police of the state today only see a religion." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now BJP leader also cited specific instances of alleged bias, claiming, "No action was taken against Anubrata Mondal, a TMC leader who abused a police officer... The Mamata government only works for the Muslims, not for Hindus." On Panoli's arrest, Paul said, "Sharmishtha Panoli repeatedly apologised and also deleted the post and inspite of it, 's police, being proactive, went to Gurugram and arrested her." She further accused the Mamata-led state government of ignoring similar actions by others: "Mahua Moitra repeatedly abuses our Goddess... but no action taken... Court stated that riots of Murshidabad was done by TMC leaders... No action was taken... Mamata Banerjee doesn't consider Hindus of any importance."* According to police sources cited by PTI news agency, Panoli's video criticised Bollywood actors for their silence on Operation Sindoor. The post went viral, sparking backlash, and was subsequently deleted by Panoli, who also issued an apology. Despite this, she was arrested in Gurugram on Friday night after reportedly evading multiple police summons. Panoli, a law student originally from Kolkata's Anandapur area and currently studying at a university in Pune, has been charged under sections related to promoting enmity between groups and creating religious disharmony.
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
BJP targets Congress as Kharge's photo left out of Goa Statehood Day poster
NEW DELHI: The Goa Congress has drawn criticism after failing to include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's photograph in a banner displayed during last week's Statehood Day celebration. The banner, which featured prominent party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, state party chief Amit Patkar, and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, was displayed at a meeting in Panaji on May 30. The event was organised after the cancellation of a public meeting in Navelim, South Goa, shere Kharge was expected to attend. The ruling BJP seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress, posting the banner's image on its X handle. "Mallikarjun Kharge's photo deliberately left out from Congress' official Goa Statehood Day banner - a snub to the party's own national president?" the BJP wrote, accusing the Congress of "humiliating their Dalit president." Meanwhile, Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar dismissed the issue as a minor oversight. "Kharge's picture was erroneously left out from the poster," Patkar told PTI. He defended the party by pointing out that Kharge's image appeared on other posters displayed across the city during the celebration. "This is a small error. Why are you making an issue out of it? We are raising more serious issues against the BJP," Patkar added, attempting to downplay the controversy.
