'Bengal Won't Bow Down': Mamata Banerjee Declares War on BJP in Fiery Speech at Martyrs' Day Rally
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Deccan Herald
21 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Mamata sets stage for 'Bangaliyana vs Hindutva', asks TMC workers to launch stir against BJP's linguistic terror
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of unleashing 'linguistic terrorism' on Bengalis across the country and called for a movement to protect the language and cultural identity of the state against such onslaughts by the saffron party. With the assembly elections in West Bengal less than a year away, Mamata not only blew the poll bugle with a no-holds-barred offensive against the BJP but also set the TMC's strategy to counter the saffron party's aggressive Hindutva with an assertive Bangaliyana. As she addressed a mammoth congregation of the TMC workers at the party's annual Martyrs' Day event in Kolkata to pay homage to the 13 people killed in police firing on July 21, 1993, while demanding fair polls, the TMC supremo also warned the BJP against using the Election Commission to manipulate the electoral rolls..'Being born Bengali has become crime in BJP states': CM Mamata Banerjee amid migrant party's general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, said that he and other parliamentarians of the TMC would now speak only in Bengali in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 'We will not kowtow before any attempt by the BJP to erase Bengali.' 'We must win more seats in the 2026 assembly polls (in West Bengal) and then march to Delhi to oust the BJP from power at the Centre,' the TMC supremo said, coining the 'Jabda Habe, Stabdha Habe' (we will trounce them, silence them) as her party's new war cry for the 2026 assembly polls, moving on from the 'khela habe (game is on)'. The TMC over the past few weeks stepped up its attacks on the governments of the BJP-ruled states for the detention of migrant workers from West Bengal by police and, in some cases, even deportation to Bangladesh, often allegedly disregarding their claim of being genuine citizens of India. Mamata, the chief minister of West Bengal since 2011, on Monday accused the BJP-led governments in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat and Delhi of harassing migrant workers from her state only because they spoke in their mother language to witness 'artificial fight' between Modi and Mamata as polls nearing: Adhir.'The BJP wants to erase our identity, language, culture and pride. But I promise you, till the time we oust them from the Centre, our fight will continue,' she said. 'In 2019, they vandalised the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. They saw the results of that audacious act of insulting Bengali icons (in the 2021 assembly polls). Now, they have issued notifications to delete Bengali names from voter lists. In BJP-ruled states, Bengalis are being harassed and put in detention camps,' alleged the TMC supremo. 'If needed, there will be a second Bhasha Andolan (language movement) against the BJP's terrorism on the Bengali language... From July 27, a movement will start in Bengal to protest the attack on Bengalis, Bengali language and 'Bhasha Santras' (linguistic terrorism) of the BJP,' she said, adding: 'This language movement will continue till the end of the assembly polls.' The first 'Bhasha Andolan' had taken place in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1952 to protest the imposition of Urdu and sidelining of Bengali in the eastern part of Pakistan. A police crackdown had resulted in the death of at least 29 protesting students on February 21, 1952. The United Nations later declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day..'BJP is watching': Suvendu cautions police officers 'siding' with TMC.'(West) Bengal is home to nearly 1.5 crore migrants from other states. We welcome people from all over India. But look at what the BJP is doing to Bengalis (in the states ruled by it),' said Mamata. She called upon the TMC workers to be very cautious to resist attempts by the BJP and the EC to erase names of legitimate voters of West Bengal from the electoral rolls of the state and instead enroll people from other BJP-ruled states. 'The BJP and the EC are conspiring against (West) Bengal. They want to do in Bengal what they did in Bihar through SIR (Special Intensive Revision). In Bihar, they have deleted the names of 40 lakh voters. If they try it here, we will gherao them. We will never allow it,' she said.
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Fadnavis to inaugurate mega projects in Gadchiroli today
Marking a new chapter in the development of the state and in the industrial growth of Gadchiroli district, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate various projects of Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd (LMEL) in a grand ceremony at Konsari on Tuesday. He will also lay the foundation stone for the mega Integrated Steel Plant of the company. Fadnavis will inaugurate the first phase of 5-Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) iron ore grinding plant at Hedri in Gadchroli district, a 10 MTPA capacity slurry pipeline from Hedri-Konsari, and 4 MTPA capacity pellet plant at Konsari. Besides, he will perform bhoomipujan of 4.5 MTPA capacity mega Integrated Steel Plant, 100-bedded hospital and a CBSE-patterned school at Konsari in the programme to be held at 12 pm on Tuesday. He will also perform bhoomipujan for LMEL's Somanpalli township. Adv Ashish Jaiswal, Joint Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli district; Dharmaraobaba Atram, MLA; Milind Narote, MLA; B. Prabhakaran, Managing Director, LMEL; Ankit Goyal, DIG, Gadchiroli Range; Avishyant Panda, District Collector; Ashok Nete, former MP; Dr Deorao Holi, former MLA; Shrikant Pawde, Sarpanch of Konsari; 'Padma Shri' Tulasi Munda, and other dignitaries will be present. The occasion marks a significant milestone in industrial growth of Gadchiroli. Over the past few years, since LMEL has commenced operations of Surjagarh iron ore mines and the DRI, pellet plants at Konsari, there has been significant growth in employment to locals. Even the surrendered Naxalites have been trained by the company in industry-oriented skills and absorbed them in jobs to aid the process of integrating them in the mainstream of society. Further, this industrial revolution has provided a never-before boost to the development of Gadchiroli. According to B Prabhakaran, 'July 22, 2025 is going to be recorded in the history of Gadchiroli as well as Maharashtra in golden letters. With the foundation stone being laid for Vidarbha's mega Integrated Steel Plant at Konsari in Gadchiroli district, a step is being taken towards realising the historic dream of making Gadchiroli a steel hub of the country. More than 140 years ago, Gadchiroli would have been the birthplace of the Indian steel industry. Nonetheless, now is the time for Gadchiroli to rise and shine'. 'Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd is proud of being the driver of the industrial revolution here. After successful green operations of iron ore mines at Surjagarh, commissioning of DRI plant and pellet plant at Konsari, now a giant leap of faith is being taken in the form of Integrated Steel Plant. We thank the government of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his vision and support to Gadchiroli's development, people of Gadchiroli, and all our stakeholders for helping us make Gadchiroli the first district of Maharashtra. Now, the foundation stone is being laid for Gadchiroli's bright future, enhanced contribution to Maharashtra's economy, and India's national vision of making Green Steel,' he added.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns after nearly 3 years: A look back at his explosive face-offs with Mamata Banerjee as Bengal Governor
Before stepping down as Vice President citing health reasons, Jagdeep Dhankhar made headlines during his three-year stint as West Bengal Governor largely due to a highly publicised and persistent feud with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. While Dhankhar urged political harmony shortly before his resignation, his earlier tenure was marked by one of the most visible Governor-Chief Minister confrontations in recent Indian politics. Social media clashes and a blocked handle Tensions between Dhankhar and Banerjee escalated publicly when the Chief Minister blocked the Governor on Twitter. Dhankhar responded with a series of tweets criticising the state government's conduct. The editorial in the TMC's mouthpiece Jago Bangla, titled 'Ter Paben' (He Will Face the Consequence), reflected that the standoff was far from over. Dhankhar had actively used his official Twitter handle since assuming office in July 2019 to comment on various state matters, especially targeting the ruling TMC government. Letters, accusations, and constitutional sparring The strained relationship reached a critical point in November 2019 when both leaders exchanged official letters. Mamata Banerjee accused the Governor of provoking unrest and overstepping constitutional boundaries. Dhankhar countered, stating he had faced 'indignities' and verbal attacks from ministers. Banerjee urged the Governor to help maintain peace instead of 'aggravating' the situation through press briefings and tweets. The correspondence highlighted the power tussle between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna. Administrative deadlocks and the call for removal Banerjee had long called for Dhankhar's removal, citing difficulties caused by him in routine administrative functions—be it delayed file clearances or repeated summoning of top bureaucrats. The Chief Minister alleged that these actions were aimed at undermining her authority. Despite these tensions, Dhankhar was elevated to the Vice President's office in 2022, ending his truncated three-year governorship that typically spans five years. Political interpretation and the central government's role TMC saw Dhankhar's transfer to Delhi as a partial victory, although some leaders felt retaining him till the next assembly elections could have been politically useful to showcase BJP's alleged constitutional overreach. The central government, particularly Home Minister Amit Shah, reportedly informed Banerjee about Dhankhar's nomination without prior consultation—a move that the TMC criticised for bypassing established democratic protocols. A new political chapter, but lingering questions Hon'ble Vice-President & Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tributes in the House today to former Members of Rajya Sabha:Shri C. PerumalDr. K. KasturiranganShri Ronald Sapa TlauShri Nepaldev BhattacharjeeSardar Sukhdev Singh DhindsaShri Thennala G.… While Dhankhar has since engaged with opposition forces as Vice President, the unresolved friction with the Bengal government remains a case study in Centre-state relations. TMC's decision on whether to support his nomination reportedly hinged on Mamata Banerjee's strategy following her annual July 21 Shaheed Divas rally. Ultimately, Dhankhar's nomination sailed through without a strong opposition challenge. Jagdeep Dhankhar's years in West Bengal redefined the visibility and voice of a Governor in India's political structure moving from a ceremonial role to an outspoken participant in governance. His feud with Mamata Banerjee was not just personal or political—it became emblematic of deeper federal tensions.
