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NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
BJP vs Trinamool Over Bengal Minister's 'Operation Sindoor' Remark
Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Minister Udayan Guha has sparked a row by taking a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 'Operation Sindoor'. Addressing an event in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday, Guha, the Minister for North Bengal Development, said, "those who once sold tea are now doing business in vermilion." However, PTI couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video. The remarks drew a sharp backlash from the BJP, which accused Mr Guha of insulting India's armed forces and undermining the spirit of 'Operation Sindoor', which was launched by India against Pakistan on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar strongly condemned the remarks and demanded Mr Guha's removal from the state cabinet. "Udayan Guha has made a comment that is not only utterly condemnable but amounts to treason," Majumdar said. "At a time when the entire nation is celebrating the success of 'Operation Sindoor', a minister in the West Bengal government is saying that 'sindoor' is being sold as a business. This is an insult to every person who was killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and India's security forces. For such a disgraceful and reprehensible comment, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must remove Guha from the cabinet," he said. In a post on X, the West Bengal BJP said, "TMC Minister Udayan Guha stoops to new lows, mocking PM Modi's humble beginnings, belittling Indian Army's valour, and branding 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistani terrorists as a 'Sindoor business' and a 'religious stunt.' This isn't a slip, it's a calculated insult to every soldier and citizen." As of Wednesday evening, the Trinamool Congress had not issued any official response to the controversy. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a public rally in Alipurduar on Thursday as part of the BJP's campaign in Bengal.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Trinamool leader takes veiled jab at PM with Sindoor remark, BJP calls it treason
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Udayan Guha on Wednesday stoked a major political row by taking a veiled jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making an apparent reference to Operation Sindoor, a day ahead of his visit to North said that someone who sold tea earlier is coming to Bengal to sell vermillion, seemingly implying that the PM is going to seek votes in the name of Operation Sindoor someone might have been in the tea business, today some might be in the vermilion business. Someone used to sell hot tea earlier. Now hot vermilion is flowing through the blood, and they are rushing so far in North Bengal to sell that vermilion," Guha said at an event on Wednesday. "My point is, don't try to put poison among people like this. Don't try to create division among people by injecting religious poison into them," he the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, Indian forces carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, and caused considerable damage to the Pakistani terror infrastructure on May 7. The strikes were seen as a major military victory for the Indian armed forces and a strategic one for the Modi a strong exception to Guha's statement, the BJP slammed the TMC leader, saying his remarks amounted to "treason"."Udayan Guha, a key member of Mamata Banerjee's cabinet and the Minister for North Bengal Development, has made a comment that is not only utterly condemnable but amounts to treason!" Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar wrote on X. He also called Guha's remarks an insult to the Armed forces and the the Mamata Banerjee-led party has distanced itself from Guha's remarks, saying it still stands with the Centre as far as the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions are concerned."The party doesn't approve that statement. Our stand is very clear. Our party is standing by the Centre in this particular matter. During the fight against terrorism, we are playing the role of a responsible Opposition party," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh the TMC, earlier in the day, took a "migratory bird" jibe at PM Modi without naming him."Since the migratory birds are making their seasonal visit to Bengal, why not answer one simple question: Why is the Centre still withholding Bengal's rightful dues amounting to Rs 1.7 lakh crore?" the party posted on Modi will visit West Bengal on Thursday and is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a Rs 1,010-crore City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts, apart from addressing a rally in Modi will reach Alipurduar at around 1 pm on Thursday after first attending an event in neighbouring Sikkim. IN THIS STORY#West Bengal#Bharatiya Janta Party#All India Trinamool Congress#Narendra Modi
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Merit in showcasing women's WC in smaller cities: Isa Guha
New Delhi: There's a World Cup on the horizon — but it wouldn't be a surprise if you had no idea. The ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 is set to take place in India in a few months' time, yet there's been little to no buzz. With no campaigns, no build-up and no sense of anticipation in a country that is termed 'cricket crazy', the silence is slightly jarring. While the lack of attention can be deemed as a marketing oversight, it also appears like a missed opportunity to inspire, grow the game and to give women's cricket in India the stage it has earned. As Isa Guha, former England cricketer and now a leading voice in the game, recently said: 'This is a huge moment in time because they're going to see all these women playing cricket and go 'Yes, I feel like I can do this.'' 'It's something that we learned from the 2009 T20 World Cup in England (they beat New Zealand by six wickets). Perhaps, the foundations weren't there to really try and catch that inspiration as much as possible. And I know that India is looking to try and bid for the Olympics down the line and so one of the key elements of making India a sports-forward nation is to really engage most of the female population.' India has made big strides with the launch of the Women's Premier League (WPL) and it has expectedly brought in visibility and money to women's cricket. It is also providing legitimacy to the career aspirations of several young women. But a franchise league, despite its success, isn't enough. The World Cup is the sport's pinnacle, after all. As Guha pointed out, with visibility comes the expectation of skill and investment has led to more competitive matches and higher standards. But the same visibility must now be given to the upcoming World Cup. Viewers today don't just follow games. They follow stories. They invest in their personal journeys. Yet women cricketers rarely get the narrative build-up that their male counterparts do. This is where broadcasters need to step up and provide context. Who are these players? Where do they come from? What have they overcome? Guha summed it up well: 'Ultimately, broadcast is entertainment. Viewers connect more when you understand more about their stories.' An interesting suggestion from Guha was driving the marketing around the World Cup to be timed around the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is currently ongoing. 'It's got great attention right now and it'd be great to get some of the Indian female players talk about the Women's World Cup coming up,' she said. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) already drew scepticism with its choice of venues for the World Cup. With tried and tested cricket centres such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bengaluru missing, it remains to be seen if crowds will flock to stadiums in cities like Mullanpur, Raipur, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram and Vishakapatnam. Matches in smaller cities can help grow the game across the country but a final in a packed Eden Gardens would have sent a strong signal. It's also what the players really want – to play in the big stadiums. The balance, it seems, is missing. 'I would have loved the final to be at Eden Gardens a bit like 1997, when Australia took on New Zealand there in the Women's World Cup final and there were 90,000 people watching. But I do think there's merit in being able to showcase the women's game to different parts of the country.' According to Guha, hosting the World Cup must mean more than a few televised matches. It must leave behind something lasting. And so, what happens after will also be vital. There must be a great follow-through. If a girl in Raipur or Guwahati is inspired by what she sees, will she have access to quality cricket resources without investment at the grassroots? India cannot afford to treat this World Cup as an afterthought. The WPL has already lit the spark, hosting a well-planned World Cup in September-October can turn that momentum into a fire. And India must not let it pass by in silence.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pharma official loses 1.1 cr to cyber crooks
Kolkata: A senior pharmaceutical company official from Kolkata lost over Rs 1.1 crore in a fake kola nut online trading scam. Kola nuts have various uses in the pharmaceutical industry. The cyber crooks used the name of a top UK-based pharmaceutical company, created their fake website and trademark to dupe the official, a resident of Hiland Willows in Newtown. The victim alleged the fraudsters orchestrated a two-week-long scheme using forged documents. On May 1, he allegedly received an email, mimicking the original email address of the company. The sender of the email presented lucrative business opportunities in kola nut trading. The frauds expanded their communication to WhatsApp, using international numbers. They introduced Guha to persons claiming to be kola nut sellers from northeast, who contacted him using Indian numbers. The fraudsters initially delivered small quantities of kola nuts to gain his trust. Guha transferred the swindled amount to various bank accounts, only to be duped.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No closure till Pahalgam guilty hunted down: Behala widow
Kolkata: It has been exactly a month since 51-year-old lost her husband, senior statistician , in the terrorist attack at Baisaran Valley. However, Guha is still far from finding closure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "What has been snatched away from us will never come back. My daughter has lost the man she saw as her role model. I have lost the man around whom my life revolved. But the closure is still far away. A lot has happened since then. India launched Operation Sindoor. The tensions between both countries and the war that followed are now chronicled. The govt responded as required. But there is still no update on my husband's killers. I do not know if they were captured or whether they are alive. We want those men to be punished. That will bring some solace," said Guha. This one month, says Guha, has changed her role within the family, especially concerning her daughter. "I was a homemaker. I never had to think of managing house loans before. Neither did I need to plan for my daughter's future. Samir used to manage them effortlessly. But now these roles have been thrust on me," recalled Guha. Her daughter, Subhangi, is also trying to concentrate on her future. Having performed well in her class XII board exams, she has even started collecting her college admission forms. Her first preference is to study psychology at Loreto College, she has told her family and former schoolteachers. The family had just reached Baisaran Valley and was clicking photographs on April 22 when Samir, a central govt employee, heard gunshots. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now One of the terrorists came and separated the Muslims from the Hindus and ordered everyone to recite the Kalima. "We were lying down when suddenly a terrorist shot my husband. After killing him, the terrorist – dressed in a military outfit and with faces covered – said to another, 'Yeh Modi ka Aadmi Hai," recounted the mother of 17-year-old Subhangi. "I now want action on the killers. It is for the central govt to decide how to go about it. I am hopeful since they have been identified. But I want the culprits punished, and I want a permanent solution so that no one faces the fate of my husband or the 25 others who lost their lives there," she said. Guha said she followed details of the conflict daily. "While the talk revolved mostly around drone warfare and how many targets we were hitting, I wanted to know the names and the roles of the terrorists killed during our befitting reply," said Guha. Earlier, speaking to TOI on the day Operation Sindoor was launched, Guha said, "This was a targeted killing. In any terror attack, there is random firing. It was not done here. If we are not safe in our own country, where will we find security?" she asked. The family said they also received Rs 10 lakh from the central govt, another Rs 10.2 lakh from insuranceand another Rs 10 lakh from the state govt as compensation so far.
