Latest news with #Mamata
News18
an hour ago
- Politics
- News18
Mamata & Bengali Regionalism Card: Bid To Deflect Attention From Corruption, Law & Order
During her speech, Mamata made it clear that she is going to bank on the card of Bengali regionalism to counter the BJP As usual, the ruling party of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, held its annual mega 'Martyr's Day' rally in Kolkata on July 21. This rally is held to commemorate the police firing on the protest organised by the Youth Congress in 1993. For years, this rally has become an important event as it lays out the party's strategy for one year. With this annual event being the last one ahead of next year's state assembly polls, this event was awaited by state's political circles to get a glimpse of the ruling party's election strategy. And as expected, party supremo and also state's chief minister Mamata Banerjee charted out the party's strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in the mega rally. During her speech, Mamata made it clear that she is going to bank on the card of Bengali regionalism to counter the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Instead of playing the usual pro-Muslim card in the name of holding the flag of secularism high in the state, this time she has relied on playing the Bengali card by portraying the detention of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the BJP-ruled states as attacks on the Bengali identity and drawing a conclusion by terming the saffron party as an 'anti-Bengali party". She also tried to motivate her party workers and supporters by calling them that her struggle won't end until and unless the BJP is removed from the Centre. It has to be mentioned that this isn't the first time that Mamata has invoked Bengali regionalism to gain electoral benefits. She had successfully done that in the last assembly polls, where she was able to defend her throne by portraying the saffron party as a 'bohiragoto" (foreigner) to the Bengali culture — and this strategy paid well with the TMC returning to power for the third time by getting a two-third majority. Unemployment and corruption are crucial factors Whatever spin the TMC and its ecosystem (comprising a section of intellectuals, journalists and political commentators of the state) may give, the fact is that there has been an unemployment crisis in the state under TMC rule. According to a National Statistical Office (NSO) report last year, the state lost 3 million jobs in the informal sector from 2015-16 to 2022-23. While the TMC establishment claims that the state has been performing well in attracting investments, critics have pointed out how the state has been lagging behind when it comes to actual investments. The ruling party also never fails to highlight that the state under its rule has been a top performer in the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) sector forgetting the fact that the same sector has been a legacy of the previous CPM-led Left Front government. For years, the state maintained itself as one of the leading states in the MSME sector under the Left Front's rule. In the post-poll CSDS-Lokniti survey of 2021 state assembly elections, 51.4% of the voters had said that job opportunities deteriorated in the state. However, in the last assembly elections, the TMC led by Mamata was able to return to power banking on welfare policies, Bengali regionalism and stability as the BJP failed to provide itself as a proper alternative. Things have changed a lot since then. Corruption has become an important issue with many allegations against the TMC leaders from bottom to the top. That corruption has penetrated widely into the administration under the TMC rule got credibility when the Supreme Court annulled over 25,000 teachers and non-teachers recruited through the School Service Commission (SSC) calling the selection process tainted. In addition to this, the declining law and order combined with the rise of communalism has emerged as another major issue in the state. This was seen in the Murshidabad violence resulting in the death of 3 people and the subsequent order of the Calcutta High Court to deploy central forces in the violence-hit district — and this order undeniably reflected the failure of the state administration. Bengali regionalism: A strategy to deflect anti-incumbency Despite seeing a decrease of six seats in the last Lok Sabha polls in comparison to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP was still ahead in 90 assembly seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Although this number was lower than the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where it was ahead in the 126 assembly constituencies, this was still higher than the 77 seats it got in the last assembly elections. This shows that the saffron party has established itself as a force to reckon with in the state, with the support from a large section of Left voters, who still view the former as the main challenger against TMC. Not only this, the main Opposition party learning from its past mistakes has been going through a makeover. This was visible through the appointment of Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya, a moderate leader within the state party leadership, as the state party president and the recent rally of prime minister Narendra Modi in Durgapur where the latter raised slogans like Jai Maa Durga and Jai Maa Kali instead of the usual slogan of Jai Shri Ram. In addition to this, Modi also tried to counter Mamata's claims, without naming her, on detention of Bengali migrants in BJP-ruled states by saying that the saffron party is not against Bengalis but against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Let's not forget that illegal Bangladeshi immigration is a problem within the state too. Growing anti-incumbency and the ongoing makeover of the BJP as a party trying to align with the Bengal's culture, left Mamata with no option but to turn the heat of anti-incumbency against her government towards the BJP by playing the card of Bengali regionalism. She is in no mood to give the BJP any more space in the state. This became evident when she in her rally wasn't much vocal on the Muslim card. Instead she invoked the Bengali card strongly to appeal both the Bengali Hindus and Bengali Muslims to vote against the saffron party. This also shows her attempt to deny the BJP a chance to polarise the majority Hindus against the TMC. Apart from this, she also knows that she would be fighting a tougher battle next year as 15-years of anti-incumbency is definitely not a joke and welfare schemes can't always be the guarantor of victory as evident from the defeats of Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. The author is a political commentator. His X ID is @SagarneelSinha. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 30, 2025, 18:54 IST News opinion Opinion | Mamata & Bengali Regionalism Card: Bid To Deflect Attention From Corruption, Law & Order Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
10 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
BJP MP Urges Delhi Police To Book Mamata Over Post Claiming Assault Of Bengali Woman
BJP MP urged Delhi Police to register a case against Mamata under IT Act and check the original social media post, and initiate legal action against her. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Soumendu Adhikari, brother of Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of spreading fake news on social media. He urged the police to register a case against the Bengal CM under the IT Act and save and check the original social media post, and initiate legal action against her. This comes after Mamata recently shared a video on social media, claiming that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were assaulted in the national capital for speaking their language – a charge firmly denied by the Delhi Police as 'fabricated" and 'politically motivated". She later claimed that the woman and the child were 'threatened". They were taken to various police stations just as I had predicted yesterday. They were threatened. We want them to come back, and whoever is speaking the truth and who is lying will be proved eventually," news agency PTI quoted her as saying. In his letter to the SHO of the Cyber Crime Branch of Delhi Police, the BJP MP accused the Bengal Chief Minister of spreading false information to damage the image of the city police and create public unrest. The Indian Express reported. He claimed that such a post made by an individual holding a constitutional position had widespread reach, triggering public outrage and harming the reputation of the police. Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania earlier said that the cops had taken note of the video shared by Mamata on X. 'During sustained questioning, the woman admitted that her relative, a political worker from Malda district in West Bengal, had asked her to make the video. The video was then circulated locally in Bengal and later surfaced on social media," he said. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Did you ask Maldives president his religion before hugging': Mamata Banerjee's jibe at PM Modi
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday attacked the centre for allegedly depriving the state of funds even as she hit out over the recent announcement of India giving ₹4,850 crore Line of Credit to Maldives. Mamata Banerjee has recently slammed BJP states over 'linguistic terror' on Bengalis.(AFP File) Mamata Banerjee launched the 'Bhasha Andolan' (Language Movement) from Bolpur in Birbhum district, declaring that she would "give up her life, but not allow anyone to snatch her language", according to news agency PTI. Mamata Banerjee, taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked, 'When you travel to Arab nations and hug the sheikhs, do you ask whether they are Hindus or Muslims?' She also hit out at the PM's recent visit to Maldives and said, 'Did you ask Maldives president his religion when you hugged him and donated 5,000 crore while depriving Bengal of its dues.' Also Read: Pahalgam attack mastermind Suleman Shah killed in Kashmir encounter: Sources Mamata said that she doesn't want a division on the basis of language and protested against the alleged attacks on Bengali migrants. She accused the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to "implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the backdoor" in Bengal by targeting Bengali-speaking migrants. The Bengal CM accused the centre of waging a "linguistic terror" and vowed not to allow the construction of detention camps in Bengal. "We will stop this conspiracy to jeopardise our existence in the name of linguistic terror and attempt to implement NRC by the backdoor," Banerjee said, according to PTI. "I won't allow the implementation of NRC or the building of detention camps in Bengal," Mamata added.
India.com
2 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Mamata Banerjee: বোলপুরে রাস্তায় মিছিল, সভায় NRC-র বিরুদ্ধে তীব্র প্রতিবাদ মমতার
Videos Mamata Banerjee: বোলপুরে রাস্তায় মিছিল, সভায় NRC-র বিরুদ্ধে তীব্র প্রতিবাদ মমতার | Zee 24 Ghanta Street Rally in Bolpur — Mamata Launches Strong Protest Against NRC in Public Meeting Street Rally in Bolpur — Mamata Launches Strong Protest Against NRC in Public Meeting | Updated: Jul 28, 2025, 06:25 PM IST Advertisement Street Rally in Bolpur — Mamata Launches Strong Protest Against NRC in Public Meeting
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Detentions, protests & identity: Bengal's poll battle heats up
Stobdo hobe, Jobdo hobe (They will be silenced, they will be taken to task). Mamata Banerjee's war cry at TMC 's annual Martyrs' Day rally was aimed squarely at the BJP . Her tone this year was far more combative than last year, when the central focus had been the looming shadow of ED investigations into her party leaders. This time, the spotlight is on a far more emotive issue: Bengalis allegedly being targeted in BJP-ruled states. For a leader who thrives on street protests, who rose to power riding waves of popular agitation, Mamata seems to have found a powerful rallying point to recharge her cadre, counter anti-incumbency, blunt infighting, and deflect from stench of corruption now encircling the power echelons of the state. She launched 'Bhasha Andolan' from Tagore's land Bolpur on Monday against what she calls Bhasha Santras — linguistic terrorism. The BJP, anticipating trouble, has quietly adjusted its tone in Bengal. Jai Shri Ram chants have gone to the backburner, while Jai Maa Durga and Jai Maa Kali have found prominence. Days after Abhishek Banerjee's provocation, JP Nadda echoed Jai Bangla, while PM Modi tried to reassure sentiments in his Durgapur speech by giving his 'guarantee' to preserve 'Bangali Asmita'. The appointment of soft-spoken, bhadralok intellectual Samik Bhattacharya as state president is another strand of this new narrative. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Byron Sports Hub bryonsportshub Read More Undo Suddenly, Bengali sub-nationalism is at centre stage, just as linguistic identity battles are flaring up across the country, from Karnataka to Maharashtra. But in Bengal, the picture is more layered. Identity and language collide with questions of nationality, and the hot-button issue of alleged illegal migration from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Citizenship, culture, and the crackdown From Donald Trump to Viktor Orban, populist right-wing leaders have often piggybacked on the wave of immigration issue to win elections. In India though NRC stumbled and stalled, many BJP-led states are now reportedly acting on an MHA directive issued in May to states and UTs to invoke their statutory powers to detect, identify and deport illegal immigrants. Apart from the issue of security, the idea of preserving Bharatiya culture by protecting the demography of the nation has been a recurring theme in the words of leaders like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Sarma's reply to a post by Mamata Banerjee, where he vowed to fight for existence, has gone viral. His response to another lawyer in the same issue was even more eye-opening. This, along with the Election Commission's latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, now announced for nationwide implementation after its controversial rollout in poll-bound Bihar, means citizenship,or the lack of it, has suddenly become a burning issue just months before the Bengal elections. TMC believes SIR isn't a routine exercise, but an NRC in disguise. Some estimates say more than 50 lakh names may be struck out in Bihar itself! TMC's allegation: It's about language TMC MP and chairman of West Bengal's Migrant Workers' Welfare Board, Samirul Islam told TOI that people are being targeted purely for speaking Bengali. An IIT Delhi alumnus, he claims to have seen documents of people with property deeds from as far back as 1922, yet branded as illegals and pushed back to Bangladesh. He alleges that not just Muslims, but Hindus too are being questioned and will face severe scrutiny in coming days. While 1.5 crore workers from other states operate freely in Bengal, some of the 21 lakh Bengalis working outside are being hounded, claims MP at the forefront of this protest. Regarding detentions and pushbacks, BJP so far has firmly rejected the claim, saying law enforcement is only hauling up people bearing a needle of suspicion. But many believe this narrative may not go unchallenged. In Odisha, 403 out of 447 alleged Bangladeshis had to be released after verification. Similar cases have been reported in the NCR. This gives ammunition to TMC's charge that innocents are being picked up randomly or with devious intentions. To make matters worse for BJP, Matua community members were reportedly detained in Maharashtra, and a Rajbanshi from Bengal received an NRC notice in Assam among others, adding fuel to Mamata's political fire. Matua and Rajbanshi factor In Bengal, Matuas in the south and Rajbanshis in the north are two key Scheduled Caste communities. Rajbanshis number around 4 million; Matuas over 3 million as per different estimates. Both were wooed by BJP's CAA promise and have largely supported the party in recent elections. Unsurprisingly, In 2021, BJP won 32 of 68 SC seats in the assembly elections. If the saffron party has to harbour any chances of winning Bengal in 2026, it needs to significantly better its tally among the SC-ST seats. Thus, TMC is going to town saying even Hindus especially the marginalised are not safe from this exercise. That narrative, say observers, could shift loyalties. Professor Subhamoy Maitra warns that even if only a few from these communities face harassment, the perception of being under scrutiny could hurt BJP. While SIR might have procedural merit, politically it may turn into quicksand, especially if Mamata succeeds in framing it as a witch-hunt. Also a lot will depend on the composition of people whose names get deleted after the SIR exercise is over, according to the social scientist. However, Maitra also believes BJP may be walking into a trap. He opines that the saffron party needs to highlight acts of omission and commission by the TMC, such as the ruling party's focus on doles, including Rs 10 lakh per booth as part of a community connect scheme. He argues that political discourse should return to development rather than swirl around identity politics and emotional appeals. The way TMC has resorted to blatant corruption needs to be effectively called out, Maitra concludes. Rohingya bogey or reality? Mamata recently has raised doubts about BJP's claim that India has 17 lakh Rohingyas saying global figures put their total population at just 11 lakh. TOI spoke to Dr. Sucharita Sengupta, who completed her PhD on statelessness and the Rohingya crisis in South Asia. According to her, there are no reliable estimates for how many Rohingyas are currently in India, though the best guess pegged the figure at around 40,000 in 2018. She debunks the common claim that Bengalis and Rohingyas are linguistically similar. In fact, most Rohingya youth she interviewed preferred Hindi or English. For many of them, India was never a destination, merely a transit. Yet, as fate would have it, they now find themselves stuck. Even if identified, Sengupta asks, where can they be sent? Neither Myanmar nor Bangladesh is likely to accept them. With no global framework for refugee repatriation, the situation remains a grey zone. The absence of an international charter for granting citizenship makes the issue even more precarious, she says. Unease within BJP Former Governor and erstwhile head of BJP in Bengal, Tathagata Roy, has claimed that Bengalis , both Hindus and Muslims are helping authorities and should actively participate in identifying Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas. He reposes faith in Suvendu Adhikari's words that the party will protect the interests of Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh. However, not all in BJP are convinced. Khagen Murmu, MP from Malda North, a border district, says he is hurt that Bengali workers are being embarrassed and forced to answer questions in other states. 'Bangladeshi infiltrators are indeed in huge numbers. So I advise our state's workers to carry identity cards and avoid such embarrassment,' he said. When asked about Murmu's concerns, Roy told TOI that infiltration has been happening since the early 1980s. He acknowledged that with such extensive groundwork, some issues are bound to crop up, but added that TMC would try to blow them out of proportion. The BJP leadership and central government, he said, must handle this with political caution. The presence of riverine borders virtually makes effective patrolling extremely difficult, explained Roy when quizzed about why illegal immigration continues to remain a reality even after ten years of Modi government. TMC senses an opportunity, BJP pushes back For now, TMC is using the uncertainty as a potent election weapon. Sensing discomfort, BJP has stepped up its counter-offensive. The West Bengal unit has been posting videos of Bengalis living peacefully in Delhi and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the NCR has become a hotspot for detentions which has brought greater mainstream attention to the issue. In Gurgaon alone, 237 individuals have been detained. The eviction drive in Delhi's Jai Hind Colony in Vasant Kunj has been halted following a court order where light and electricity connection had been cut off by authorities. All of these incidents have been vehemently protested by TMC and the likes of Samirul have tried to help the affected families. As Bengal heads toward another high-stakes election, BJP is doubling down on nationalism, identity and security. Whether that boosts its base or backfires with bureaucratic overreach will depend on perception as much as fact.
