Latest news with #Mamata
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
From the Urdu Press: ‘Insinuation of any Muslim opposition to Op Sindoor is baseless… Both Govt and Oppn must cease such politics'
Over the past week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited several states, including poll-bound ones like Bihar and West Bengal, to launch various development projects and address rallies. The PM's tour dominated coverage in the Urdu press. In Bengal, while highlighting the success of Operation Sindoor, the PM targeted the Mamata Banerjee government for allegedly fostering violence, corruption and lawlessness in the state. The sharp reactions of top Opposition leaders also made headlines in the Urdu dailies. While Mamata alleged that Modi was looking to gain 'political mileage' out of Operation Sindoor, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked him to 'focus on the enemy instead of self-boasting' and recuse himself from 'election blitz'. Commenting on the war of words between the Modi government and the Opposition days after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its June 2 editorial, points out that in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the consequent Operation Sindoor, the entire country stood unitedly against Pakistan and its sponsorship of terrorism against India. 'The entire country staunchly backed Operation Sindoor and hailed our armed forces for conducting it against terror bases in Pakistan. The Opposition also threw its weight behind the government over its every retributive action against Pakistan. But now, it seems politics has started heating up in the name of Operation Sindoor,' the edit says. 'Attempts are being made to garner political dividends from the success of a military operation. This is unfortunate – there should not be any politics over national security.' The daily said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing BJP workers in Kolkata, accused Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee of 'opposing Operation Sindoor to appease the Muslim votebank'. 'Two points must be flagged here. One, whether it is Mamata or any other party in the country, everyone has fully supported Operation Sindoor and offered their tributes to the armed forces. And two, any insinuation that there was any Muslim opposition to Operation Sindoor is completely false and baseless — because every Muslim in the country has condemned the horrific Pahalgam attack and rallied round Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.' The editorial notes that all the citizens of the country are proud of the accomplishments of our armed forces. Notwithstanding the bid to raise political temperature in Bengal, which is headed to the Assembly polls early next year, the fact remains that everyone cutting across political and community lines has spoken out in unison against the Pahalgam outrage besides calling for teaching Pakistan a lesson, it says. 'Both the government and the Opposition must desist from making any play over national security for their narrow political gains. The prevailing atmosphere of unity and harmony in the country must not be vitiated.' Highlighting Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam's announcement that India has now overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, ranked behind the US, China and Germany, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its May 28 leader, says it is a moment of celebration. 'But the government's key policy body seems to have jumped the gun as it turns out India is set to overtake Japan's economy soon,' the editorial says. Another aspect of this discourse is the point that there is a massive gap between the average income and living standards of the people of the two Asian countries, it notes. India is a low-middle-income developing economy with a per capita income of $2,880, while Japan is a developed, albeit weakening, economy with a per capita income of $33,900. The daily says that despite India's impressive GDP, the inequalities between the rich and the poor in the country are vast and stark. As per the World Inequality Report, the top 1% of India's population accounts for a significant portion of the nation's wealth. 'A majority of our people have very low income. Poverty is rampant in households across rural and urban parts of the country, where people face various challenges to make ends meet in their daily lives,' the edit says, adding that this is reflected in the government's initiative to hand out free ration to 80 crore people. Referring to the widening rifts within the first family of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Siasat, in its June 1 editorial, states that in the run-up to the 2023 Telangana Assembly polls the Congress had accused the then incumbent BRS of 'colluding' with the BJP to checkmate it. The BRS and the BJP had rejected these allegations with each of them accusing, in turn, the other two of having forged a 'tacit understanding', the edit says. 'The buzz about a deal between the BRS and the BJP had gained traction during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the BRS was accused of helping the latter. The polls saw the BJP winning eight of the 17 seats (as against the ruling Congress's eight) in the state.' The daily says that BRS president and ex-chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)'s daughter and party MLC K Kavitha has said that during her incarceration in prison last year in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case, she was approached with a proposal about the BRS's merger with the BJP, which she said she outright rejected. 'Although senior BJP leaders have not validated Kavitha's claim, BJP MLA T Raja Singh has echoed it while taking aim at his own party leaders,' it says. The editorial states that in her 'leaked' May 2 letter to KCR, Kavitha herself underlined that he had shied away from targeting the BJP in his address at the BRS' plenary event in April while just attacking the Congress, which she said fuelled speculation about the party's plan to align with the BJP in future. 'The BRS could not reject the row as mere allegations levelled by its political rivals as it has arisen out of Kavitha's remarks. The BRS and KCR should clear the air over the party's equations with the BJP,' it says. Every party is entitled to join hands with any other player, but it must be done transparently as all parties are accountable to the people who are the final arbiter in a democracy, the edit adds.
India.com
2 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
অপারেশন সিঁদুরের বিরোধিতা করে বাংলার মা-বোনকে অসম্মান করেছেন মমতা Zee 24 Ghanta 24 Ghanta, Zee News
Videos Amit Shah | অপারেশন সিঁদুরের বিরোধিতা করে বাংলার মা-বোনকে অসম্মান করেছেন মমতা | Zee 24 Ghanta Amit Shah | "By Opposing Operation Sindoor, Mamata Has Insulted the Women of Bengal": Amit Shah | Zee 24 Ghanta Amit Shah | "By Opposing Operation Sindoor, Mamata Has Insulted the Women of Bengal": Amit Shah | Zee 24 Ghanta | Updated: Jun 01, 2025, 05:30 PM IST Advertisement Amit Shah | "By Opposing Operation Sindoor, Mamata Has Insulted the Women of Bengal": Amit Shah | Zee 24 Ghanta
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP workers forcibly apply sindoor on female cops
Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee's personal jibe about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife has triggered a vicious cycle of personal attacks culminating in BJP workers forcibly applying sindoor on female police officers in Hooghly's Chinsurah, according to The Telegraph report. The controversy erupted following Modi's rally in Alipurduar , where he, without naming Mamata, sharply criticised her government and her Trinamool Congress regime. In response, Mamata held a press conference to counter what she called Modi's 'politicisation of Operation Sindoor'. During the briefing, she crossed a line with a personal jibe: 'Remember that every woman has respect. They take sindoor from their husbands… Modiji is talking this way. You are not every woman's husband… why don't you give sindoor to your Missus first?' Realising the inappropriateness of her comment, Mamata immediately apologised while blaming Modi for provoking her. 'I am sorry to say this. I shouldn't get into all this. But you are compelling us now to open our mouths,' she said. Instead of accepting the chief minister's apology, BJP leaders saw a political opportunity. State unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari launched a coordinated retaliation that targeted not just Mamata's alleged personal conduct but also her humble origins and socio-economic background. Majumdar, a junior Union minister, mocked her for 'having grown up in a slum,' while Adhikari threatened to distribute 'damning excerpts' from a controversial book about her personal life. True to his word, BJP workers distributed copies of these excerpts during protests on Friday.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Where other Opposition parties walked a tightrope, and Congress tied itself up in knots
The Pahalgam terrorist attack, Operation Sindoor and the highly-publicised diplomatic tour of multi-party delegations to over 30 countries have thrown up a few surprises in the Opposition ranks. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has smashed the stereotypical image his opponents had cast him into; Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has eclipsed his party, earning all-round praise for his authoritative explanation of the military action against Pakistan; while Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee have deftly walked the tightrope between 'nationalism' and their opposition to the BJP, with the nephew drawing notice for his forceful denunciation of Pakistan, as part of his all-party team abroad. Among the predictables, the Congress ranked the highest, its actions marked by typical confusion, leaving it familiarly tied up in knots. Having handled the days following the Pahalgam terror attack well, standing in full solidarity with the government and reining in its motormouths, the Congress has let all that flow out of the window. The most glaring example has been the party's response to the all-party delegations chosen by the government to present India's case against Pakistan abroad. If that was a canny move by a government not known to cede space to the Opposition, the Congress – rather than recognising when it is beat – has been churlish, starting with picking at names of its leaders chosen by the government for the teams. The Congress could have looked in its own corner, at the TMC, for cues. The party that is in as bitter a battle of survival against the BJP as the Congress, with the poll war of Bengal looming months from now, has held its own when served the same fait accompli. Mamata too put her foot down at the government's choice of TMC leaders to be part of the all-party delegations. But when she said Yusuf Pathan would stay out, he did. This, in turn, made the government reach out to the third largest party in Parliament to make amends, giving Mamata a chance to nominate her No. 2 and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, giving the young MP a national platform he has wanted. Granted that the Congress could not count on its own leaders toeing the party line on the issue of staying out once picked by the government – which selected names that were not just among the best of Congress talent but also leaders who felt sidelined within its ranks. Given this reality, the Congress would have done well to handle this matter in-house, rather than in full public view. The Congress did not let the matter rest even after this, making a barely concealed attempt at graciousness by saying its leaders would 'of course, go with the delegations and make their contributions'. No sooner had the teams left though, the party denounced the exercise as an attempt to 'divert attention' from the tough questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'being called to answer'. The most unseeming spectacle has been the sniping between the Congress's own leaders and Tharoor who, by all accounts, is the star speaker of the delegations. As this plays out publicly on social media, it is being amplified by the party's communications department, with apparently no efforts to check the same. Many wondered why the party then allowed its leaders to be part of the all-party government exercise in the first place. In the party's defence, Congress leaders argue that the comparison to others is misplaced as all other parties are single-leader entities. 'Sharad Pawar will never complain that his daughter was asked to head one of the delegations without consulting him. The same is the case with the DMK. M K Stalin would not have a problem with Kanimozhi leading a delegation. Owaisi need not ask anyone… Even Mamata… had the government nominated Abhishek (in the first place), she also would not have thrown a fit,' one Congress leader said. However, the Congress is on thin ice here, as most parties – and that includes the Aam Aadmi Party, RJD, Samajwadi Party and the CPI(M), where party writ runs supreme – chose not to make an issue of the names chosen by the government. It was not a battle these parties perhaps wanted to pick. Again, while Opposition parties other than the Congress too have been demanding convening of a special session of Parliament, most have thought it politically prudent to desist from seeming too persistent with questions on Operation Sindoor. It is an issue they have let pass at the moment, even though many believe Modi and the BJP are using Operation Sindoor politically. For the TMC, the balancing act has been the toughest, given the elections ahead and given that Muslims are its big support base. So, Mamata has been clear in her rhetorical signal to the Muslim community that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in Bengal. Meanwhile, Abhishek, while representing the Indian government in the all-party delegations, is underlining that the TMC can be as aggressive on nationalism as the BJP. His remarks in Tokyo, saying, 'If terrorism is a rabid dog, Pakistan is its vile handler. We must first unite the world to tackle this wild handler – else it will continue to breed more rabid dogs', is being amplified by the TMC. In Tokyo, Abhishek also made it a point to visit the memorial of Rash Behari Bose and raised its 'neglected and dilapidated state'. 'I have requested our Ambassador and the Indian Embassy in Tokyo to take up the matter with concerned authorities and ensure that this remarkable hero receives the honour he truly deserves,' he then said in a social media post. Meanwhile, Congress sympathisers are ruing that yet again, the party's sorry state of affairs stands exposed, with those calling the shots not willing to acknowledge or accommodate leaders like Tharoor who are not in agreement with the way the party is being run, decisions and stands taken, or policies formulated.
The Print
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Mamata rips into PM Modi for ‘politicising' Op Sindoor—‘hold elections tomorrow if you have the guts'
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief's scathing remarks came at a press conference held just minutes after Modi, addressing a rally in West Bengal, referenced the cultural and religious significance of sindoor (vermillion) in the state, highlighting a ritual performed by Bengali women during Durga Puja. Referring to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, who was tasked with holding press briefings on Operation Sindoor during the India-Pakistan conflict, Mamata alleged that the Prime Minister selectively invokes India's pluralist ethos when it suits him, while weaponising religion for political gain at other times. New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a no-holds-barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, accusing him of 'weakening' India's fight against cross-border terrorism by 'politicising' Operation Sindoor, even as multi-party delegations travel abroad to secure the country's interests. 'Please remember that every woman respects sindoor. They take sindoor from their husbands. You (PM) are not the husband of everybody. Why don't you give sindoor to your Mrs first? Sorry to say, I should not go into all these matters, but you compel us. You compel us to open our mouths by calling for Operation Bengal like Operation Sindoor,' Mamata said, adding that the operation was named Sindoor for political gain. According to the West Bengal CM, during the rally held in Alipurduar in North Bengal, some BJP leaders—speaking in the Prime Minister's presence—reportedly claimed that 'Operation Bengal' would lead to the defeat of the Trinamool Congress, just as Operation Sindoor neutralised terrorists in Pakistan. 'Through his statement he has compared terrorists with the soil of Bengal, the dignity of women of Bengal. What does he think of himself? He thinks he can get away by saying anything he wants? By doing whatever he wants? If he wants to carry out Operation Bengal like Operation Sindoor, I dare him to hold elections tomorrow…they should hold elections tomorrow if they have the guts,' the TMC supremo said. Mamata also took another swipe at Modi saying he may not be holding the PM's post by the time elections are held in West Bengal in 2026 as he had himself spoken about retirement from public life after turning 75. 'At one point he used to call himself a tea-seller, then he called himself a security guard and now he wants to sell sindoor. Sindoor cannot be sold like this. Sindoor symbolises the self-respect and dignity of women. Is he not ashamed? Blue films are playing out on the streets of Uttar Pradesh (a reference to MP highway sex scandal). One BJP MP blamed the widows of Pahalgam for failing to resist the terrorists,' she added. At the Alipurduar rally earlier in the day, Modi attacked Mamata's government over the Murshidabad riots and the teacher recruitment scam, accusing it of fostering violence, corruption and lawlessness. The people of Bengal are desparate to oust the 'nirmam sarkar' (cruel government), he added. Accusing Modi of indulging in relentless publicity campaigns, Mamata said that while the Indian armed forces were the country's asset, the PM was akin to a 'cassette'. She also sniped at the PM referring to US President Donald Trump's claim that he brokered the truce between India and Pakistan. 'You cannot utter a word on what America says.' 'You conspire against the opposition, create divisions between communities. You play divisive politics. But when you travel to Saudi Arabia, you embrace the Sheikhs. Then you don't see a Hindu from a Muslim. During the conflict, you get Colonel Qureshi to hold press conferences. Hindu and Muslim do not matter for you then,' Mamata went on to say. The PM has weakened the fight of our motherland, she added. 'All opposition parties are lending support to you and you are disrespecting them. Shame on you and shame on your government and shame on the BJP.' (Edited by Gitanjali Das) Also Read: BJP-led NDA outlines game plan at key meet—Op Sindoor, caste census, Emergency & best practices
