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India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Dillip Ghosh hails Amit Shah's leadership, credits him for BJP's growth in Bengal
North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], June 1 (ANI): As Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday that the party has made significant strides in the state under Shah's leadership. Ghosh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last visit to the state instilled confidence in party workers. 'PM Modi visited north Bengal to encourage BJP workers, and they sent a message that West Bengal wants change and that our workers are ready. Today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit South Bengal and will give directions to BJP workers. Under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party has progressed a lot in West Bengal,' Ghosh told ANI. On Saturday, Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata for a two-day visit to West Bengal. He was received at the airport by the West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, along with other party leaders. Earlier, on his visit, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said, 'People of Bengal are desperate for change. 2026 belongs to BJP in Bengal.' Referring to terror incidents in past, she added, 'Mamata Banerjee wanted this government to not avenge (Pahalgam terror attack) just the way Congress did during the 26/11 attack, but PM Modi's government avenged it.' Echoing the same sentiments about Amit Shah's visit to West Bengal, BJP MP Saumitra Khan said that the people are excited about the Home Minister's visit, asserting that BJP is confident in forming the government in the upcoming 2026 Assembly election. Criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, 'West Bengal CM never speaks the right things; she never thinks that someone else can be right. She has fooled the people of West Bengal and maligned the state police. She favours Rohingyas and Bangladeshis and doesn't respect women.' BJP leader Locket Chatterjee noted the timing of the visit, saying, 'All are welcoming Amit Shah's visit, who is in the state after Operation Sindoor. It is a proud movement for us. BJP will form the government in 2026 in the state.' Meanwhile, BJP announced Ashish Ghosh as the party's candidate for the upcoming Kaliganj Assembly constituency bypoll on Saturday. Bye elections in Kaliganj will be held on June 19, and counting will take place on June 23. The seat fell vacant following the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed. In addition to that, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) announced Alifa Ahmed as their candidate for the Kaliganj elections. TMC shared a post on their official 'X' handle and informed about the development. 'AITC, under the inspiration and guidance of Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, we are pleased to announce the candidate for the upcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly Bye election scheduled for 19th June, 2025,' the 'X' post read. Bypolls in West Bengal's Kaliganj are important for the incumbent TMC state government due to the recent developments in the state. The TMC government has been under the radar due to various issues, especially due to the Murshidabad violence. (ANI)
India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Amit Shah reaches Kolkata, BJP Leaders push for 2026 win
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 1 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for a two-day visit to West Bengal. He was received at the airport by the West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, along with other BJP leaders. On his visit, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said, 'People of Bengal are desperate for a change. 2026 belongs to the BJP in Bengal.' Referring to past terror incidents, she added, 'Mamata Banerjee wanted this government not to avenge just the way Congress did during the 26/11 attack; but PM Modi's government avenged (Pahalgam terror attack).' Echoing the same sentiments over Amit Shah's visit to West Bengal, BJP MP Saumitra Khan said that the people are excited about the Home Minister's visit, asserting that the BJP is confident in forming the government in the upcoming 2026 assembly election. Criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, 'West Bengal CM never speaks the right things; she never thinks that someone else can be right. She has fooled the people of West Bengal and maligned the state police. She favours Rohingyas and Bangladeshis and doesn't respect women.' BJP leader Locket Chatterjee noted the timing of the visit, saying, 'All are welcoming Amit Shah's visit, who is in the state after Operation Sindoor. It is a proud movement for us. BJP will form the government in 2026 in the state.' Meanwhile, the BJP announced Ashish Ghosh as the party's candidate for the upcoming Kaliganj assembly constituency bypoll on Saturday. Bye elections in Kaliganj will be held on June 19, and counting will take place on June 23. The seat fell vacant following the death of TMC MLA Nasiruddin Ahamed. Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) announced Alifa Ahmed as their candidate for the Kaliganj elections. TMC shared a post on their official 'X' handle and informed about the development. 'AITC, under the inspiration and guidance of Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, we are pleased to announce the candidate for the upcoming West Bengal Legislative Assembly By-election scheduled for 19th June, 2025', the 'X' post read. Bypoll in West Bengal's Kaliganj are important for the incumbent TMC state government due to the recent developments in the state. The TMC government has been under the radar due to various issues, especially due to the Murshidabad violence. (ANI)
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Mamata Banerjee said what should never be spoken': BJP slams Bengal CM for ‘sindoor' remark on PM Modi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, May 30, chastised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was touring the state. The saffron party also rejected as fake news a media report that claimed the party planned to distribute vermilion among women to mark the government's anniversary. Speaking of Mamata Banerjee's remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, 'Mamata Banerjee has said what should never be spoken. No politician or elected representative should use a language... [she said] 'Is PM Modi the husband of every woman?' What kind of language is this?' Yes, Modi is a 'sewak' (servant) to all – like a father figure to some and a brother to others, Sambit Patra said. Attacking Mamata Banerjee, Sambit Patra said, 'There is no doubt, however, that if someone has worked to shelter Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas, it is Mamata Banerjee. They are fond of her.' He accused opposition parties, which had cited the report to slam the BJP for politicising Operation Sindoor, of spreading this propaganda to belittle India's military action against Pakistan and terror sites there. After the prime minister hit at Bengal government, Mamata Banerjee hit back at PM Modi over the 'sindoor' report, saying, 'Please remember, every woman has respect, they accept sindoor only from her husband... The way you are talking... you are not the husband of everybody; why are you not giving sindoor to your Mrs first?' Banerjee had said she did not want to get into such details but claimed that she was compelled to do so. 'The Centre named it Operation Sindoor for political gains ahead of upcoming elections [in various states],' she alleged. 'First, he [PM Modi] used to call himself a tea-seller, then a chowkidar, and now he has come to sell sindoor. He cannot sell sindoor like this,' Mamata Banerjee said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP trashes reports of distributing vermilion, slams Mamata's choice of words against PM Modi
No politician should use such language, the BJP said on Friday (May 30, 2025) as it chastised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her choice of words targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It rejected as fake news a media report that claimed the ruling BJP planned to distribute vermilion among women to mark the government's anniversary. Also Read | TMC hits back at PM Modi's claims, counter questions on Manipur, paper leaks and unemployment BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Mamata Banerjee has said what should never be spoken. No politician or elected representative should use a language... (she said) 'Is PM Modi the husband of every woman?' What kind of language is this?" But yes, Modi is a "sewak" (servant) to everyone; he is like a father to some and a brother to others, he told reporters. Attacking the Trinamool Congress supremo, Mr. Patra said, "There is no doubt, however, that if someone has worked to shelter Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas, it is Mamata Banerjee. They are fond of her." The BJP MP from Mr. Puri rejected media reports as "fake news" that the ruling BJP planned to distribute vermilion (sindoor) among women to mark the Narendra Modi government's anniversary. He accused Opposition parties, which had cited the report to slam the BJP for politicising Operation Sindoor, of spreading this propaganda to belittle India's military action against Pakistan and terror sites there. Ms. Banerjee had hit back at Mr. Modi on Thursday after the prime minister launched a sharp political attack on her government. Referring to the report, she said, "Please remember, every woman has respect, they accept sindoor only from her husband... The way you are talking... you are not the husband of everybody; why are you not giving sindoor to your Mrs first?" she said. Ms. Banerjee had said she did not want to get into such details but claimed that she was compelled to do so. "The Centre named it Operation Sindoor for political gains ahead of upcoming elections (in various states)," she alleged. "First, he (Modi) used to call himself a tea-seller, then a chowkidar, and now he has come to sell sindoor. He cannot sell sindoor like this," Ms. Banerjee said, drawing condemnation from the BJP for her choice of words. BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also dubbed the news report as "fake" and slammed the West Bengal Chief Minister for acting like a troll to use a baseless story for politics. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, however, claimed the BJP was forced to withdraw its campaign due to the backlash. "Now they are calling the cheap plan fake news," she said on X, reacting to Mr. Malviya's comments.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Not the noble Nobel laureate anymore: Muhammad Yunus and the worsening tumult in Bangladesh
Imagine government employees at South and North Block in New Delhi suddenly going on strike, workers in all tax departments downing pens and primary teachers picketing schools across the country – and all this at the same time. Imagine the Army telling the government that it doesn't like some of its policies. Imagine inflation soaring, Foreign Direct Investments vanishing, mobs roaming the street and the courts letting jailed criminals sentenced to death go scot-free. Something close to this dystopia is now unfolding in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate heading an interim government in Dhaka since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina nine months ago, has been quoted describing the situation in the country as "war-like". He has been blaming much of the country's troubles on the Awami League, the Sheikh Hasina-led party banned on May 12, and on the foreign hand trope, in this case, a "hegemonistic" India. Before Bangladesh shuts down for a 10-day holiday next week to mark Eid al-Adha, a mega rally on Wednesday in Dhaka called by the Awami League's rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and easily the biggest political party in that country today, pumped up the political temperatures to boiling point. On the same day, Yunus left for Japan on a four-day visit. Anything could happen. Army-Yunus face off Last week, what happened was an Army coup without a coup. The chief of Army Staff General Waqar ul Zaman was quoted in WhatsApp messages that went viral worldwide as having served an ultimatum to the Yunus-led dispensation that elections must be held this December so that Bangladesh has a brand-new democratically elected government on New Year's Day 2026. The debate over when elections should be held is split between those who want reforms to the poll process first and then elections and those who want elections first and insist reforms can wait. The biggest political party BNP wants polls by December, but Yunus had promised polls only by June 2026. This is a position backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens' Party (NCP) who want polls only after full electoral reforms, even if it takes a full five years. The Army on Monday denied General Zaman had issued any ultimatum in his address to officers in Dhaka and the fact is there is no audio or video recording of his statement. But few doubt the veracity of a flood of WhatsApp messages that emerged after the General's meeting and went viral, detailing all that he had purportedly said. Members of the media in Dhaka say such strategies have been used before to protect sources and maintain deniability. The WhatsApp messages also reiterated General Zaman's position on a proposed corridor from Chittagong to Myanmar to send relief to the Rohingyas and other Myanmarese, caught between rebels and the junta. He was reported to have said already that decisions with such security implications can be taken only by an elected government, not an interim one. In this melee, rumours about Yunus and his cohorts conspiring in recent times to replace General Zaman added to the swirls of speculation sweeping through Dhaka and casting long shadows of uncertainty over Bangladesh. The WhatsApp messages had perhaps the desired effect or it perhaps hadn't, depending on how you look at it. Immediately after the Army chief's purported December deadline went viral, a student leader of the NCP, Nahid Islam, claimed Yunus was thinking of resigning. Once news of the purported resignation went public, political parties and civil society of all shades chorused,Yunus can't do it – abandon ship mid-sea. Yunus relented but stuck to his June 2026 deadline. A hero, to some eyes. But analysts say Yunus was forced to play the only card he had: resignation. He has no other bargaining chip. The workers strike Even before sighs of relief could be heaved over the passing of the Army-Yunus face-off, government employees at the secretariat in Dhaka went on strike on Monday to protest an ordinance in which new service rules make it much easier for the state to demote or transfer them at will. On Monday, primary teachers across the country struck work too. From Tuesday, employees of the rural electricity board that supplies power to the Bangladesh hinterland began protests in Dhaka. They will ensure emergency power supplies but nothing else. In Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong, workers at the docks are in protest mode over plans to give management control to foreign companies. Another key problem is the police. In the student rebellion of August 5, the police, viewed as loyal to Sheikh Hasina, was at the receiving end of the protesters' wrath and a huge segment of the force – some say as much as 50 per cent – never returned to work. What that means today is a thin presence of police forces on the ground and a sense of lawlessness. Extortionist mobs roaming the streets, bullying people, manhandling them and extorting money are not uncommon, affecting daily life in large pockets of Dhaka and beyond. The Army has warned of a crackdown. The politics Politically, the air is becoming increasingly toxic, especially because of the divide over the timeframe for elections. On one side is the BNP champing at the bit for a taste of power that eluded them in the 15-year reign of the Awami League. It wants early elections as it believes it is a front runner, given its network, history and popularity as a long-standing alternative to the Awami League. The BNP's line of thought is also aligned to the Army's which wants early polls too. The BNP is also a party with roots in the Army. It was founded in 1978 by General Ziaur Rahman, who later became the President. On the other side is the powerful Jamaat-e-Islami, which is bringing together all shades of Islamist groups under its umbrella and emerging as a political force, backed by Yunus. It is well-funded, has a network and has received several shots in the arm, including the release on Monday of one of its top leaders ATM Azharul Islam who was sentenced to death on the charge of collaborating with Pakistan and for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. On Monday, the Supreme Court acquitted him and set him free. The NCP is a 'King's Party' or state-backed party, birthed by Yunus in collaboration with the students who led the rebellion in July-August last year and forced Sheikh Hasina to flee. The NCP and Jamaat appear to be on the same side, willing to let Yunus take his time and implement all electoral reforms he wants before holding elections. The Army's role in this political hotbed is crucial. It had helped install Yunus in the hot seat in the bloody aftermath of the August 5 rebellion. The Army declared on Monday it is backing Yunus still. But, after last week's frisson of friction, no one doubts that the situation is fraught and fragile and Bangladesh is teetering on the edge of even more troubled times.
