Latest news with #SupriyoBhattacharya
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
JMM likely to go it alone in Bihar Assembly polls
Days after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was left out of two INDIA bloc meetings held recently to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, the party has decided to go it alone. Party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya has exuded confidence in the JMM's ability to hold its own in the polls and stressed that it has its own identity. The party has also expressed dissatisfaction with the INDI alliance's preparation for the polls, which are due later this year. The JMM has already identified 12 seats where it wants to field its candidates in Bihar Assembly polls. Police to seek Google help for traffic updates What's worse than being stuck in a traffic snarl while heading for work or running late for a class? Luckily, some relief is in the offing. The Ranchi Police is set to have an audience with Google India on how to keep the public updated about the latest traffic and road conditions. All congestion points, road blockades and disturbances will be depicted on Google Maps to warn the motorists beforehand and avoid further snarl-ups. This is not the first initiative by cops to ease traffic woes. The Ranchi traffic police have also issued helpline numbers that commuters can call up or message to highlight the cause of snarl-ups across the city. Now, cough up Rs 1,000 if found smoking in public Have you non-smokers ever found yourself enjoying a pleasant day out when the acrid whiff of cigarette smoke spoilt your mood? Well, worry not. President Droupadi Murmu recently gave her assent to an amendment Bill passed four years ago in the Jharkhand Assembly, enhancing the fine for smoking cigarettes at a public place from a measly Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. The fivefold rise in the penalty is likely to deter even the most notorious public smokers. Notably, just a month before the Bill was passed, the state Cabinet had also cleared a proposal to ban hookah bars. The government had clarified that violators would face jail or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Caste survey welcome, Sarna code needs clarity: INDIA bloc
1 2 Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led INDIA bloc on Wednesday welcomed the Centre's decision to include caste survey in the next census but said it was concerned with the lack of clarity about the inclusion of a separate religious code for the tribal communities which follow Sarna faith. JMM, Congress and the RJD also termed the Centre's announcement a moral victory for the opposition parties which had been demanding the survey for months now. JMM general secretary cum national spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said many primitive tribes in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat and the north-eastern states follow ancient religions. "The religions of these communities should also be included in the survey. Otherwise, a caste-based census sans these religions will be a half-baked exercise," he said. Notably the state assembly, in a special session in November 2020, had passed a resolution demanding inclusion of Sarna Code in the national census. Bhattacharya demanded that factions of Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism must also be included in the survey. "It is our suggestion that the caste survey and census be completed before delimitation as reservation for women (33% in Lok Sabha) also needs to be implemented in 2029," he said. RJD's state secretary Kailash Yadav said the party had been demanding caste survey for years. Supporting RJD and JMM's stand, state Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha said, "When Rahul Gandhi demanded the survey, the BJP neglected it. Better late than never they have realised its importance. It is a welcome move and will ensure also said the exercise will ensure social justice for every section of the society." State BJP president Babulal Marandi also welcomed the move. "Now the focus will be on real social justice, not just vote-bank politics. For decades, the Congress and other opposition parties have used the issue of caste census for electoral gains. But now, a caste-based census has become the need of the hour. The time has come to move away from fragmented, inconsistent, and opaque state-level surveys and adopt a uniform, reliable, and fact-based caste census for the entire nation," he added.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fix accountability, identify traitors: JMM to Centre
1 2 Ruling JMM on Thursday claimed that the Pahalgam terror attack was not "just a coincidence but an experiment by some traitors", calling for an impartial high-level probe. The party further said the entire nation is with the govt and it must take concrete steps against the attack. The central general secretary of the party, Supriyo Bhattacharya, said "some traitors" were active behind the scenes and trying to divert public attention whenever the country faced any sensitive issue or there was a visit from some international leaders. "We saw this during the Pulwama attack of 2019 when out of a large number of buses carrying soldiers, one was non-bulletproof and the RDX-laden jeep collided with it selectively, resulting in the death of 40 soldiers. Such a targeted attack was not possible without inside information, but we failed to identify the conspirator yet," he said. Drawing parallels between the Pulwama and the Pahalgam attacks, Bhattacharya said the attack happened when the country was facing various contentious and sensitive issues, and soon after the incident, correlated propaganda started. "Even when there is a small political protest, police deployment is there, but in Pahalgam, where it is the peak tourist season with thousands of tourists arriving every day, there was no security apparatus in place. What makes the situation more suspicious is that our home minister Amit Shah visited the area merely 10 days ago on a three-day visit to review the security arrangements, and still, such a heinous incident happened," he argued. Posing questions to the home ministry, he asked why no one was arrested even after 48 hours of the incident when the country has such a huge internal security budget. "A handful of people, whose sketches have been issued by the govt, come and go easily after carrying out the massacre without being intercepted. How can this be explained?" he further said, stressing that putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold was not a solution and the govt must come forward with concrete steps as the entire nation is standing with the govt. "Kashmir is our crown and the people there are among the best hosts. Be it Amarnath pilgrims or tourists visiting Dal Lake, it is the Muslim residents who operate their mules and boats to assist the pilgrims. Our enemy nation wants to target that communal harmony," he pointed out, criticising an Army general and an MP without taking their names for issuing communal statements and trying to divide society on religious lines. Bhattacharya also argued, "Unless the Pulwama terror attack probe is completed, we cannot expect a thorough and genuine probe into this attack as well. No one knows where that DSP vanished who was suspected to be the black sheep during the Pulwama attack. Even this time, someone must have facilitated the entry and exit of the terrorists." JMM also asserted that holding the Amarnath Yatra successfully would now be a challenge for the people of Kashmir and the entire nation. "The govt must ensure adequate security measures so that the annual pilgrimage proceeds smoothly," Bhattacharya added.
