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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
After central advisory, singara & jalebi set to make debut on party faithfuls' menu this Martyrs' Day
Kolkata: Singara and jalebi are likely to make a debut on the party faithful's menu alongside the usual egg-rice this year at the Trinamool Congress organised camps. Party supporters are staying over the weekend to take part in the annual Martyrs' Day rally scheduled for Monday. Party sources said while the snacks cannot be produced in bulk like the other food items, they will be served as a delicacy as an evening snack, perhaps once between Saturday and Monday. This is a reminder to the now-withdrawn diktat against these traditional Indian snacks by the central govt. "We are trying to offer singara-jalebi as an evening snack to the participants at least once during this period. We are taking stock of the expenditure," said Debalina Biswas, KMC borough IX chairperson, who is in charge of overall facility management at Uttirna in south Kolkata. Around 4,500 party supporters from Purulia, Bankura, and Murshidabad will be housed there from Saturday. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata According to an estimate, close to a lakh supporters are supposed to reach Kolkata by Sunday evening to take part in the annual Martyrs' Day rally on July 21. The visitors are being accommodated in large tents and shelters set up at four main locations across the city — Central Park in Salt Lake, Gitanjali Stadium in Kasba, Uttirna open-air auditorium in Alipore, and Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra next to Netaji Indoor Stadium. The largest of these makeshift camps is in Salt Lake, housing around 30,000 people overnight. A party senior in charge at the camps said they arranged full-day meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As part of preparations, 200 quintals of rice and over 3.6 lakh eggs — around 12,000 crates — have been sourced. The logistics extend beyond camps, with hotels, guest houses, and dormitories near Howrah, Sealdah, and central Kolkata also being booked. TMC functionaries said this would be one of the largest gatherings in recent times, expecting a record crowd to arrive from all 23 districts ahead of the 2026 elections. "We're here to hear Didi's message ahead of the elections. After our success in LS polls, we are confident of a victory again next year," said Rupam Sarkar, a supporter from Gangarampur in South Dinajpur, who arrived with 130 others and is staying in the Salt Lake camp. "People began arriving on Friday. We have close to 10,000 people in our camp," said Sujit Bose, in charge of Salt Lake camp.
Mint
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘She doesn't eat dhoklas': Mahua Moitra fires back after PM Modi invokes Maa Kali at Bengal rally
Trinamool Congress party (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra took a sharp jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking Goddess Kali while addressing a rally in West Bengal's Durgapur on Friday, calling his attempt to woo Bengali voters a 'bit late," and that the Goddess 'does not eat dhoklas.' Shifting from his usual 'Jai Shri Ram' to greet crowds, PM Modi addressed the Bengal rally with 'Jai Maa Kali, Jai Maa Durga.' Taking a swipe at the same, Mahua Moitra posted on X: "Bit late in the day to start invoking Maa Kali for Bengali votes PM Modi. She doesn't eat dhoklas and never will." Mahua Moitra's post on X In 2022, Mahua Moitra sparked a political firestorm when she described Goddess Kali as a 'meat-eating and alcohol-accepting' deity — a remark that triggered nationwide outrage and led to an FIR being filed against her. The comment drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who accused her of hurting religious sentiments.
News18
6 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Jai Shri Ram Vs Jai Ma Kali: BJP Looks To Connect With Bengali 'Asmita', TMC Mocks 'Imitation'
TMC plans to set a narrative that BJP, which once aggressively projected the slogan 'Jai Shri Ram', has been compelled to adopt chants like 'Jai Ma Kali' under its influence The day Samik Bhattacharya was picked and felicitated as the Bengal president of BJP, the presence of Ma Kali's image on stage had sparked wide discussions. Now, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Durgapur, the display of Matri Shakti (divine feminine power) was seen in full force. Starting his speech in Durgapur, PM Modi raised the slogans 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai," followed by 'Jai Ma Durga, Jai Ma Kali". Not only did he raise these chants during his address, but this time, the BJP's official invitation also carried the words 'Jai Ma Durga" and 'Jai Ma Kali". Sensing an opportunity, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is planning to take up the issue strongly. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, 'The prime minister says he wants development. But what does development mean? It means Mamata Banerjee and her government—Maa, Mati, Manush. It was there, it is there, and it will remain. But what has changed? PM Modi. Earlier it was Jai Shri Ram, now it has become Jai Ma Kali. Has PM Modi changed so much? They used to say Mamata Banerjee does not celebrate Durga Puja. Now, 11 years after becoming PM, Bengal has changed him." He added, 'Today, one good thing we observed was that 'Jai Shri Ram' was not uttered even once." TMC insiders reveal that the party plans to set a narrative suggesting that BJP, which once aggressively projected the slogan 'Jai Shri Ram", has now been compelled to adopt chants like 'Jai Ma Kali" and 'Jai Ma Durga" under TMC's influence. The party intends to position itself as understanding Bengali culture deeply, while portraying the BJP as an outsider merely imitating them. However, this theory is countered by another section of political analysts who argue that BJP's strategy is to connect with Bengali asmita (pride)—similar to their approach in Odisha—although the models in both states differ significantly. Over the past decade, the BJP has consistently tried to align with Bengali cultural identity. This time, their focus on the Bengali Renaissance and cultural heritage is aimed at appealing to the bhadra lok (educated middle class). Chants like 'Jai Ma Kali" and 'Jai Ma Durga" resonate deeply with the masses of Bengal, experts say, and this is part of BJP's strategy to establish a cultural connect. However, they clarify that this does not imply 'Jai Shri Ram" is losing relevance. After all, Bengal's biggest festival, Durga Puja, has its mythological roots in Akalabodhana [worship of goddess Durga] by Lord Ram, establishing a strong narrative link. Experts assert that BJP's Bengali asmita agenda is clear—the party will continue to weave cultural, religious, and regional pride into its political messaging in every possible way. view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 11:03 IST 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.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP persecuting Bengali speakers in Assam claims Mamata Banerjee; Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured that Bengali language and identity is paramount to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (July 19, 2025) claimed that the BJP was persecuting Bengali speakers in Assam. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back stating that the West Bengal Chief Minister has 'compromised Bengal's future — encouraging illegal encroachment by a particular community appeasing one religious community for vote banks and remaining silent as border infiltration eats away at national integrity — all just to stay in power.' Mamata Banerjee only concerned about Bengali-speaking Muslims: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma West Bengal Chief Minister in a social media post highlighted that Bengali (Bangla) is the second most spoken language in the country and also in Assam and to 'threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional.' The Trinamool Congress chairperson said that this 'divisive agenda of the BJP in Assam has crossed all limits and people of Assam will fight back.' Ms. Banerjee said she stands with 'every fearless citizen who is fighting for the dignity of their language and identity, and their democratic rights.' Refuting the West Bengal Chief Minister's charges, Assam Chief Minister emphasised that in his State, the government was not fighting its own people but 'fearlessly resisting the ongoing, unchecked Muslim infiltration from across the border, which has already caused an alarming demographic shift.' 'In several districts, Hindus are now on the verge of becoming a minority in their own land. This is not a political narrative — it's a reality,' he said in a social media post. Mr. Biswa Sarma said that even the Supreme Court of India has termed such infiltration as external aggression. 'And yet, when we rise to defend our land, culture, and identity, you choose to politicise it. We do not divide people by language or religion. Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Hindi — all languages and communities have coexisted here. But no civilisation can survive if it refuses to protect its borders and its cultural foundation,' he added. Migrants from Bengal being treated like trespassers in their own country: Mamata Banerjee There have been several reports of migrant workers from West Bengal being targeted in various BJP ruled States and the West Bengal Chief Minister has hit the streets on June 16 threatening protests all across the country if the persecution does not stop. Earlier this month Assam Chief Minister has said people who seek to replace Assamese with Bengali in the electoral rolls would help the government get an idea about the number of 'foreigners' in the State. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in West Bengal on July 18 has said that for the BJP, Bengali 'ashmita (identity and pride)' is paramount and wherever there is a BJP government, Bengalis are respected, Bengali language is respected.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Calcutta High Court sets ‘office hour' curbs for Mamata's July 21 rally
The Calcutta High Court on Friday (July 18, 2025) directed that all processions heading to the Trinamool Congress's rally at Central Kolkata's Dharmatala on July 21 must reach the venue by 8 a.m. or after 11 a.m., to ensure the smooth flow of traffic through Central Kolkata during rush hour. The single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed that processions will be allowed until 8 a.m. and will be given until 9 a.m. to settle down. Processions will be allowed to resume only after 11 a.m. to prevent traffic congestion in Kolkata's central business district between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., the court said. 'From 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m., the police authorities would ensure that there is no traffic congestion through the routes which will lead to the High Court at Calcutta or within a fringe of 5 kilometers where the Offices are situated at the Central Kolkata… Commissioner of Police, Kolkata would ensure that deployment of police force be adequately maintained to ensure smooth traffic movement,' the Court's July 18 order reads. The Trinamool Congress has been hosting a massive Martyrs' Day rally in Central Kolkata on July 21 for the last two decades in remembrance of 13 people killed in a police firing during a protest movement by the West Bengal Youth Congress on 21 July 1993, according to the party's official website. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, on Thursday, in a verbal observation, also urged the Trinamool Congress to choose a different venue for the Martyrs' Day rally from next year, such as Shahid Minar, the Brigade Parade Ground, or the Salt Lake Stadium. The Court was hearing a petition filed by a group of lawyers alleging potential inconvenience to commuters due to the rally, which will be held on a Monday morning this year.
