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India Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Suvendu Adhikari demands action against Mamata Banerjee over booth officers remark
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take suo motu action against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent remarks directed at Booth Level Officers (BLOs).Adhikari alleged that Banerjee issued a veiled threat to BLOs during an administrative meeting held in Birbhum on Monday, where she instructed them to ensure that voter names were not arbitrarily removed from the electoral rolls. He claimed her statements interfere with the autonomy of the Election Commission and amount to undue political a letter to the Election Commission, Adhikari stated that Banerjee's remarks were a "direct attack on democracy" and accused her of attempting to influence the electoral process. Posting on his official handle on social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), Adhikari wrote:'By instructing BLOs to ensure that no names are removed from the Voter List, it is clearly an unauthorised attempt to dilute the voter lists for political gain. This is unacceptable. How can elections be fair if the Chief Minister pressures officials and challenges the ECI's autonomy?'He further added that he has formally urged the Election Commission to take suo motu cognisance of the Chief Minister's statements, which he claims interfere with the duties of BLOs and "undermine the ECI's authority".Mamata Banerjee's assertion that BLOs are merely State Govt Employees and her attempt to intimidate and manipulate the electoral process by instructing BLOs to ensure that no names are removed from the Voter List, is clearly an unauthorized attempt to dilute the Voter Lists for Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 29, 2025Banerjee, while addressing government officials in Birbhum on Monday, stated that BLOs should be cautious not to arbitrarily strike off names from the voter list and reminded them that, "BLOs are state government employees and will have to work under the state government after elections too." Her comments were made in the context of widespread voter list revisions currently BJP sees the remarks as an attempt to influence voter list management and exert pressure on BLOs, who are trained and deputed by the Election Commission for electoral duties.- Ends
The Wire
15-07-2025
- The Wire
'Beaten, IDs Taken, Humiliated': Inside the Brutal 'Push Backs' of Bengali Muslim Migrant Workers
Hariharpara/Kolkata (Bengal): Nazimuddin Mondal can barely stand now. He winces as he tries to sit up at his home in Hariharpara of Bengal's Murshidabad. His voice trembles slightly as he recounts his ordeal from early June. 'All I remember is that we were picked up by men from the Kanakia police station [in Mumbai] and then put on a flight to Agartala under tight security,' said Mondal. Thirty-four-year-old Mondal had been among the several from his village who had gone to Maharashtra to seek a livelihood. Mondal says he was picked up by law enforcement from Mumbai on June 10, but that he lost track of dates after that. 'It was a blur. I remember that couple from Bagda were on the same plane to Agartala in which I was and they were in tears,' he says. The Wire was later able to confirm their identities. Nazimuddin Mondal. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar. In Agartala, Mondal alleges that members of the Border Security Forces beat him and the others very badly. "I still haven't recovered. My body aches. I feel pain standing up. My waist and legs hurt. They strip-searched us and beat us up. And then, one night, the BSF dumped us in Bangladesh,' Mondal says. He says that he was a part of a group of four men who were taken to a marshy land on the India-Bangladesh border and abandoned there. The Wire was not able to get a comment from the BSF on its officers' alleged mistreatment of those held. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BDR) discovered them, Mondal says. "BDR officers shocked by our condition and the clarity with which we described our Indian homes," he says. The BDR contacted the Mekhliganj Police Station in the Cooch Behar district in Bengal. Police then brought Mondal and the others back to India. The news that four Indian men, including Mondal, were "returned" from Bangladesh made headlines across the country. Mondal says he had furnished his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and Voter ID card to police in Mumbai, who allegedly confiscated all the documents. He also says that Rs 7,000 of his hard-earned wages were allegedly taken by BSF personnel. With no documents to show and no money to fund a trip back to Maharashtra, Mondal has not worked since. Mondal is one among hundreds of Bengali-speaking workers, primarily from West Bengal, who are returning home broken – physically, financially, and psychologically – after being falsely branded 'Bangladeshi infiltrators' by police in Maharashtra. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a rally tomorrow (July 16) against the stated harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, including Odisha, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. A similar story Mehboob Sheikh, in his thirties, and from Bhagawangola which is close to Hariharpur, narrates a similar experience. Workers and the Trinamool Congress's leaders allege that approximately 140 migrant workers from various Bengal districts were falsely labeled "Bangladeshis" and picked up from parts of Mumbai on June 9 and 10. 'We used to live in Number 15. One day, the police picked us up. We showed our IDs. They said they were fake and that we were Bangladeshis," Sheikh says. Several workers referred to the area in Mumbai's Mira Road where migrants live as "Number 15". The area falls under the Kanakia Police Station. The Wire was unable to reach the senior police inspector and station house officer of the police station for their comments. Sheikh describes being taken to a BSF camp and then being interrogated for four days in Pune. He, too, alleges that BSF personnel took everyone's wallets, phones, Aadhaar and voter cards, cash, and even jewellery. 'They made us take off our belts. Our pants fell, and they laughed. We were humiliated. They took everything – money, phones, documents,' says Sheikh. He adds that women were similarly treated but did not give details of their mistreatment. 'We were flown to Bagdogra, herded into large vans covered with nets, and taken to another BSF camp. There, we were tortured again. We were served food and told, 'Eat this, it's your last Indian meal.' At night, they drove us to a jungle-like area and said, 'If you come this way again, we'll shoot. Go back to your country,' Sheikh says. The area where Sheikh describes he was taken does not have a visible fenced border. Workers describe it as a marshy wetland. It is considered no-man's land. After walking through forests and marshes, for roughly a week, Sheikh says that he and others in the group managed to crawl under a barbed-wire fence to re-enter India. Locals helped them reach the Raiganj police station, he says. Police there verified their identities, and they made their way back home. Sheikh still gets nightmares. 'We feel like we escaped death, but now we have nothing left,' he says. A pattern of abuse Since early June, a disturbing pattern of human rights abuses has emerged in the testimonies of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, especially from the minority community. Numerous people who have returned to Bengal describe having been arbitrarily arrested in Maharashtra, despite possessing valid Indian identification like Aadhaar and Voter IDs. Authorities all allegedly dismissed these documents as 'fake,' branding the workers as Bangladeshis. Shamim Khan. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar. Shamim Khan was also picked up from Mira Road in Mumbai on June 10. Speaking from his house in Hariharpara, Khan says, 'We were all arrested, flown to Bagdogra, and robbed of our money. I had Rs 20,300 – my whole savings. The BSF took it.' Nearly all detained and 'pushed' migrant workers that The Wire spoke to reported the forceful confiscation of their cash, phones, and all identification. The Wire reached them through their neighbours phones as most had no means to purchase new devices. Detainees reported facing torture at various BSF camps, including severe beatings, strip searches, and psychological torment. Khan says, 'We were beaten brutally. The BSF handed us Bangladeshi Tk 500 notes and took photos of us holding them. We kept insisting we were Indian Bengalis, but they just beat us more after hearing us speak Bengali.' Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who heads the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, has been trying to set up a network among workers to help them. 'This is the first time I've seen something like this. To brand Indian citizens as foreigners and dump them in a foreign country shows a violent mindset. The situation is horrifying,' Islam says. Islam says that he had also been contacted by several families of labourers in Rajasthan, originally belonging to the Itahar village of North Dinajpur district, who are now reported to be missing. At a gathering at Tartipur village, in Hariharpara block, fear is palpable. Almost every household here relies on migrant labour, yet when the conversation turns to Mumbai, voices drop to hushed tones. Many who previously worked in the city now have no plans to return. 'I was spared because I was away that day [Jule 10]. But now, if you speak Bengali, wear a lungi, or cook fish and meat, you're harassed. It wasn't like this before. Now, speaking Bengali makes you look like a criminal. Our contractor even told us over the phone: 'Speaking Bengali is dangerous. Learn Hindi, stop wearing lungis.' But how can I change my mother tongue?' asks 41-year0old Anwar Ali, who has returned to his village fearing harassment. Ali is a distant relative of Nijamuddin Mondal's. What unfolded in Maharashtra is not an isolated case. In Odisha, Bengali migrant labourers have been beaten and branded "illegal Bangladeshi immigrants". Street vendors in several towns report being robbed and harassed. A few months ago, Safiqul Islam, a painter from Kaliganj in Bengal's Nadia district, was detained at the Jaipur railway station in Rajasthan for failing to produce his voter ID card. His family alleges that he remains in a detention facility to this day. No clear count Fajer and Taslima Mondal, a couple from Bagda in North 24 Parganas who were working in Mira Road in Mumbai, were detained on June 10 under suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. This is the couple that Mondal spoke of at the beginning of the piece. Before Fajer and Taslima's phones were seized, they managed to alert relatives back home. Their family contacted the authorities in a panic. It is believed that this couple too was forcibly pushed across the Raiganj border into Bangladesh. After extensive coordination between Indian police and a BSF-BGB flag meeting, they were finally traced to a village called Bhatuli in Bangladesh and brought back on June 16. Fajer and Taslima Mondal, the couple from Bagda. Photo: By arrangement. 'Why are Bengali speakers labelled as Bangladeshis? Why are we beaten for speaking our language or wearing lungis, or for the smell of fish curry?' asks another Hariharpara resident Sirajul Islam. But many others haven't been so fortunate. According to Asif Farooq of the Migrant Workers' Unity Forum, there is no clear count of how many workers are still missing. Several names appear in official records, yet calls to their phones go unanswered. Silence is all that remains. 'Initially, only four cases of abuse were reported in the media. But now, the stories from returnees suggest the number is in the hundreds. None of their phones are working,' says Asif Farooq of the Migrant Workers' Unity Forum who has filed an RTI on the scope of deportations. Meanwhile, another family of three – Danish Sheikh (27), Sonali Bibi (25), and their son Sabir (5) from Dhitora village in Birbhum – has been missing from New Delhi since June 26. Sheikh and Bibi's phones are switched off. According to workers who lived near them, the family was pushed back across the border on the claim that they are Bangladeshi. Murarai village panchayat head Nitu Rabidas told The Wire, "We know them. Their family was born and raised here. We have sent all the documents and proof to the Delhi Police, but have received no response."
The Print
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
121 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants identified, to be deported. Delhi Police now hunts for ‘syndicates'
Subsequently, an First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Narela Police Station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for forgery, fraudulently creating or altering documents, criminal conspiracy and relevant sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer North, Nidhin Valsan said that this was part of a special drive and documents of 831 'suspects' were checked. 'The police team, in the last one week, found 121 persons residing illegally in India. Legal procedures have been completed and deportation orders have been issued by the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO),' DCP Valsan said. New Delhi: The Outer North District Police identified 121 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and lodged a case to investigate a syndicate that facilitates their illegal entry. DCP Valsan said that so far, five people have been interrogated who had provided houses on rent to these individuals. 'The investigation is also focused on tracing the origin of fake documents such as electric meter connections, Aadhaar cards and Voter IDs obtained by the illegal immigrants. Relevant departments have been given notices, and legal action will be taken against all those found involved,' the DCP said. This comes as part of the Delhi Police's initiative to identify illegal immigrants in the city. In an internal directive last month, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora asked the Special Cell, Crime Branch, and Law and Order units for a coordinated approach towards illegal immigrants. Multiple FIRs have since been lodged and Special Investigation Teams have been formed to probe 'larger conspiracies' behind the influx of both Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. All district DCPs, officers of the Crime Branch, Special Cell and Special Branch were asked to look into previous deportations data and investigate how the illegal immigrants' entries and accommodations were facilitated in the city. In February, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also asked the top brass of the Delhi Police to take strict action against the networks aiding illegal immigrants, saying that the influx of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis is related to national security. Last December, Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena had also instructed the Delhi Police commissioner to initiate strict action against Bangladeshi immigrants living in the city illegally. Since then, the Delhi Police has launched special drives, identifying localities suspected to be inhabited by immigrants, verifying documents and taking action against those found residing illegally. 'There are syndicates working to aid the illegal immigrants—providing them with rented accommodations and arranging fake documents for them. Police teams have been instructed to probe these syndicates,' a senior police officer said. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Diwaya Ram was an MP in Pakistan but forced to flee. Now he sells Kulfi in Haryana & awaits citizenship
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Electoral roll for J&K's Nagrota segment published
District election officer on Monday handed over copies of final electoral rolls to the representatives of political parties consequent to the successful conclusion of special summary revision, 2025, which was started on April 8 this year in the 77-Nagrota assembly constituency with respect to April 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. The revision process was preceded by, rationalisation of polling stations of 77-Nagrota AC resulting in the increase of five polling stations, thus raising the total number of polling stations to 150 from previous 145. The process involved active participation of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), public awareness through SVEEP initiatives and collaboration with political parties, educational institutions, and civil society groups to reach every eligible voter. It also included awareness through a dedicated van with state of the art facilities provided by the CEO known as 'Democracy on Wheel'. To facilitate maximum participation, four special camp days were organised across all polling stations within the constituency on April 12, 13, 19 and 20 2025. During these camps, eligible electors engaged in the registration process. All operations of the SSR were conducted in a transparent manner which includes meetings with stakeholders and sharing of claims and objections on weekly basis. The final electoral rolls are now available for public inspection at all polling stations in 77- Nagrota assembly constituency, offices of the electoral registration officer (ERO) and assistant EROs and the official website of the CEO J&K ' DEO Jammu while handing over the copies to the political parties advised all political parties as well as electors in general to verify their name in the final list, note their EPIC number, part number, and serial number and any person aggrieved with any decision of the ERO can file an appeal to the district magistrate. For further information, please contact the district election office, Jammu or call the Voter Helpline – 1950.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
NEET UG Exam 2025 Today Live Updates: Exam from 2 PM, check guidelines & more
NEET UG Exam 2025 Today Live Updates: National Testing Agency (NTA) will be holding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2025 on Sunday, May 4. Candidates who are appearing in the examination must ensure to carry their hall tickets to the examination centre. The NEET UG examination will be conducted in in a single shift from 2 pm to 5 pm, at 5,453 centres in over 500 cities across the country. This year, over 22.7 lakh candidates have registered for the More The Test pattern of NEET (UG)—2025 comprises Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and zoology).The question paper will consist of 180 compulsory questions that the candidates must attempt in 180 minutes. Exam centres will open 3 hours before the exam begins, and candidates will not be allowed to enter after 1:30 pm. As already mentioned, it is mandatory for candidates to carry their hall tickets. The invigilator will check admit cards to ascertain the identity of each candidate. Apart from the admit cards, candidates must carry a passport size photograph (same as the one uploaded in the application form) pasted, an additional passport size photograph (same as the one uploaded in the application form), one post card size (4'X6') color photograph with white background pasted on the proforma downloaded with the admit card. photo IDs (must be original and valid and like PAN card/Driving License/Voter ID/Passport/Aadhaar Card /Ration Card/ Class 12 Admit Card with Photograph /any other valid photo ID issued by the Government, Certificate of physical limitation to write and/or PwBD certificate issued by the competent authority, if claiming the relaxation under the PwBD category. Follow the live blog for the latest updates on NEET UG Exam 2025.
