Latest news with #WestBengalDay
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJP calls for grand alliance to oust TMC; Congress, CPI(M) reject move, say party has no place in secular Bengal
KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya on Sunday urged the Congress and CPI(M) to set aside political differences and form a 'grand alliance' ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections to dislodge the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) from power in the state. Speaking at a BJP-organised event on Kolkata's Red Road to mark the birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Bhattacharya said the fight was against what he called 'Islamic fundamentalism' and 'fanaticism' in Bengal required collective political effort. Bhattacharya alleged that 70,000 books in the Indira Gandhi Library in Bangladesh were burned, and that in Murshidabad, a teacher was attacked by the very people he had taught just the day before He termed these incidents as examples of fanatic Islamic fascism, describing it as a curse for the entire world and a cancer of human civilization that must be eradicated. He added, 'No political party alone can find the path to this liberation. All political parties have to come forward.' Bhattacharya referred to historical events to support his appeal. 'In 1947, Jyoti Basu cast his vote defying his party line (voting on a bill took place on June 20, 1947, in the then Bengal Legislative Assembly for partition of Bengal which created today's West Bengal). Today, efforts are being made to forget that history, and they (the Trinamool Congress government) are celebrating 1 Boisakh (April 15) as 'West Bengal Day',' he said. 'I pay tribute to those MLAs who voted for Shyama Prasad's proposal despite being elected as Congress members. I pay tribute to Jyoti Basu and Ratanlal Brahma, who created West Bengal. Stand up against those who are tarnishing that history,' Bhattacharya added. He further said, 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee had handed over all his weapons to Indira Gandhi. Today's fight is also a fight to rise above politics. If you respect Jyoti Basu, come forward to save the West Bengal he built.'
Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Sukanta, doctor who asked question during CM's lecture ‘detained'
STATE BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and a London-based doctor, Rajatshubhra Bandyopadhyay, were both detained by the city police amid a roadside conversation in south Kolkata's Bhabanipur area on Friday. Although they were both released around three hours later, the incident led to protests by BJP workers and a political firestorm. The BJP claimed that around 25 of its workers were also arrested and released nearly hours later. The drama unfolded as Majumdar, who is also a Union minister of state, arrived in Bhabanipur on a motorcycle to observe 'Paschimbanga Dibas' (West Bengal Day), defying police restrictions. After garlanding a statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he went to meet Bandyopadhyay at his residence on Harish Mukherjee Road. Police intercepted Majumdar's convoy, initially claiming that the doctor was not present at home. However, a video later released by the BJP on social media purportedly showed Bandyopadhyay at his residence, prompting protests from party supporters. They accused the police of misleading them and alleged that the state government was 'weaponising the police' to stifle political expression. Amid the standoff, Bandyopadhyay stepped out of the premises of his home to meet Majumdar on the street. The doctor recently garnered attention for publicly questioning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her lecture in London, a video of which had been widely shared online. Their conversation was cut short and both Majumdar and Bandyopadhyay were escorted into police vehicles and taken to the city police headquarters at Lalbazar. 'For what reason have we been detained? I have no clue,' Majumdar told mediapersons as he was led into the van. 'Even a visit to a doctor's house has now become a crime?' a BJP worker questioned. The ruling Trinamool Congress defended the police's actions. 'The BJP is creating provocations. The doctor in question has a track record of inciting controversy. The police acted in accordance with the law to maintain peace in a sensitive locality,' said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
TMC, BJP spar over Bengal foundation day
Kolkata: Trinamool and BJP clashed on Friday over Bengal foundation day. Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that police tried to stop a two-wheeler rally led by him from reaching Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's residence on Elgin Road. TMC criticised BJP, saying that the saffron party attempted to force a celebration that lacked spontaneity and with which people have no association. Centre has notified June 20 as statehood day in Bengal. Bengal govt has passed a resolution in the assembly and identified Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year's Day, for celebrating West Bengal Day. The Friday faceoff between activists of BJP Yuva Morcha and the city police took place outside the Bhowanipore residence of Jan Sangh founding member Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, where the workers had assembled to pay their respects to the leader and then planned to reach Netaji Bhavan, a kilometre away, on two-wheelers and on foot. Suvendu Adhikari, state leader of the opposition, earlier led a march of BJP legislators from the assembly premises to the statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee on Red Road, about two kilometres away, and garlanded it. "This is a historic day which we must observe. On this day in 1947, the West Bengal Assembly under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee passed a resolution to remain in India," Adhikari said. Trinamool hit back strongly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Heliopolis: Beautiful New Senior Apartments with Two Bedrooms Senior Apartments | Search Ads Search Now Undo "The people of Bengal have already chosen their statehood day on the first day of the Bengali calendar. It's a day close to the hearts of all Bengalis. The state assembly has already endorsed it. It doesn't matter where a motley band of BJP workers gather and try to force a celebration that lacks spontaneity and with which people have no direct association," said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh. State parliamentary affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay described it as "politically motivated", pointing out that state govt had already passed a resolution in the assembly and identified Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year's Day, for celebrating West Bengal Day. "Why is BJP suddenly so much worked up on June 20 as Paschimbanga Divas?" he asked.
The Print
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Bengal BJP alleges police obstructed party to observe ‘Paschimbanga Divas'
While the government has passed a resolution in the state assembly and identified Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year's Day, for celebrating West Bengal Day, the state BJP, acting on a central notification, has marked June 20 to observe the state foundation day. A political slugfest over the observance of statehood day has been on for the last two years between the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government and the ruling party's prime opposition in the state, the BJP. Kolkata, Jun 20 (PTI) West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar alleged on Friday that the Kolkata Police resisted the party's attempts to observe 'Pashchimbanga Divas' by trying to stop a two-wheeler rally headed by him from reaching Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's residence on Elgin Road in the southern part of the city. On that day in 1947, the Legislative Assembly of undivided Bengal met and voted in favour of partition of the state between East and West Bengal. The latter stayed with India while the former was included in Pakistan. The Friday face-off between activists of the BJP Yuva Morcha and the city police took place outside the Bhowanipore residence of Jan Sangh founding member, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, where the workers had assembled to pay their respects to the leader and then planned to reach Netaji Bhavan, a kilometre away, on two-wheelers and foot. 'We told the police that we will only carry the Tricolour and no party flags in this rally. Even then the police obstructed our movement and arrested our workers,' Majumdar alleged. A small team of party workers, including Majumdar and the state BJP Yuva Morcha president Indranil Khan, later managed to reach Bose's residence on two-wheelers and garland the leader's bust outside the house. 'We failed to understand the police's logic behind this obstruction. This wasn't a political rally and our destination was Netaji's house which lies in the same ward as that of the residence of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. It is evident that we will either walk or reach there on motorcycles,' Khan said. The only possible explanation is that the police were pressed by the Mamata Banerjee government to stop us from observing Paschimbanga Divas, Khan said. Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition, earlier led a colourful march of BJP legislators from the assembly premises to the statue of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on Red Road in central Kolkata about two kilometres away and garlanded it. 'This is a historic day which we must observe. On this day in 1947, the West Bengal Assembly under the leadership of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee passed a resolution to remain in India,' Adhikari said, amid chants of Vande Mataram and fervent appeals from rally participants to observe the day as 'Paschimbanga Divas'. PTI SMY NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India.com
20-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
বিজেপির অস্ত্র পশ্চিমবঙ্গ দিবস, পাল্টা ক্ষোভ উগরে দেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী Zee 24 Ghanta 24 Ghanta, Zee News
Videos BJP VS TMC | বিজেপির অস্ত্র পশ্চিমবঙ্গ দিবস, পাল্টা ক্ষোভ উগরে দেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী | Zee 24 Ghanta BJP vs TMC | BJP Uses West Bengal Day as Political Weapon, CM Hits Back in Anger | Zee 24 Ghanta BJP vs TMC | BJP Uses West Bengal Day as Political Weapon, CM Hits Back in Anger | Zee 24 Ghanta | Updated: Jun 20, 2025, 10:15 AM IST Advertisement BJP vs TMC | BJP Uses West Bengal Day as Political Weapon, CM Hits Back in Anger | Zee 24 Ghanta
