Tag: Bengal

Won’t allow NRC in Bengal: Mamata at Eid congregation in Kolkata

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed some people are trying to divide the nation by pursuing politics of hate and said that she is ready to give her life but “will not allow a division of the country”.
Banerjee, speaking at a congregation for Eid namaz at the city’s Red Road, also urged people to unite and ensure that the right-wing BJP party is defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“Some people are trying to divide the country and practise politics of hate … I am ready to give my life but will not allow any division of the country,” she said, without naming anyone.

Accusing the saffron camp of trying to change the constitution of the country, Banerjee said “she will not allow implementation of NRC in West Bengal.” It has been the TMC’s stand that the National Register of Citizens and the citizen’s amendment act which confers citizenship rights on minorities from neighbouring countries was not needed and existing citixenship records and acts were sufficient.
“I am ready to fight the money power (of her political opponents), and (central) agencies (which her party alleges has been unleashed on TMC with a political motive), but I will not bow my head,” she said.
“In one year’s time, elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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#Wont #NRC #Bengal #Mamata #Eid #congregation #Kolkata
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
West Bengal: NHRC notice to police over Ram Navami violence

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New Delhi: The NHRC has sent a notice to the West Bengal police chief and the Howrah police commissioner over an alleged attack on a Ram Navami procession, officials said on Friday.
In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) observed that the allegations, if true, amount to a failure of authorities to exercise due diligence to avert the incident.
The commission has taken “cognisance of a complaint alleging an attack by miscreants on Sri Ram Navami Shobhayatra despite permission from the authorities in the area under Shibpur Police Station, Howrah District, West Bengal on 30th March, 2023,” it said.

The alleged armed attack was done with the malafide intention to ruin the peaceful yatra and to cause grievous injuries to its participants in order to frighten and deter them from organising such an event in the future, the rights panel said.
It added that the police allegedly refused to accept a written complaint to take action in the matter against the “miscreants”.
The Constitution of India entitles all persons to the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion, the statement said.
“The State is answerable, if these rights are abrogated without substantive reasons. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Director General of Police, West Bengal, and the Commissioner of Police, Howrah, directing them to inquire into the matter, and submit a report within two weeks. They have also been asked to ensure that proper legal procedure is followed in the investigation in the matter, and no one is subjected to hardship due to any illegal action of the police,” it said.
The report must contain the details of the FIR registered, the status of the investigation, and the arrest, if any, in the matter. It should include the number of people injured, the treatment given to them, and also the details of the destruction of property, if any. It should also mention the safety measures taken to avoid such incidents, the statement said.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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#West #Bengal #NHRC #notice #police #Ram #Navami #violence
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 21, 2023
Amit Shah advices Bengal BJP to be ‘Aatmanirbhar’ ahead of polls

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Kolkata: Before leaving for Delhi after completion of his two-day visit to West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday outlined the strategy to be adopted for the forthcoming panchayat elections and next year’s Lok Sabha polls by the state unit of the BJP.
According to party sources, of the many pieces of advice given by Shah, the main is that the party’s state leadership should be more self-reliant by bridging the organisational gaps and shed excessive dependence on the BJP high-command.
Party insiders said that the Home Minister has specifically asked the BJP to start the process of strengthening the booth-level committees and reactivating the defunct ones before the panchayat polls scheduled this year.

“Amit Shah has clearly said that if the process starts from the panchayat polls, the goal of having a full-fledged and strong booth-level network will be completed before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” said a state committee member of the BJP.
While admitting that Shah has outlined the strategy to be adopted for the forthcoming polls, BJP’s state unit chief and Lok Sabha member Sukanta Majumdar, however, refused to reveal the details of the discussions held with the Home Minister.
“These are closed-door affairs and cannot be revealed to the media,” Majumdar said.
Meanwhile, party sources said that although Shah is not against roping in leaders and workers from other parties, he has clearly instructed that only individuals with an overall clean-image should be allowed entry into the BJP.
“Shah has also specifically said that the state BJP leadership should ensure that they get maximum mileage from the growing grievances of the people against the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress, besides ensuring that the Left Front-Congress alliance does not get the advantage of the anti-incumbency factor,” the state committee member said.

As per party sources, Shah also said that clean image, loyalty to the party and acceptability among the people should be the primary considerations in selecting candidates for the forthcoming panchayat polls.
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#Amit #Shah #advices #Bengal #BJP #Aatmanirbhar #ahead #polls
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 15, 2023
Bengal couple commits suicide, leaves ‘wish list’ for pet dog

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Kolkata: A couple committed suicide in Bengal’s West Midnapore district after leaving a wish list about the future of their pet dog.
On Friday night, the local police recovered the bodies of Debasish Ghosh and Jolly Ghosh from their residence in the Alamgunj area along with a suicide note found from from near their bodies.
Sources in the Ghatal police station said that in the suicide note, there was a line wherein the couple mentioned that debt burden forced them to take the extreme step, the remaining part of the note was a wish list for ‘Jango’, their pet Golden Retriever dog.

The couple in the note expressed their desire that Jango be handed over to an NGO working for the welfare of animals.
“The note also has details of Jango’s food habits along with a daily diet chart. The note mentions the name and contact details of a veterinarian under whose supervision Jango was,” the police said.
The note ends with a heartfelt prayer that any individual or organisation adopting Jango should take care of him as per the points mentioned in the wish list.
“We will make all possible attempts so that Jango is handed over to an NGO or an individual dog-lover ready to adopt him. But the question is where to house him in the interim period. The dog seems to be in a totally confused state unable to track his owners,” the police said.

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#Bengal #couple #commits #suicide #leaves #list #pet #dog
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 15, 2023
Fact-finding team calls for NIA probe in Bengal Ram Navami clashes

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Kolkata: The members of a fact-finding team of Delhi-based NGO “Fact Finding Committee on Human Rights Violation” on Sunday evening said that the clashes over Ram Navami processions in West Bengal’s Howrah and Hooghly districts call for an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
After being restricted by police on Sunday afternoon from going to Shibpur and Kazipara in Howrah, where clashes broke out over Ram Navami processions on March 30 and continued till the next day, the members of the fact-finding team came back to Kolkata and talked to the media persons.
“Despite being restricted in reaching the troubled spots in Howrah district on Sunday and to Rishra in Hooghly district on Saturday, we were able to somehow interact with some of the local people. What we heard from them is quite shameful. There were not adequate police forces when the trouble broke out in these pockets. The administration is playing the ‘me & you’ game. This is a perfect case for a NIA-level probes. At the same time, central armed forces personnel should also be deployed there,” a team member said.

Meanwhile, political slugfest has started over the police denial to the members of the fact-finding team to reach the troubled spots at Hooghly on Saturday and after that at Howrah on Sunday.
According to the Trinamool Congress’ state General Secretary and party spokesman Kunal Ghosh, the police had done the right thing by denying them permission. “Since Ram Navami, BJP has been trying to create problems in those areas by using the outsiders,” he said.
BJP’s state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya alleged that since the administration has a lot of things to hide, they prevented the members of the fact-finding team from reaching those pockets in Howrah and Hooghly districts.
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#Factfinding #team #calls #NIA #probe #Bengal #Ram #Navami #clashes
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 9, 2023
75 trains cancelled as rail blockade by Kurmis continue in Bengal

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Kolkata: Train services were disrupted in three tribal-dominated districts of West Bengal — Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore — following continued rail-blockade agitation by the Kurmi community on Saturday.
As many as 75 trains in the South Eastern Railway division had to be cancelled on Saturday due to the rail blockade agitation which was by the people from the Kurmi community on April 5. The routes of several trains also had to be either diverted or curtailed during the day, causing immense inconvenience to the commuters.
Sources in the Railways said that in the last four days, as many as 308 trains had to be cancelled in the said division due to the agitation. The agitators also protested by blocking national highways passing through these three tribal-dominated districts.

The Kurmi community is agitating in support of its long-standing demand for recognition under the Schedule Tribe category. Their main grievance is that the West Bengal Cultural Research Institute, a state government body that works for indigenous tribes, is yet to recognise the Kurmis as representatives of primitive tribe.
Representatives of the community have alleged that the reluctance of the institute as well as the state government to send a comprehensive report in this matter to the Union government is holding back the process of recognition of the Kurmi community under the ST category.
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#trains #cancelled #rail #blockade #Kurmis #continue #Bengal

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Ram Navami violence: Processionists instigated violence in Rishra, Bengal police tell court

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Kolkata: Clashes and violence over the Ram Navami procession at Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal on April 2 were instigated by the processionists, the state government has informed the Calcutta High Court.
Chandernagore City Police, under whose jurisdiction Rishra comes, on Friday evening, submitted to the court a detailed report on the clashes.
Sources aware of the contents of the report said that it mentions that those participating in the procession had been constantly “instigating” the local people by using “abusive and offensive” language constantly since the beginning of the procession.

As per the report, although initially a section of those participating in the procession restricted themselves to using offensive language, later, some of them started pelting at the local people. Also, DJ was used in the procession without police permission and some of the participants even brandished lethal sharp weapons.
The report has maintained that such use of such offensive language and pelting of stones instigated the locals who retaliated by resorting to counter stone-pelting. It said as police tried to restrain both sides, attacks were led against the cops and some of the police vehicles were vandalized.
On April 2 evening, clashes first broke out at Rishra over the Ram Navami procession. Among those injured were BJP legislator Biman Ghosh and some police officers. Tension escalated and continued till April 3 night, when violent mobs started pelting stones at trains passing by in Rishra.
The police report submitted to the Calcutta High Court also detailed the situation over the continued tension on April 3.
As per the reports, that evening when the police contingent was patrolling at Rishra Rail-Gate area, a group of around 500 people suddenly attacked the cops with sticks, stones and bricks.

They also started pelting stones at the trains passing by. The police had to resort to lathi charge and charging of teargas shells to bring the situation under control.
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#Ram #Navami #violence #Processionists #instigated #violence #Rishra #Bengal #police #court
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 8, 2023
Communal clashes on Ram Navami in West Bengal ‘state sponsored’: BJP leader

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Indore: Communal clashes during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal were “sponsored” by the Trinamool Congress government in the state, alleged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday.
He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of giving “provocative statements” against the central government on the day of the Hindu festival last week.
Violence and arson were witnessed during the Ram Navami festival in Howrah and Hooghly, sparking a fresh war of words between the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP.

Vijayvargiya, talking to reporters after attending a local party meeting at the BJP office in Indore, alleged the communal violence on Ram Navami in West Bengal was “sponsored” by the state government.
He claimed Banerjee gave “provocative statements” during a sit-in and this vitiated the atmosphere.
“Banerjee is holding a responsible post of chief minister. I think she should refrain from making such irresponsible statements,” Vijaywargiya remarked.
The BJP leader, who was earlier in-charge of West Bengal, maintained Banerjee herself wants communal tension in her state so that she can take political advantage out of it.
The TMC, on the other hand, has claimed BJP leaders “fomented trouble” during Ram Navami.

The former Madhya Pradesh minister alleged the West Bengal government gives “security” to those who create disturbance during processions taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami or Hanuman Jayanti.
Responding to a question, Vijayvargiya said the “Modi effect” (the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is leading to a transformation of the Congress party.
“Earlier, if Congress leaders used to appear at any religious event, it was only at ‘iftar’ parties (organised during the holy month of Ramadan). But now their leaders have started wearing janeu (sacred thread), going to temples and reciting Hanuman Chalisa. This means the Modi effect is not only visible on the country, but also on the Congress,” he remarked.
The BJP general secretary said former Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not apologise for his alleged anti-India remarks made in London because he is “feudal-minded” and has no faith in democracy, Parliament and judiciary.
He said these days the people of Pakistan, facing one of its worst economic crises since its creation in 1947, can be heard saying on news channels that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was wrong in demanding partition of the country.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India is progressing well and the country’s reputation is getting enhanced in the world. On the other hand, Pakistan has joined the ranks of the poorest countries in the world. In such a situation, the people there (Pakistan) have started feeling that we should get merged with India,” said the BJP leader.
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#Communal #clashes #Ram #Navami #West #Bengal #state #sponsored #BJP #leader
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 6, 2023
Royal Bengal Tiger dies at Hyderabad Zoo

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Hyderabad: A Royal Bengal Tiger has died at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
The 10-year-old male Royal Bengal Tiger named ‘Joe’ succumbed in its enclosure at 3 a.m., the Zoo curator said.
It was under treatment for the last six months and the post-mortem examination revealed that the big cat died of renal failure.

The animal was suffering from dyspepsia and loss of appetite. The animal was showing frequent appetite loss, changing diet pattern, and became lean in the backside.
“With profound grief and sorrow, it is informed that despite expert treatment and all efforts the animal died on 05.04.2023 at 03.00 am in enclosure due to renal failure as confirmed in post mortem,” the Zoo said in a statement.
Joe was born to Nikhil and Aparna in the Zoo.
This is the second major loss for the Zoo in less than a month. A 15-year-old male Cheetah named Abdullah gifted by the Saudi Prince a decade ago had died of a heart attack on March 25.
During his visit to the Zoo on the occasion of CoP11 summit-2012 held in Hyderabad, Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Saud Bin Mohammed Al Saud had announced gifting two pairs of African lions and cheetahs.

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#Royal #Bengal #Tiger #dies #Hyderabad #Zoo
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 5, 2023
West Bengal: Clashes in Hooghly’s Rishra during Ram Navami rally, BJP says MLA injured

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Rishra: Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Sunday evening, police said.
BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was in the procession, told PTI that the incident happened on GT Road in Rishra police station area.
People in the procession were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple in Mahesh when stones were hurled at it, he alleged.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police said the clash broke out around 6.15 pm.
“The procession was going through the traditional route when one group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation,” the IPS officer told PTI.
Quick action was taken by the police and the situation is now under control, she said.
A heavy police deployment has been made in the area to prevent any further flare-up, the officer said.
BJP’s Pursurah MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in stone pelting and rushed to a hospital, Ghosh said.

“There were many women and children in the procession who were walking with saffron flags in their hands. Suddenly, stones were hurled at us from one side of the road. Several policemen were also injured in the stone-pelting even though I and some other leaders were rescued and taken out of the area through adjacent lanes,” he claimed.
“Police finally managed to chase away the trouble-makers after being silent spectators for a while,” he alleged.
The ruling TMC questioned what was the need to organise the procession two days after Ram Navami.
“Why are they so bent to take out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? Why the Ram Navami rally was taken out two days later? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains,” TMC spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar told PTI.
BJP is trying to instigate trouble by taking religious processions to certain sensitive pockets, he said, adding that it was creating such a situation to demand President’s rule in the state.
Majumdar also claimed that those in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among the people.
Violence during Ram Navami celebrations rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday. Over 45 people were arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.
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#West #Bengal #Clashes #Hooghlys #Rishra #Ram #Navami #rally #BJP #MLA #injured
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 2, 2023