The News Caravan

Tag: TMC

  • MP Mahua Moitra Faces Allegations of Unethical Conduct in Cash-for-Query Scandal

    MP Mahua Moitra Faces Allegations of Unethical Conduct in Cash-for-Query Scandal

    “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” is a line from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It is spoken by Queen Gertrude in response to the insincere overacting of a character in the play to prove Hamlet’s uncle’s guilt in the murder of his father, the King of Denmark.

    The phrase is used in everyday speech to indicate doubt of someone’s sincerity, especially regarding the truth of a strong denial.

    This line accurately describes TMC MP Mahua Moitra who is accused in a cash for query scandal for asking questions in Parliament to benefit a businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who was a business rival of Gautam Adani, against whom she asked 50 questions.

    Mahua Moitra allegedly received numerous costly gifts from Hiranandani for this.

    https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/mobile/news.php?id=1173778&u=bribe-to-raise-question-in-parliament-ex-partner-with-list-of-luxury-items-acquired-by-mahua-moitra-1173778

    https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-look-beyond-the-stilettos-and-gucci-bag-allegations-against-mahua-moitra-cast-a-shadow-over-the-holiest-pact-in-a-democracy-8627034.html

    When summoned by the Ethics Committee of the Indian Parliament Ms Moitra appeared, but later stormed out of the meeting shouting and screaming that she had been asked ‘filthy questions’ and playing the victim card. Evidently she subscribes to the the dictum that the best defence is offence.But this seemed just a drama and charade, by a person having a long history of theatrics and grandstanding, to avoid answering relevant, but uncomfortable, questions.

    The allegations against her were that she had a connection with Darshan Hirananandani from she allegedly received many costly gifts and other favours ( like paying for her frequent foreign travels ), and with whom she had shared her parliamentary login account and email password. How was it unethical to ask her how many times she had travelled to Dubai to meet Hiranandani, and to other foreign countries, and on what dates ? How was it ‘Draupadi’s cheer haran’ as alleged by BSP MP Danish Ali ? How was it rude, ‘behuda’ and ‘besharam’ to ask such questions?

    Mahua Moitra was asked questions as to who funded her foreign travels, etc. What was wrong in that ?

    It has been revealed that Mahua Moitra’s Lok Sabha portal was logged in 47 times from Dubai, where Hiranandani lives, and who has now given an affidavit supporting the complainant Nishikant Dubey..

    https://m.timesofindia.com/india/cash-for-query-row-47-log-ins-to-mahua-moitras-parliamentary-account-from-dubai/articleshow/104891666.cms

    One can understand an MP sharing his/her parliamentary login account and password with a secretary, PA, or intern. But why should he/she share them with a businessman unless it is for some material benefits ?
    ” Something is rotten in the state of Denmark ”, said Shakspeare in Hamlet. And something seems rotten in this whole episode.

  • BJP’s intimidatory tactics won’t work, TMC will in 2026: Abhishek

    BJP’s intimidatory tactics won’t work, TMC will in 2026: Abhishek

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    Kolkata: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday asserted that more the BJP uses “intimidatory tactics” against West Bengal’s ruling party, the more number of seats it will get in the 2026 assembly polls, as people will resist the saffron camp’s “gameplan”.

    Banerjee, while addressing a rally at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, claimed that the Trinamool Congress will win not less than 240 seats in the next assembly elections.

    He also maintained the BJP government at the Centre was intimidating opposition parties through frequent CBI and ED raids.

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    “From 184 seats in 2011 assembly polls, we got 211 seats in 2016. It went up to 213 seats in the 2021 elections. And keep in mind, TMC will not get less than 240 seats in the 2026 polls. The more the BJP’s conspiracy against us grows using its agencies, the more our seats will go up, with people resisting their gameplan,” he said.

    Banerjee recalled that during the 2021 polls, people had ignored the repeated visits by BJP leaders to Bengal and their “audacious display of power”, to vote the TMC to power for the third time.

    “We will not cower due to their (BJP’s) threats unlike other parties. We will hit the streets with more protests,” he said.

    Banerjee also accused the saffron party of withholding the release of Rs 7,500-crore dues to the state, and said he will lead TMC activists to Delhi next month for an “indefinite sit-in to force the Centre to take note of the woes of the people of Bengal”.

    He said in stark contrast to the Centre’s “step-motherly” treatment to Bengal, the state government has spent Rs 3,500 crore under the rural roads housing project, irrespective of whether a region had elected TMC representatives to power in the last panchayat polls.

    “We produce our report card before the people where every electoral promise from Lakshmir Bhandar, Swastha Saathi’, Aikashree’ to Students Credit Card is accounted for. Can the BJP MPs, MLAs and panchayat members show such a report card? I challenge them. They only know to discriminate,” the TMC national general secretary said.

    The Diamond Harbour MP also claimed that while the state government is providing Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 to women under the Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, the Narendra Modi government is “extracting Rs 1,000” from citizens for linking Aadhaar with PAN.

    (Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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    #BJPs #intimidatory #tactics #wont #work #TMC #Abhishek

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Abhishek cautions party workers against violence during TMC mass outreach campaign

    Abhishek cautions party workers against violence during TMC mass outreach campaign

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    Cooch Behar: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday cautioned a section of party workers against using strong-arm tactics to manipulate public opinion on selecting candidates for the West Bengal panchayat polls during its mass outreach programme.

    His remarks came a day after the inaugural day of the much-touted mass outreach campaign was marred by ruckus as infighting within the TMC came out in the open over the secret ballot voting process as two groups came down to blows during the event.

    Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said those opposed to the programme, ‘Trinamool-ey Nabajowar’ (new wave in Trinamool), are free to leave the party.

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    Miffed over the incident, Banerjee had said the secret voting process would be conducted again there on Wednesday and cautioned that if some people think they can hijack the process of candidate selection through muscle power, “They are living in a fool’s paradise.”

    While addressing a rally at Cooch Behar Dakshin constituency on the second day of his tour, he said, “If some people think that by multiple requests or by ensuring more votes through unfair means, they can secure their candidature, they are wrong,”

    Banerjee, considered number two in the TMC, said the campaign would empower people to choose their own candidates through a secret ballot, whom the party would give nominations in the panchayat polls.

    “Those unhappy with the programme are free to leave the party. We don’t want rotten elements in our party. One of the aims of this campaign is to cleanse the Panchayati Raj system,” he said.

    Hitting out at BJP legislators from Cooch Behar district for not fighting for people’s rights in the area, Banerjee said locals must gherao the houses of such public representatives and seek answers.

    “The BJP MLAs don’t fight for the rights of the people. They sport saffron tilak, wear a saffron scarf, enter the Assembly raising Jai Shri Ram slogans, and leave it shouting the same. People must gherao the houses of those who were elected from here as they have not worked for the people,” he said.

    Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said that in the next two months, he will be staying on the streets and travelling more than 3500 km – from Cooch Behar in the northern part of the state to Kakdwip in the southern.

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    #Abhishek #cautions #party #workers #violence #TMC #mass #outreach #campaign

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • After losing national party status, TMC may take legal alternative

    After losing national party status, TMC may take legal alternative

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    Kolkata: None of the senior Trinamool Congress leaders have come forward so far to air their views after the Election Commission of India on Monday withdrew its national party status, though there was hint that the ruling party in West Bengal might consider taking legal recourse in this matter.

    Just a one-liner came from party spokesman Kunal Ghosh, who said that it is too early to make any comment on the ECI’s decision.

    “The party leadership will review the development before making any detailed statement in this matter,” Ghosh said.

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    Senior Trinamool leader and three-time Lok Sabha MP Saugata Roy, while claiming that the party leadership will take a final decision in this matter, said that the ECI’s decision will surely be opposed.

    “Previously, a number of decisions taken by the Election Commission have proved to be wrong. The Commission has also been censored by the Supreme Court a number of times. Besides sending a deputation to the Commission, we might also consider taking the legal route in this matter,” Roy said.

    A senior member of the state Cabinet said on condition of anonymity that the apprehension about this development was there for some time now.

    “The party leadership has decided to announce a detailed blueprint of the action to be taken after thoroughly reviewing the decision of the Election Commission,” he said.

    Political observers, however, feel that although the Trinamool leadership has every right to challenge ECI’s decision in court, in all probability, that will not be an effective step since the Indian Constitution has given full liberty to the poll panel in such matters.

    Death knell for Trinamool: BJP

    The West Bengal unit of the BJP ridiculed the Trinamool Congress after the latter lost its national party status, terming the decision as a death knell for the party’s pan-India plans.

    State BJP’s President and Lok Sabha member Sukanta Majumdar said that this development was inevitable.

    “Trinamool Congress tried to retain its national party status by contesting polls in Goa, Tripura and Meghalaya, where it spent huge sums to lure the voters. But the voters rejected the Trinamool candidates as they realised that it would be a disaster if Trinamool comes to power. So this development was inevitable and it shattered the dreams of many parties like Trinamool who want see their leaders as the Prime Minister of the country,” Majumdar said.

    BJP’s national Vice President and Lok Sabha MP Dilip Ghosh said that the huge sums spent by Trinamool for election campaign in Goa, Tripura and Meghalaya were mainly the proceeds collected by the party leaders from different scams in West Bengal.

    “The people of these three states were aware of the plight of the common people of West Bengal, so they rejected the Trinamool Congress. This is the beginning of the end for Trinamool,” Ghosh said.



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    #losing #national #party #status #TMC #legal #alternative

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • AAP now national party; Pawar’s NCP, Mamata’s TMC, CPI lose status

    AAP now national party; Pawar’s NCP, Mamata’s TMC, CPI lose status

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    New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew the national party status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

    In an order issued on Monday, the Commission also revoked the state party status granted to RLD in Uttar Pradesh, BRS in Andhra Pradesh, PDA in Manipur, PMK in Puducherry, RSP in West Bengal and MPC in Mizoram.

    The Commission said the AAP has been named as a national party based on its electoral performance in four states — Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.

    MS Education Academy

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is in power in Delhi and Punjab.

    The poll panel said that the status of NCP, CPI and the Trinamool Congress as national political parties would be withdrawn.

    The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP) and the AAP are now national parties.

    The Commission said that NCP and Trinamool Congress will be recognised as state parties in Nagaland and Meghalaya respectively based on their performance in the recently concluded assembly elections.

    It also granted “recognised state political party” status to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) in Nagaland, Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya and the Tipra Motha in Tripura.

    According to the rules, a political party is granted national status only if it is a recognised state party in four or more states or has 2% seats in Lok Sabha

    It should be noted that once a party loses its national party status, its members cannot use a common symbol in states where the party is not recognised. Hence, TMC candidates will not be able to use their party’s symbol for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections.

    Reacting to the development, AAP’s Raghav Chadha tweeted, “In just 10 years @ArvindKejriwalji’s party has done what it took decades for big parties to do. Salute to every Aam Aadmi Party worker who shed blood, sweat, faced lathis, tear gas and water cannons for this party. Congratulations everyone for this new beginning”

    (With inputs from PTI)



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    #AAP #national #party #Pawars #NCP #Mamatas #TMC #CPI #lose #status

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Congress activist bombs son’s house for supporting TMC, arrested

    Congress activist bombs son’s house for supporting TMC, arrested

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    Kolkata: A 62-year-old Congress activist was arrested in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Sunday for allegedly bombing the house of his son who is a TMC member, police said.

    Zahiruddin Sheikh hurled crude bombs at the house of his son Anisur Sheikh (30), who is the TMC youth wing president of Raninagar 2 panchayat area, on Saturday night, they said.

    The relationship between Zahiruddin and Anisur soured after he and his wife Sefali Seikh joined the TMC during the 2018 panchayat elections. Shefali was made the panchayat pradhan by the TMC, following which she and her husband started living separately from her in-laws, locals said.

    MS Education Academy

    No one was injured in the attack as Anisur and Sefali manage to escape but panic gripped the area, police said.

    Anisur alleged that his father attacked his house to prevent him from fighting the next panchayat polls.

    The Congress dismissed the charges, claiming that it does not believe in violence, “which is the hallmark of TMC”.

    Zahiruddin also rejected the allegation, stating he was being framed by his daughter-in-law.

    He alleged that Anirul himself bombed his own house to get sympathy from the people.

    Police said Zahiruddin was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by his son, and an investigation was underway.

    A police team was posted in the area to prevent a further flare-up.

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    #Congress #activist #bombs #sons #house #supporting #TMC #arrested

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Vote for any party but not TMC, BJP’s Suvendu urges people

    Vote for any party but not TMC, BJP’s Suvendu urges people

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    Chandrakona: Donning a white T-shirt with his ‘No Vote to Mamata’ slogan on it, leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Monday addressed a rally in Paschim Medinipur district, urging the people to vote for any party in the panchayat elections but not the TMC.

    Addressing the rally in Chandrakona, Adhikari claimed that a BJP government in the state can accelerate the development of West Bengal as it will work in synergy with the Centre.

    “I would urge the people not to cast their votes for this corrupt TMC. Vote for any party or candidate you like, but please don’t cast your valuable votes for this party of thieves,” he said.

    MS Education Academy

    “If those opposed to the TMC stick to their single-point agenda of removing it from power, then this corrupt regime can be ousted,” he added.

    Criticising the ‘No Vote to BJP’ campaign ahead of the 2021 assembly elections, Adhikari coined the ‘No Vote to Mamata’ slogan, which he used extensively during the Sagardighi bypolls in Murshidabad district. The Congress with the support of the Left Front won the by-election last month in a major setback to the TMC.

    Amid criticism by the TMC that the state BJP was working in an understanding with the Congress and the CPI(M), Adhikari had earlier clarified that “No Vote to Mamata” doesn’t mean a call to vote for the other two opposition parties.

    TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said his party enjoys “solid support” of the people of the state, and the results of the upcoming elections would prove it.

    “We all know that the CPI(M), BJP and the Congress have formed an unholy alliance in West Bengal. But, this nexus will be defeated by the TMC with the support of the people of the state,” he said.

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    #Vote #party #TMC #BJPs #Suvendu #urges #people

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Howrah violence: TMC vs Guv on Raj Bhavan’s call to set up seperate monitoring cell

    Howrah violence: TMC vs Guv on Raj Bhavan’s call to set up seperate monitoring cell

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    Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Saturday questioned the decision of West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose to set up special cell for real time monitoring the situation at Howrah’s Shibpur- Kazipara area in wake of the clashes over a Ram Navami procession that started on Thursday and continued till Friday afternoon.

    On late Friday afternoon after the Governor took a detailed report from the state chief secretary H. K. Dwivedi and the state home secretary B. P. Gopalika about the situation in the tension-prone area, a strong-worded statement was issued by the Raj Bhavan from where the decision to set up this special monitoring cell was announced.

    “Governor ordered real time monitoring of the situation and constituted a special cell for the same,” the statement of Raj Bhavan read.

    The statement also mentioned about “a confidential discussion to review the situation” between the Governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

    On Saturday, Trinamool Congress’ state general secretary and the party’s spokesman in West Bengal Kunal Ghosh said that it is not clear whether the decision to set up the special monitoring cell was just a verbal announcement or there had been formal notification in the matter.

    Raising doubts over whether there are legal provisions on whether such a cell can be set up by the Raj Bhavan, Ghosh also expressed apprehension that in case the said cell procures information from independent or private sources, doubts will remain whether the information received was authentic or not.

    However, BJP’s state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya has justified the setting up of the special monitoring cell by the Raj Bhavan.

    “As the constitutional head of the state it is the duty of the Governor to protect the democratic rights of the citizens of the state. So, he is well within his limits to order the opening up of the cell just as he sought reports of the situation from the state chief secretary and state home secretary,” Bhattacharya said.

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    #Howrah #violence #TMC #Guv #Raj #Bhavans #call #set #seperate #monitoring #cell

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • TMC not a political party but a private limited company: BJP

    TMC not a political party but a private limited company: BJP

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    BJP fields Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram

    New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Monday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led state government for announcing a two-day sit-in against the Centre’s “discrimination” towards the state in allocating social welfare funds.

    Addressing a press conference, the BJP leader said, “TMC is not a political party but a ‘private limited company’. He claimed that elections before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power were held on three grounds – ‘Dynasticism, ethnicity, appeasement – which has been rooted out except for two states, West Bengal and Telangana.”

    Adhikari alleged that the state government has already taken thousands of crores of rupees under the centrally sponsored MGNREGA scheme.

    “Around 3.60 crore MGNREGA job card holders were registered when the scheme was launched in the state. When the Centre announced linking of the job cards with Aadhaar, the Bengal government deleted around 1 crore job card data. The state government has taken a significant amount of money on behalf of those 1 crore job cards in the last 10 years that were found to be fake. “It is a big scam”.

    Earlier, Chief Minister Banerjee announced a two-day sit-in demonstration on March 29 and 30 over the ‘Centre’s discrimination against the state’ in allocating social welfare funds.

    The protest will be conducted in front of the BR Ambedkar statue in Kolkata.

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    #TMC #political #party #private #limited #company #BJP

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • TMC MPs hold protest demanding Adani’s arrest in Parliament

    TMC MPs hold protest demanding Adani’s arrest in Parliament

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    New Delhi: Donning caps printed with images of Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday held a protest in the Parliament complex here demanding the arrest of the businessman and alleged that the central government was shielding him.

    The party, which had not participated in protests held by the Opposition on the Adani issue recently, again stayed away from the one held by the Congress and other parties in the Parliament House corridor to press for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe and chose to hold its demonstration separately.

    “The partnership with the BJP is helping Adani. There is an understanding between Modi and Adani and that is why Parliament has failed to function,” alleged TMC Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

    TMC MPs were seen wearing caps with a picture of Adani and Prime Minister Modi printed on them during the protest. Party leaders claimed that spent days trying to get around 100 such caps printed as no printer in Delhi was ready to do it.

    The party finally got them printed in a shop in Uttar Pradesh, a leader said.

    “Adani should be arrested. Modi is trying to protect Adani in the one lakh crore rupees scam. This is also the reason why they are not allowing any discussion in Parliament.

    “TMC leadership has already demanded that the 10 non-BJP states should begin their own probe into this and ensure that public money is not misused,” said TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.

    Bandyopadhyay demanded that the prime minister should speak on the issue.

    “PM Modi should explain this in the House how LIC-SBI money ended up with Adani,” he said.

    TMC leaders shouted slogans like “Desh ka hua bura haal, Modi bane Adani ki dhaal!” and held placards.

    “Under the patronage of PM, India has become a safe haven for capitalist cronies who act with apparent impunity to loot the masses,” Bandyopadhyay alleged.

    “The cat is out of the bag: @BJP4India is an apologist for financial fraud. Their attempts to stall Parliamentary discussions on the Adani issue are proof of their complicity. We refuse to sit back and watch our financial institutions be bled dry and the common man be looted,” the TMC tweeted from its official handle.

    The TMC had also skipped a march of the Opposition to the Enforcement Directorate office earlier last week.

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    #TMC #MPs #hold #protest #demanding #Adanis #arrest #Parliament

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )