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Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • ‘Your Delegation May Visit…’, Mamata Invites Junior Doctors, They Flag ‘Insult’ |

    West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has been under fire from the opposition for the past month over the TMC’s handling of a Kolkata doctor’s alleged rape and murder case. In an attempt to address the growing unrest, Mamata invited the protesting junior doctors for a meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Tuesday to resolve the impasse.

    “Your small delegation (maximum 10 persons) may visit ‘Nabanna’ now to meet government representatives,” PTI cited an email sent by the state’s Health Secretary N S Nigam to the agitating medics. 

    Meanwhile, West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya stated that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is currently waiting in her office for the delegation of junior doctors to arrive for the scheduled meeting. 

    “The chief minister has been waiting at her chamber… We are yet to get any reply from them,” Bhattacharya said. 

    Junior Doctors Response To Mamata’s Meeting Call 

    One of the agitating junior doctors expressed dissatisfaction after receiving a communication from the state health secretary, rather than from the state secretariat, regarding the RG Kar hospital issue. “Receiving the mail from Nigam is an ‘insult for us,’ as we have been seeking his resignation,” the doctor told reporters. 

    “We did not get any mail from the state secretariat. We got the mail from the state health secretary, whose resignation we seek. This is an insult,” he stated. 

    The medic further described the state’s decision to limit the number of representatives for the meeting to 10 as ‘humiliating.’ 

    “Our protests and our ‘cease work’ will continue,” the demonstrating doctor said. 

    Junior doctors across West Bengal have been on a ‘cease work’ protest at state-run hospitals, demanding justice for a young doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered last month at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

  • Assam TMC Chief Ripun Bora Quits, Explains Why Party Fails To Find Acceptance In State |

    Ripun Bora Resignation: Assam Trinamool Congress President Ripun Bora has resigned from the party, highlighting a significant challenge for the TMC in Assam. In his resignation letter, Bora pointed out that the people of Assam perceive the Trinamool Congress as a ‘regional party’ of West Bengal, making it difficult for the party to gain acceptance in the state.

    Despite offering several suggestions to TMC leadership to bridge this perception gap, Bora expressed frustration over the lack of implementation and the continued challenges in establishing the party’s foothold in Assam.

     

     In a letter to All India Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Bora, the former Rajya Sabha member, said he had offered many suggestions to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to make TMC acceptable in Assam, but those were ‘not implemented’. “Assam TMC has great potential, but several recurring issues have hindered our progress, including the perception of TMC as a regional party of West Bengal. To counter this perception, we made several suggestions,” Bora said in his resignation letter.

    He claimed that he had suggested the need for an Assamese leader at the national level of TMC, declaring the residence of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a heritage site and converting the Madhupur Satra in Cooch Behar to a cultural hub.

    “Despite my repeated attempts over the past year and a half to secure an appointment with you and our chief Mamata Didi to address these concerns, I have been unsuccessful,” said Bora, the former Assam minister and state Congress president. Bora said he has served as the state president of Assam TMC for over two years and during this period, he interacted extensively with people across the state. “Unfortunately, the issues mentioned above have led many people in Assam to continue viewing TMC as a regional party of West Bengal. The people of Assam are not willing to accept a party that they perceive as being from another state.

    “In light of these challenges and the lack of an adequate resolution, I feel compelled to make a difficult decision and have decided to disassociate myself from TMC,” Bora said.

    He expressed gratitude to Mamata Banerjee for allowing him to lead Assam TMC. Bora lauded her for the “uncompromising fight against fascist and communal forces”.

    “My decision to resign is not borne out of grievances but rather due to circumstances beyond my control. I will continue to fight against communal and fascist forces on a personal level. Please consider this letter as my formal resignation from the party membership,” Bora added.

  • ‘Mamata Banerjee Is A Liar’, BJP Demands Explanation For Failing To Protect Women In West Bengal |

    Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: In a heated exchange over women’s safety, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a ‘liar’ and demanded she puts forward an explanation for her government’s failure to enforce stringent protections for women. This sharp rebuke comes after Banerjee’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she advocated for tougher central laws and faster judicial proceedings for heinous crimes like rape and murder. Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-incharge for West Bengal, accused Banerjee of not only neglecting existing legal frameworks but also failing to establish fast-track courts to address these serious issues.

    7 rapes (mostly minors) and in some cases murders too, reported from Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal in last 48 hours….

    But in last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act, that a civilised Chief Minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters… pic.twitter.com/009JvQx3ld


    — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

    Recently, Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder. She also sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder. “It is incumbent on Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government hasn’t done anything for implementing the stringent rules and regulations, which exist for protecting women and girls,” BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

    Mamata Banerjee is a LIAR.

    Smt Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on 25th Aug 2024.

    In her letter, in point 4, she specifically mentions West Bengal Govt NOT setting up even a single Fast Track Court for… https://t.co/mtNgQNLlnx pic.twitter.com/bu2Tf9Ptm2
    — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

    “Stop writing letters. Answer the questions. You are accountable,” he added. In her letter, Banerjee said that she was yet to receive a reply from the prime minister on the issue that she had flagged in her previous letter to him. The chief minister, however, said that she received a communication from the Union Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Annapurna Devi.

    Maintaining that the letter by the WCD minister “barely attends the gravity of the issue” raised by her, Banerjee wrote, “The seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply.”

    Banerjee, in her letter to the PM, mentioned that 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO-designated courts are already functioning in West Bengal on state funding. Reacting sharply, Malviya said, “Mamata Banerjee is a Liar”.

    “Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on August 25, 2024. In her letter, in point 4, she (the WCD minister) specifically mentions West Bengal government not setting up even a single fast track court for addressing rape and POCSO related cases,” the BJP leader said. He also posted on X a copy of the WCD minister’s letter to the West Bengal chief minister. Malviya said that as many as seven cases of rape, mostly of minors, and in some cases murders too have been reported in West Bengal in the last 48 hours.

    “But in the last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act – that a civilised chief minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters to clarifications, from threatening and abusing doctors to inciting nationwide arson,” he said in another post on X.

    He called Banerjee a “failed Home and Health Minister” of the state and alleged that she is preoccupied with suppressing evidences of her corruption and incompetence in the RG Kar Hospital rape-and-murder case.

    “But, enough is enough. The awakened conscience of Bengal now calls for accountability,” the BJP leader added.

  • Kolkata Doctors Rape-Murder Case: Amid Political Slugfest, Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest March – Alleges BJP-Left Nexus |

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata on Friday, August 16, demanding justice for the horrific rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protest came in the wake of the tragic incident that has sparked outrage across the state.

    Mamata Banerjee’s Call For Justice

    During the protest march, Mamata Banerjee reiterated her demand for capital punishment for the accused. During the protest marchBanerjee stated, “We want the truth to come out.” “However, there are some quarters spreading lies to mislead the public. I am deeply disturbed by this incident. I stayed awake all night, my heart heavy with grief. When Buddhababu (a reference to a former leader) passed away, I visited his home. I am a politician, but above all, I am a humanitarian. The nexus between the Left and the BJP must be exposed,” she added

    Banerjee also highlighted the spread of fake news on social media, which she claimed is being used to “hide the truth.”

    CBI Takes Over The Investigation

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken charge of the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court. The incident, which occurred on August 9, involved the alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee doctor in a seminar room at the hospital. The CBI team, which arrived in Kolkata on August 14, has started its probe, taking over from the local police.

    The CBI on Friday detained Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former Principal of RG Kar Medical College, for questioning in connection with the case. Dr. Ghosh was taken to the CGO Complex in Salt Lake for interrogation by the central agency.
    The gruesome crime has triggered widespread protests across West Bengal, with thousands of women from various walks of life taking to the streets to demand justice. The protests, however, have not been entirely peaceful. In Kolkata, hundreds of people stormed the hospital on the night of August 14, vandalizing the premises. The police have since arrested several individuals involved in the violence.

  • Kolkata Doctor’s Rape-Murder: Bengal Observes 12-Hour Bandh; BJP To Hold Candle March To Mamata Banerjee’s Residence |

    Kolkata is set to witness political protests on Friday, August 16, as the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has called for a 12-hour statewide bandh to protest the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on early Thursday morning. Meanwhile, the BJP’s women’s wing will hold a candlelight march to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence, also in response to the vandalism incident. 

    A mob entered the premises of the Hospital and wreaked havoc as they were demanding the arrest of all those involved in the rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor inside the establishment. 

    Mamata Banerjee To Join On August 17 

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will join the protests on Saturday, calling for the death penalty for those accused in the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor.  

    Banerjee has also announced a protest to seek justice for the Kolkata trainee doctor, who was assaulted and killed at RG Kar College and Hospital. She has urged the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the case from the Kolkata Police, to ensure that justice is served by the following Sunday. 

    IMA’s Nationwide Strike 

    Amid the political rallies, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a 24-hour nationwide strike from 6AM on August 17 to protest against the rape-murder incident and the vandalism at the RG Kar Hospital. The withdrawal of services will be limited to non-emergency services.

  • CBI To Probe Kolkata Doctor’s Rape-Murder Case? Mamata Banerjee’s Big Statement |

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has given the police a one-week ultimatum to solve the rape-murder case of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. She warned that if the police fail, the CBI will take over the investigation. Despite praising the law enforcement as ‘the best in the world,’ Banerjee imposed the deadline amid growing political pressure from the BJP.

    ” I want the police to arrest the accused as soon as possible. If they are unable to solve the case by Sunday, we will not keep it under our hands and will hand it over to the CBI,” the CM said. 

    #WATCH | Kolkata | On RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “I want the Police to arrest the accused as early as possible. If the Police are unable to solve this case by Sunday, then we will not keep this case in our hands, we will… pic.twitter.com/a1fBya9Mub
    — ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2024

    Last week, the Chief Minister reiterated that she has no objection to the CBI, which operates under the BJP-led central government, taking over the case if that is what the protesting medical professionals demand. She stated, “… if agitating students want a probe by another agency, we are not against it.” 

    She expressed her confusion over how such an incident could occur. Banerjee shared, “When I first learned about the incident from the Kolkata Police Commissioner, I told him it was tragic and that immediate action was necessary, including the establishment of a fast-track court… There were nurses and security present, yet I still cannot comprehend how this incident happened.” 

    Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case 

    A second-year chest medicine student was found dead on Friday morning in the seminar hall of a state-run hospital. The body bore injury marks, with the initial autopsy revealing bleeding from the eyes, mouth, private parts, left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger, and lips.

    The student had been on duty the previous night. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer who often visited the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the case. The incident has triggered nationwide protests by doctors and political opposition. 

  • Mamata Banerjee Leaves NITI Aayog Meeting Midway, Claims, ‘My Mic Was Stopped..’ |

    New Delhi:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of the NITI Aayog on Saturday accused the centre of letting her speak. TMC leader alleged that her mic was stopped while she was speaking during the  NITI Aayog meeting.

    “…I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government,” Banerjee said.

     

    #WATCH | Delhi: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “…I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am… pic.twitter.com/53U8vuPDpZ
    — ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2024

     

    The Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, included all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers as its members. While many of the INDIA bloc leaders opposed it and did not attend the meeting.

    She further added that she was not allowed to speak for more than 5 minutes while people before her spoke for 10-20 minutes. 

    “…I said you (central government) should not discriminate against state governments. I wanted to speak but I was allowed to speak only for 5 minutes. People before me spoke for 10-20 minutes. I was the only one from the opposition who was participating but still, I was not allowed to speak. This is insulting,” she added.

  • Amid Bangladesh Unrest, Mamata Banerjee Opens Bengal’s Door For Refugees |

    As violence continues to grip neighboring Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her willingness to welcome refugees into the state. Speaking at the TMC’s ‘Martyrs Day’ rally in Kolkata on Sunday, she assured that Bengal will certainly provide shelter to those in need. 

    Banerjee cited the United Nations Resolution on refugees to justify her stance on the potential humanitarian crisis resulting from the severe law and order breakdown in Bangladesh over the past few days. 

    “I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre. But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” Banerjee said. 

    The Bengal CM drew an example from the past, noting how Assamese people were allowed to live in the Alipurduars area of North Bengal for a significant period during the Bodo conflict in the northeastern state. 

    “That’s because there is a United Nations Resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those under turmoil,” the Bengal CM said. 

    Banerjee also urged the people of West Bengal to remain calm and not be provoked by the current situation in Bangladesh.

  • ‘Will Wait And Watch…’: Mamata Banerjee Signals INDIA Alliance May Stake Claim To Form Govt In Future |

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that just because the opposition INDIA bloc hasn’t claimed the right to form the government yet, it doesn’t mean it won’t try again tomorrow. The Trinamool Congress Chief said that her party will “wait and watch” and that she would be pleased to see the “weak and unstable” BJP-led NDA government overthrown.

    Banerjee led her party to a resounding victory in West Bengal, securing 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the main opposition BJP was reduced to 12 seats and the Congress to one, ensuring the TMC’s continued dominance in the state.

    “The country needs change; it desires change. This mandate was for a change. We’re waiting and monitoring the situation. This mandate was against Narendra Modi, so he should not be appointed prime minister this time. After meeting with newly elected TMC MPs, Banerjee told reporters that someone else should have been allowed to take over.

    “The BJP is forming the government in an undemocratic and illegal manner. Although the INDIA bloc has not yet staked a claim to form the government, that does not mean it will not do so tomorrow. “Let us wait for a while,” she said. The TMC supremo has announced that the party will not attend the new government’s swearing-in ceremony.

    “I would be happy to see that this unstable and weak government at the centre is out of power,” Banerjee stated. She stated that TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will seek the repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

  • Mamata Banerjee Not To Attend INDIA Bloc meet On June 1, Cites Polling, Post-Cyclone Relief Work |

    New Delhi/ Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she will not attend the meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 1 due to the last phase of Lok Sabha polls and ongoing relief work after cyclone ‘Remal’ hit the state’s coastal regions.

    According to sources, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders in the afternoon of June 1, coinciding with the last round of polling.

    Addressing an election rally in Kolkata, Banerjee mentioned her inability to attend the INDIA bloc meeting due to the scheduled elections in the state on that day.

    “The INDIA bloc meeting has been fixed on June 1. But I have already said I can’t go on June 1 as there is an election in our state on that day. So far I know there are elections in Punjab, UP and Bihar. Voting will continue till 6 pm, and at times it extends beyond that (6 pm),” she said.

    Banerjee highlighted the dual challenges of post-cyclone relief work and ongoing elections, emphasising her priority towards relief efforts.

    “How can I leave everything behind and go? My priority is relief work. Even if I am holding a meeting here, my heart goes out to those people (affected by the cyclone),” she said at the Kolkata rally.

    Cyclone Remal, with wind speed reaching 135 kmph, claimed four lives in West Bengal and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and property in the state’s coastal areas as it tore through West Bengal and Bangladesh, officials reported on Monday.

    The TMC had withdrawn from the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January but affirmed its commitment to remain part of the opposition alliance at the national level.

    During the election campaigns in the last two months, Banerjee had expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win the Lok Sabha elections and affirmed her involvement in the anti-BJP alliance at the national level.

    Sources in the TMC revealed that voting will be conducted on nine seats, including two seats in Kolkata, in West Bengal on June 1, which are crucial for the party.

    Apart from the Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar, other constituencies in the state that will go to polls on that day include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour.

    TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will exercise their franchise on the day, and, therefore, they will be unable to attend the meeting, a source said, adding that the party has attended all meetings of the opposition bloc so far.

    The source added that the TMC has conveyed this to the organisers.

    The first meeting of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in Patna on June 23 last year, followed by meetings in Bengaluru on July 17-18, 2023, and in Mumbai between August 31 and September 1, where the opposition parties adopted resolutions to contest the Lok Sabha elections unitedly.

    The fourth meeting of the opposition bloc was held in Delhi on December 19.

    The next gathering of opposition leaders took place in Delhi on March 31, where top leaders shared the stage at the “Save Democracy” rally held against the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. A similar ‘Ulgulan’ rally was held in Ranchi on April 21.

    The TMC has been part of all these meetings and rallies.

    At the March 31 rally in Delhi, TMC’s parliamentary party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, announced that the party would remain part of the INDIA bloc.

    The TMC, which is in power in West Bengal, does not have any seat-sharing deal with the Congress or any other INDIA bloc partner in its home state. But its candidate Laliteshpati Tripathi in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi has been supported by ally Samajwadi Party.

    Twenty-eight opposition parties came together to form the INDIA bloc. However, some parties such as Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) later switched over to the NDA.