Kolkata:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today dismissed rumours that consuming the Tilapia fish causes cancer and urged people to eat it without fear.

“Does eating Tilapia fish have any negative impact on the body?” Ms Banerjee asked bureaucrats during a meeting at the state secretariat.

Upon receiving confirmation from officials that there was no evidence supporting the rumour, she questioned why action had not been taken against those responsible for spreading such misinformation.

“Eat Tilapia without fear. Consuming this fish does not cause cancer. Who spread this false news? Why no action has been taken against them?” the chief minister said.

She also instructed bureaucrats to release Tilapia fish into ponds under the ‘Jal Bharo, Jal Dharo’ scheme.
 

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

New Delhi:

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla today slammed the Mamata government over another alleged flogging incident in West Bengal, asking whether Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders will visit the victim.

The BJP spokesperson took to his X handle and shared a video of a group of men thrashing someone, captioning it, “Another Horrific Talibani video from Bengal after Chopra talibani flogging.”

He alleged that in the video, a “close associate of TMC MLA is thrashing a girl with his gang.”

Sharing a video on X, Shehzad Poonawala said, “One more Bengal Talibani video has surfaced, which shows that a woman is being brutally beaten by a person who is close to the Trinamool Congress leaders.”

Another Horrific Talibani video from Bengal after Chopra talibani flogging by Tajmul ..

TMC means Talibani Mujhe Chahiye

A close associate of TMC MLA is thrashing a girl with his gang.

Will leader of hypocrisy Rahul Gandhi say a word or visit? What about INDI ALLIANCE… pic.twitter.com/4yoFn1ho8s

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) July 9, 2024

“Incidents like these are constantly happening. TMC now means Talibani Mujhe Chahiye. And TMC leaders are defending it. They also defended the Chopra incident and the Sandeshkhali incident, for which the Mamata government was also reprimanded by the Supreme Court,” he added.

Criticising the Bengal government for saving the culprits, he said, “Today, the Mamata government has “changed its slogan from ‘Ma Mati Manush’ to ‘Balaatkaari bachao’ (save the rapists), ‘Bhrashtachaari bachao’ (save the corrupt) and ‘Bomb Blast karne waalo ko bachao’ (save the bombers).”

Response of INDI ALLIANCE

SANDESHKHALI – silence

SHAHJAHAN – silence

TAJMUL – silence

CHOPRA INCIDENT – silence

SWATI MALIWAL – silence

KAMARHATI VIDEO – silence

COOCH BEHAR – silence

MAHUA MOITRA TWEET – silence

MANIPUR – vulture politics https://t.co/ja42NYdFJG

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) July 9, 2024

Slamming the INDIA bloc for its “hypocrisy” of maintaining silence on this issue, Mr Poonwalla said, “The sad thing is that the leaders who talk a lot about women’s empowerment and the others who reach Manipur, like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will he go and meet this woman? Will they talk against the Mamata government? Will leaders like Priyanka Vadra, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Aam Aadmi Party speak on this issue? No, it is just a pin-drop silence on the Sandeshkhali, Swati Maliwal, Talibani incident in Chopra and this recent Talibani incident.”

Alleging that the Trinamool leaders have “themselves confirmed” the video, he wrote in his post on X, “THEIR DEFENCE IS THAT IT’S A FEW WEEKS/MONTHS OLD! Is that even a defence? It means TMC, as usual, suppressed the video using threats.”
 

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

Kolkata:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the state was in the dark even as there were talks of renewal of the Farakka water sharing treaty with Bangladesh, despite West Bengal being a key stakeholder as the river passes through it to the neighbouring country.

She raised apprehensions about potential water sharing from Teesta River with Bangladesh, questioning whether the waterbody has sufficient water throughout the year for such initiatives.

“Without informing us, it is being said that the Farakka (water sharing) treaty will be renewed,” she said, maintaining that apart from Bengal, Bihar will also be affected.

“Though we are the main party, we were not informed when our PM held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart,” she told a press conference at the state secretariat on the flood-like situation in North Bengal.

In a letter to PM Narendra Modi on June 24, Ms Banerjee had expressed “strong reservation” over the Centre excluding the state government from discussions with Bangladesh regarding Teesta water sharing and the Farakka Treaty.

Focusing on the 1996 Bangladesh Farakka Treaty, which, according to Banerjee, is currently in the process of renewal ahead of its scheduled expiry in 2026, she urged the PM to not hold any such discussions with the neighbouring country without involving the Bengal government.

“Now, they are talking of sharing water from Teesta,” she said, asking whether it has adequate water to go ahead with any such project.

Maintaining that the people of north Bengal will not even get drinking water if it is done, she said water flow in the Teesta during monsoon should not be construed as regular water level in the river throughout the year.

The river has been at spate for the past several days owing to heavy rains in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim, cutting off road connectivity at several places in the hills and inundating low-lying areas in the plains.

Stating that several hydel projects in Sikkim are drawing water from Teesta, Ms Banerjee said, “The central government should have intervened then.” Ms Banerjee said despite having taken up the issue a number of times, no action has been taken.

The letter, which was sent by Ms Banerjee in the wake of PM Modi’s recent bilateral talks with Sheikh Hasina in Delhi, followed Ms Banerjee’s reported displeasure expressed in close circles after details of the meet between the two heads of state were reported in national media.

“I am writing this letter in context of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable,” she said in a three-page letter to PM Modi.

Bengal has a very close relationship with Bangladesh – geographically, culturally and economically, she noted.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said on Monday that the state was not informed when a dam was built over Atreyee river by Bangladesh in its territory, in collaboration with China.

Ms Banerjee said this has led to water crisis in vast areas of South Dinajpur district of the state.

“I had raised the issue during Indo-Bangladesh bilateral meetings, where I used to be invited earlier,” she said, maintaining that no steps have been taken to solve the problem.

Ms Banerjee urged greater central government responsibility in addressing issues like erosion in the River Ganga, particularly noting the neglect in dredging operations at Farakka.

“For the last 10 to 12 years, they (Centre) are not looking after it and have not spent a paisa to stop erosion of Ganga,” she said.

“When the (Farakka water sharing) treaty was signed with Bangladesh, it was decided that dredging of Ganga will be done to ensure there is no problem here (of water scarcity) owing to the water going to the neighbouring country,” she said.

Ms Banerjee said a Rs 700-crore package had also been prepared to stop erosion and build houses of those affected by erosion of Ganga. She said the money has not been paid so far by the Centre to Bengal. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has flagged protocol violation during his visit to Siliguri yesterday, in a letter to the state government, sources have told NDTV.

The Governor flew in from Delhi to meet the victims of the recent violence at Siliguri State Guest House.

There have been incidents of violence in Bengal since last year’s panchayat elections but this cannot continue, Mr Bose said on Tuesday.

“Such incidents are happening under the leadership, support and patronage of the state government. The ruling party, bureaucrats, and corrupt police personnel are behind these incidents,” Mr Bose said after meeting the victims in Siliguri. He is likely to submit a report on his findings to the central government.

Sources in the Raj Bhavan say protocol was not followed on Tuesday when the Governor arrived at the Bagdogra airport. The Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) were not there to receive him.

It is protocol for the SP and DM to be present when the Governor arrives.

The Governor, say sources, has informed about the incident to the Union Home Minister and at least two top officials of the state, including the Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner of Kolkata.

Sources say another IPS officer has also been named by the Governor.

The 73-year-old Governor has sought action against these officials and alleged that they have been instrumental in false cases filed against him.

The Governor and the Bengal Government have been on a collision course after a Raj Bhavan staffer filed a sexual assault complaint against the Governor earlier this year.

The police have carried out a probe even as the Governor has blocked the police from entering the Raj Bhavan.

The Governor has also filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over alleged comments made by her.

During an administrative meeting in the state secretariat on June 27, Ms Banerjee said “women have informed me they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there”.

Following the Chief Minister’s remarks, the Governor had said it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions”.

In response, Sanjay Basu, Mamata Banerjee’s lawyer, said, “We have come to know that a defamation suit has been filed against the CM and others over alleged statements by the CM that women feel unsafe at Raj Bhavan. Given recent incidents where women have approached law enforcement agencies with allegations concerning Raj Bhavan, it would be fair justification to state the agony of women, more so when the CM herself is a woman.”

“Though we haven’t received copies, the suit also seems to be an attempt to canvass other political issues by the Governor such as his refusal to let elected members take their oath before the Speaker in the garb of defamation. We will defend these allegations appropriately,” Mr Basu added.

Kolkata:

A defamation suit filed by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to be taken up for hearing before the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday.

Mr Bose filed a defamation case against Ms Banerjee on June 28, a day after she claimed that women complained to her saying that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there.

The defamation suit filed by Mr Bose against Ms Banerjee is listed for hearing on Wednesday before the bench of Justice Krishna Rao, according to the high court’s website.

Following Ms Banerjee’s remarks, the governor had said that it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions.” 

During an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Ms Banerjee on June 27 claimed that “women have informed her they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there”.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had made an allegation of molestation against Bose, following which the Kolkata Police started an enquiry.

Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his/her term in office.

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

Under fire over the chilling incident of mob justice in north Bengal’s Chopra, the ruling Trinamool Congress has said it has a zero tolerance policy on such crimes and launched a counterstrike by drawing parallels with BJP-ruled states and the previous CPM regime in Bengal.

“Trinamool Congress as a party and our government do not support what has happened in Chopra. Police have registered a case suo motu and arrested the main accused. The victim has been provided police security and if anyone else is involved, he won’t be spared,” said Dr Santanu Sen, senior Trinamool leader and former Rajya Sabha MP.

Launching a counter-attack on rivals, the Left and the BJP, he said many such incidents happened when the CPM was in power in Bengal. “But we never saw a CPM leader come out and say it was wrong. Similar incidents also keep happening in BJP-ruled states. But we have never heard a BJP leader say it’s wrong. This can only happen in Bengal because the Trinamool Congress has a zero tolerance policy and we don’t just say it, but we do it,” he said.

A shocking video in which a man is seeing thrashing a woman and another man in public as a crowd watches has triggered massive outrage and scathing criticism of the Mamata Banerjee government. The BJP and the CPM have targeted the Trinamool government and drawn parallels between the state’s law and order situation and a ‘kangaroo’ court.

The Opposition parties have alleged that the main accused, Tajemul, has links with local Trinamool MLA Hamidur Rahman. The MLA has denied any connection with the accused. He has said it was a village matter and not related to the party.

The woman in the video, it is learnt, had eloped with a man following an extramarital affair. The MLA described her as “characterless” while admitting that the “punishment was excessive”.

Main Opposition BJP has torn into the Trinamool Congress over the issue. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told the media today that the West Bengal is now under “Taliban rule”. “Whether it is Sandeshkhali or poll violence or rape or murder, it is Mamata Banerjee’s responsibility. The state home ministry is under you and law and order has been razed, you must resign,” he said.

Mr Bhatia said the accused, Tajemul, is a Trinamool leader. “He is a habitual offender. He believes in quick justice, kangaroo court justice and he calls it insaf sabha.”

CPM, too, has raised the matter strongly. CPM state secretary and former MP Mohammed Salim tweeted yesterday, “Not even #KangarooCourt! Summary trial and punishment handed out by d @AITCofficial goon nicknamed JCB. Literally bulldozer justice at Chopra under @MamataOfficial rule.”

Mr Salim also said the man who shot the video has now been ousted from his home. “Such is the TMC’s rule in the liberated zone of Chopra under the supervision of @WBPolice,” he said. The CPM leader alleged that Tajemul is also an accused in a murder of a Left leader.

In a swipe aimed at both Trinamool and BJP, he said that the “Suvendu model” continues in Bengal. “Murderers remain at large, travesty of justice continues in Bengal. Courtesy: @MamataOfficial & @abhishekaitc Continuation of @SuvenduWB model,” he said.

New Delhi:

BJP president JP Nadda slammed the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal on Monday over a “horrific” video of a man brutally assaulting a couple in public.

He said in a post on X, “A horrific video has come to light from West Bengal, reminding of the brutalities that exist only in theocracies. To make matters worse, the TMC cadre and MLAs are justifying the act.” Mr Nadda added, “Be it Sandeshkhali, Uttar Dinajpur or many other places, Didi’s West Bengal is UNSAFE for women.” The West Bengal Police on Sunday registered a case over the incident.

The man seen in the video beating up a couple with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader of Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district where the incident occurred following a kangaroo court decision.

The accused, Tajmul alias JCB, was arrested. 

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

Kolkata:

The Opposition in West Bengal has launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government over a chilling video of a man beating up two people, including a woman, on a street as a crowd watches.

Opposition parties CPM and BJP have said the video is from Chopra in north Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district. The incident reportedly took place over the weekend. 

In the video, a man is seen repeatedly hitting a woman with sticks as a small crowd watches in silence. She screams in pain, but the assault continues. He then turns to a man and starts hitting him. Most members of the crowd, instead of trying to stop the assault, appear to be helping the assailant. At one point, the man grabs the woman by her hair and kicks her.

“Will Mamata Banerjee Act?” Left, BJP Flag Bengal ‘Street Justice’ Video https://t.co/YxNdkqHMA8@mickygupta84 reports pic.twitter.com/Vy0HTIegc3

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 30, 2024

According to CPM and BJP leaders, the assailant is local strongman Tajemul who has links with the Trinamool and is known to deliver “instant justice” for local disputes. It is not clear why the man and the woman in the viral video were being assaulted. Local police have said they have registered a case and are looking for the accused.

The Trinamool Congress has said that the accused, despite whatever his political affiliations are, “will not be spared”.

“What the BJP is saying is immaterial because they are politically bankrupt, they will say whatever they want to say. It’s a heinous crime. The Trinamool Congress doesn’t want to know who this guy is or what his political affiliations are. Whoever this guy is, the police are looking for him. The strictest arm of the law will be meted out to him. He will not be spared. He will be made an example as soon as he gets caught,” said Trinamool spokesperson Riju Dutta.

Main Opposition BJP has said this is the “ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal”.

This is the ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal.

The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly, is Tajemul (popular as JCB in the area). He is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur… pic.twitter.com/fuQ8dVO5Mr

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 30, 2024

“The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly, is Tajemul… He is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman,” Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell and the party’s co-incharge for Bengal, said in a post on X. “India must wake up to the reality of Sharia Courts in TMC run West Bengal. There is a #Sandeshkhali in every village and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a curse for women. There is no semblance of law and order in Bengal. Will Mamata Banerjee act against this monster or defend him like she stood up for Sheikh Shahjahan?” He also flagged the issue to the National Commission for Women.

The BJP leader’s post referred to the Sandeshkhali row during which sexual harassment, land grab and extortion allegations surfaced against local Trinamool leaders. Subsequently, a section of women alleged that the sexual harassment charge is untrue and that false complaints were filed in their names. Latching on to such statement, the Trinamool accused the BJP of cooking up an issue.

The video from Chopra was also flagged by CPM state secretary and former MP Mohammed Salim. “Not even #KangarooCourt! Summary trial and punishment handed out by d @AITCofficial goon nicknamed JCB. Literally bulldozer justice at Chopra under @MamataOfficial rule,” he said in a post.

Not even #KangarooCourt ! Summary trial and punishment handed out by d ⁦@AITCofficial⁩ goon nicknamed JCB.
Literally bulldozer justice at Chopra under ⁦@MamataOfficial⁩ rule. pic.twitter.com/TwJEThOUhi

— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) June 30, 2024

Mr Salim also said the man who shot the video has now been ousted from his home. “Such is the TMC’s rule in the liberated zone of Chopra under the supervision of @WBPolice,” he said. The CPM leader alleged that Tajemul is also an accused in a murder of a local Left leader.

In a swipe aimed at both Trinamool and BJP, he said that the “Suvendu model” continues in Bengal. “Murderers remain at large, travesty of justice continues in Bengal. Courtesy: @MamataOfficial & @abhishekaitc Continuation of @SuvenduWB model,” he said.

New Delhi:

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday came down heavily on state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said that she cannot bully or terrify him and she has no right to do character assassination through lies.

While speaking with ANI, Bose targeted the West Bengal Chief Minister and said that Mamata Banerjee has crossed all the limits. “She has to function within the requirements of civilized conduct. As a Chief Minister, I gave her all regard and respect, considering her as my esteemed constitutional colleague. But she feels that she can bully anybody and cast aspersions on my character. My character is not to be negotiated by an individual like Mamata Banerjee.”

The governor further said that any amount of assassination of his self-respect will not be tolerated. “She cannot bully or terrify me. She has not grown up to that. As a chief minister, if she differs from me, certainly there are constitutional provisions to take care of that. As an individual, she has no right to do character assassination through lies.” “This cannot be allowed. It is not megalomania, it is ‘Mamata mania’ that cannot be tolerated. I will file a defamation case against the individual, Mamata Banerjee who happens to be the Chief Minister,” he added.

The remarks by Bose come after Mamata Banerjee said that women are not feeling safe in Raj Bhavan.

Bose spoke about the situation of the state and said, “It is very disturbing, shocking, and shattering to see that West Bengal is facing a financial breakdown. Its public finance is in the doldrums.”

He added, “As a responsible governor, I, upon the authority vested in the governor under Article 167 of the Constitution of India, have asked for an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss this issue and also issue a white paper on the finances of the state.”

Bose also talked about Banerjee’s meeting on hawkers and encroachment in the state, he said, “To say the least, ‘Gareebi hatao, gareebo ko nahi.’ Before you displace poor hawkers, you should have thought about settling them. This is highly disorganised, untimely, distressing, ill-implemented reform…”

Speaking on law and order situation in the state, Bose said that the government is expected to contain violence. “I feel there is government-sponsored violence in the state. There is ‘gundagiri’…”

He added further, “As a governor, it is my duty to see that the government functions in accordance with the Constitution of India. I will do my duty. My stand against corruption will continue till I reach the goal. As Swami Vivekananda said, ‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.’ My goal is to see corruption-free, and violence-free Bengal.”

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

Kolkata:

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court, a day after she said that women complained to her saying that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there, a source said.

Mr Bose earlier in the day criticised Banerjee for her remarks and stated it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions”.

The Bengal governor also filed defamation suit against certain TMC leaders for making similar remarks, the source said.

During an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Ms Banerjee on Thursday claimed that “Women have informed her they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there”.

“Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court and filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party leaders for their comments,” the source told PTI.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had alleged molestation by Bose following which the Kolkata Police also started a probe.

When contacted, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said that she would not be able to comment on the matter without discussing it with the party leadership.

“I have to talk to my party leadership to find out what actually happened. This is quite a sensitive matter,” Dola Sen told PTI.

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that Mr Bose took the right decision.

“I think Governor Bose has taken the right decision. He should have taken this decision long back. I fully support him for this,” Mr Sinha said.

Veteran CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that the tussle between Bose and Banerjee is not helping the state.

“It’s actually taking us down. They seem to have forgotten their Constitutional responsibilities. Their acts are damaging West Bengal’s image at the national level,” Mr Chakraborty said.

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