Mungpoo News

Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], February 25 (ANI): On the Independence day of Bangladesh, the Indian and Bangladesh governments decided to introduce a passenger train service from March 26 between New Jalpaiguri in Siliguri, India to Dhaka in Bangladesh. This will be the third passenger train after Maitree express and Bandhan express, running between the two friendly neighbourhood countries.

Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb on Thursday opened a waiting hall and a canteen constructed at a cost of Rs 35 lakh at the Bengal Safari Park near here.

It was indeed shocking news that "a retired Army Subedar was detained on Tuesday, May 28, 2019, to be lodged in a detention centre for illegal foreigners…… after a Foreigners' Tribunal (FT) declared him a foreigner". Having retired as Subedar with the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Indian Army in August 2017, the detained retired official is reported to have served in insurgency-affected areas of Jammu & Kashmir and the North-east.

Expectedly, the 18-year-old son of the "foreigner" soldier of the Indian Army, reacted: "How can someone who has served the country for so long be treated as a 'foreigner' and taken to a detention centre like this?" This author is neither the son, nor a relative, nor an acquaintance of the detained soldier; yet one today feels like asking the same question, in the same language, what the anguished son of the retired Subedar soldier of the state is asking. Reportedly, the "errant" retired soldier's three children, too, are suffering because "they are descendants of a person who – as of now – is a 'declared' foreigner."

One today wonders: a soldier comes home after serving long years in various fronts of the nation. Does he really deserve such action? Humiliation? Dishonour? Should not his former and present senior commanders look into the matter to help the authorities to find an honourable solution to/of a dishonoured colleague? Be that as it may, today this author's thoughts go back and forth to some of the salient features which went on to shape the history, glory, tradition, and growth of the regiments of the Indian Army which sovereign India inherited from her foreign white Christian lords of London. It's been a saga of glory and sacrifice. Duty and devotion. Loyalty and discipline. Unity of men and the sacrificing lives for their own nation as well as foreign nation; in a foreign land. Incredible? Fiction? No, not at all. All facts of history. Credible. Verifiable. The soldiers of the Indian soil were recruited, retained and retired by the British rulers in their domain; British India. Initially, (and also later) they required trained men to protect their commercial and economic assets and interests in alien land, India and beyond. And virtually, after every war between the British and Indian monarch, ruler, prince, maharaja, or the Confederacy of the Marathas was born a new Indian infantry regiment: based on caste, race, language or ethnicity. Thus, today the state of India has an army consisting of more than 20 infantry regiments: Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry; Jammu & Kashmir Rifles; Punjab Regiment; Sikh Light Infantry; Sikh Regiment; Dogra Regiment; Kumaon Regiment; Garhwal Rifles; Rajput Regiment; Rajputana Rifles; Gorkha Rifles; Jat Regiment; Mahar Regiment; Bihar Regiment; Assam Regiment; Madras Regiment; Maratha Light Infantry; Guards; Grenadiers; Ladakh Scouts; Kumaon Scouts and Arunachal Scouts. The most notable feature of these regiments is that the cohesive and united Indian Army was born after years of fighting against their own countrymen owing to the presence of foreign Britishers who skilfully managed to command, control and communicate with the native soldiers of the east. It would, therefore, might not be incorrect to suggest that it was the British self-interest in the east of the Suez that gave birth to the splendid Indian Army as we see today in its present shape, size, form and action. Thus, despite mental reservation, the soldiers of India were deployed across the continent. They were taken by the British to China to loot the summer palace of the Chinese monarch in 1860. The story of the First and the Second World War pertaining to bravery, valour, and sacrifice of Indian soldiers in Europe, North Africa, Mesopotamia, South-east Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Burma are too well known to be repeated. In a way, therefore, although the evolution of the history of the Indian Army may or might not have been to the liking of some public figures of India, the fact nevertheless remains that the professional and apolitical soldiers and their superiors are the biggest assets to sovereign India's polity, economy and society. It's an astonishing story which continues to astonish every Indian every day. A soldier, across India, still inspires the desired level of confidence. In an urban as well rural area. I have seen it; I still see it. Seeing is believing. Coming back to the story of the detained ex-soldier of the state army of India, one needs to remember that every soldier, serving or retired, is a member of the "extended family" of the army of India. And, it would be a great tragedy if the top brass of the forces fails to appreciate this point. If a soldier is detained for being a "foreigner" after 30 years of service to the state, then a question could crop up in future too. What about the Gorkha soldiers who are recruited from interior Nepal? No doubt the Gorkha Regiment stands on a solid foundation of/on Anglo-Indo-Nepal history, tradition, custom and law. Yet in an era of uncertainty, all round turmoil and population growth across South Asia, and with China and Pakistan looming large as a grave external security threat, India has to try to reduce the problems pertaining to internal issues first. There are too many legacy issues. There are growing non-legacy issues too. They need resolution through patience, perseverance and peaceful overtures. Not through prism of "black and white." In India, grey areas far outstrip the "black and white" issues owing to several lingering fault lines. Before ending, let it be clarified that it gave this author no pleasure to write the piece. The turmoil pertaining to the present case is taking place at a highly vulnerable and volatile area notwithstanding the natural beauty of the terrain, the charm and hospitality, simplicity and warmth of the people thereof. Rightly or wrongly, the east and north-east traditionally have been in the media headlines for all wrong reasons. Delhi being, "far off", must be seen to come closer to the area rather than the east and north-east going to the capital. The worst of the "foreign" problems, originating from across the borders of China and erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) has created enormous political turmoil. But India has to remember that partition of India was not the making of the people of the east and north-east but the politicians like Gandhi, Jinnah and Nehru. Consequently, a dangerous internal threat today has cropped up for India. The human problem cannot be dealt with in an inhuman way. The bloodshed of 1947 must not be forgotten. Else it's a sure way for China and Pakistan. 

(Abhijit Bhattacharyya is an alumnus of National Defence College and author of China in India. The views expressed are strictly personal)

http://www.millenniumpost.in/

Expectedly, the 18-year-old son of the "foreigner" soldier of the Indian Army, reacted: "How can someone who has served the country for so long be treated as a 'foreigner' and taken to a detention centre like this?" This author is neither the son, nor a relative, nor an acquaintance of the detained soldier; yet one today feels like asking the same question, in the same language, what the anguished son of the retired Subedar soldier of the state is asking. Reportedly, the "errant" retired soldier's three children, too, are suffering because "they are descendants of a person who – as of now – is a 'declared' foreigner."

http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/stateless-soldier-of-the-state-355952

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 jolted Nepal on Friday. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the epicentre of the earthquake was 65 km northwest of Kathmandu. It was a shallow earthquake with a depth of just 2 km, which makes it more deadly. The EMSC also said that it was in the Indo-Nepal border region. The country located in mighty Himalayas witnessed a similar magnitude earthquake last month. No casualty or any property damage was reported after that earthquake. According to the Indian Metrological Department, the earthquake had occurred on 06:14:33 am at the Latitude 27.7 North and Longitude 85.1 E, at the depth of 10 Km. However, the National Emergency Operation Centre, Nepal, two more earthquakes were reported in brief span of 20 minutes, which were of magnitudes of 5.2 and 4.3. The epicentre of these earthquake was in Naubise in Dhading District. So far, three earthquakes have occurred in Nepal in last one hour at 6:14, 6:29 and 6:40 am respectively.

The early morning hours have seen tremors in this Himalyan region. A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Arunachal Pradesh on the same day, the US Geological Survey said. The epicentre of the shallow quake was about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Along, and 180 kilometres southwest of the state capital Itanagar. It struck at 1.45 am. Arunachal Pradesh is least densely populated state, but is still home to more than 1.2 million people, according to the state government's website. China's official state news agency Xinhua said the quake was felt in Tibet also.

Earlier on April 16, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake jolted Gorkha district in Nepal, causing panic among the residents. The quake was felt in Gorkha district and surrounding areas around 12:35 p.m, according to the National Seismological Center (NSC). However, there was no report of any damage. It was the third quake that hit Nepal in the past five days. On April 13, a 4.6-magnitude earthquake hit Rasuwa district while another 4.8-magnitude quake jolted far-west Nepal's Bajhang district on April 14. A powerful earthquake struck Gorkha district in April 2015, killing 9,000 people.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Nepal in April 2015 is also known as the Gorkha earthquake. About 9,000 people lost their lives while nearly 22,000 were injured in the tremor. Till 2017, 487 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or more were experienced since Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015.

At that time, to assist earthquake-ravaged Nepal in its reconstruction effort, India had pledged to build 50,000 houses in its two worst hit districts. India signed an agreement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50,000 homes for quake victims in Gorkha, the epicentre of 2015 earthquake, and the Nuwakot district.

Under the project, 26,912 home owners were benefited in Gorkha and 23,088 homeowners in Nuwakot, according to Indian Embassy sources.

Socio-technical teams from UNDP and UNOPS will assist home owners to reconstruct their houses as per the Government of Nepal’s earthquake resistant norms.

Under the agreement, India gave $8.41 million to the UNOPS and $7.41 Million to the UNDP for the reconstruction of the 50,000 homes.

https://www.newsnation.in

In Kolkata, a special media briefing will be held by the Met Office at 1:30 pm. The weather department said Cyclone Fani is 380 km away from Kolkata and 350 km away from West Bengal. The eye of the cyclone has already crossed Puri. 

Cyclone Fani to hit Bengal early, coastal districts on high alert

 

At least six people killed, villages submerged and trees uprooted in Puri, CNN News18 reported.

Cyclone Fani has moved away from Andhra

"Cyclone Fani has moved away from Andhra Pradesh, so, we have issued a de-warning. 3 districts in the state were impacted by heavy rainfall," Mrityunjay Mohapatra, IMD, Delhi, said.

"In the next 3 hours, Cyclone Fani is expected to weaken with a wind speed of 150-160 km per hour, subsequently it will weaken and move north-northeastwards. By evening, it may weaken into severe cyclonic storm over extreme northern part of Odisha," said Mrityunjay Mohapatra, IMD, Delhi.

All flights cancelled in Kolkata Airport due to Cyclone Fani

Airport authorities have asked airlines to cancel domestic and international flights from 3:00 pm on May 3 to 8:30 am on May 4 due to cyclone Fani from the Kolkata Airport. Engineers and other emergency systems are on standby at the airport. While in Tripura, as of now there has been no impact of cyclone Fani to Agartala Airport and all flights are on schedule. (News18)

The extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani lay centered at 9:30 am near Lat. 19.80N and Long. 85.70E over Odisha coast close to Puri. The latest obversation indicates that the eye of the system has completely moved into land by 10:00 am, said IMD.

Winds in Puri, Odisha are blowing at a maximum speed of 240-245 km per hour and heavy to very heavy rains are continuing over the Odisha coast. After landfall, the impact is likely to reduce and it is likely to move towards West Bengal coast.

The Supreme Court Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the West Bengal government for ‘virtually banning’ the public screening of the film, Bhobishyoter Bhoot, a socio-political satire directed by Anik Dutt.

According to reports, Bhobishyoter Bhoot was pulled off from Kolkata theatres the day after it was released on February 15. The movie had been taken out from the theatres allegedly for taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, hearing the plea of the film producer, said the fine amount of Rs 20 lakh shall be given to producers and cinema hall owners as compensation for violation of their right to freedom of speech and expression.

The producer of Bhobishyoter Bhoot had alleged that the movie was taken down from a majority of theatres at the behest of the state authorities.

On March 15, the apex court had directed the Mamata Banerjee government to ensure that not any kind of restraint was imposed on the screening of the movie. The director of the movie had then alleged that single-screen theatre owners and multiplexes were forced to stop the screening in more than 40 screens across the state.

A communication was received by one of the producers of the movie from the Special Branch of West Bengal Police that the contents of the film may hurt public sentiments, which may lead to political law and order issues.

The banning of the movie was followed by a protest where several film artists and activists had on February 18 registered a sit-in protest against the withdrawal of director Anik Dutta’s film “Bhobishyoter Bhoot” (Ghost of the Future) from almost all multiplexes and single screen theatres in West Bengal.

Veteran artist Soumitra Chatterjee has written a letter, calling the taking off of the film ‘vindictive’ and ‘undemocratic’, and a “fascist policy”. Expressing shock, Chatterjee in his letter has said it was a ‘vindictive act’ of the administration.

The movie Bhobishyoter Bhoot has been facing severe controversy since the inception of the idea. The director of the movie Anik Dutta and co-producer Indira Unninayar had claimed of receiving threats recently.

Anik Dutta in the past had criticised the ‘excessive’ use of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s posters in and around the film fest venues and had argued that the film personalities should get more limelight during such events.

Mamata Banerjee usually can’t handle criticisms too well. There have been several incidences where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has tried to stifle dissenting voices.

Recently, an author of a novel critical of WB CM Mamata Banerjee had alleged harassment during her book launch at Kolkata. Prior to that, a man hailing from Tripura’s Dhalai district was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a social media post. She had even banned a book by 1981 batch IPS officer Nazrul Islam which was critical of Mamata government not delivering what was promised. Mamata’ list of intolerance is self-perpetuating.

https://www.opindia.com/

HAVING SWIFTLY cobbled together key alliances with regional parties and seat-sharing arrangements with smaller groups, the ruling BJP appears more confident than before in the final run-up to the 2019 general elections that were announced on Sunday.

Despite bickering and discontent among allies in the NDA, the ruling party has exhibited more alacrity than the Opposition’s grand alliance, even swallowing its pride to finalise tie-ups with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. As late as Friday, the party locked an alliance with the All Jharkhand Student’s Union (AJSU) in Jharkhand.

On Friday, at its Parliamentary board meeting, the party’s top leadership was “very particular that winnability should be the only criteria”, said sources. “The party is likely to sacrifice many of its policies, like denying seats for those over 75 and its aversion to dynasty politics, to ensure winnable candidates,” said a leader.



After riding to power on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with 282 of the 543 seats in 2014, leaders said the BJP’s prospects are bright this time while admitting that the anti-incumbency factor at a local level could pose challenges. More so, after the defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh infused fresh confidence in the Congress-led Opposition.

BJP leaders, including MPs from UP and MP, claimed that their chances have become stronger after national security became a significant part of the political discourse following the Pulwama terror attack and the airstrike in Pakistan’s Balakot.

At the same time, sources said, the party has realised that it has saturated its electoral gains in the Hindi heartland states in 2014, and will work hard in the southern coastal states and the Northeast.

That, however, may not be an easy task, with the uproar over the Citizenship Amendment bill (CAB) resulting in allies AGP in Assam and UDP in Meghalaya pulling out, and the souring of ties with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which helped the BJP win the Darjeeling seat. The silver lining, though, is the new alliance with Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, the Opposition party in the state.



Besides, TMC-ruled West Bengal continues to pose a tough challenge.

In the south, where the party failed to make an impact in the last five years, it is banking on strong alliances.

The AIADMK remains apprehensive about anti-incumbency, but the BJP has forged an alliance with the Ramadoss-led PMK and Vijayakanth’s DMDK. The PMK has strong pockets in northern Tamil Nadu among the Vanniyar community, and the DMDK has a strong cadre base in districts like Thiruvallur, Salem and Tirupur.

According to sources, the party is also confident that the TRS in Telangana and YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh would remain “friendly” if the NDA requires more numbers. The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has not been ruled out as a possible supporter, either, another leader said.

As for its key poll plank, the BJP has asked its leaders to bring national security to the centrestage of the campaign discourse. The party hopes that the Balakot airstrike and the quick return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman will play in its favour. The party’s media faces have also been asked to focus on “economic development and effective delivery mechanism”, sources said.

On Sunday, immediately after the poll dates were declared, BJP president Amit Shah urged the voters to “bless” the BJP. Among a series of his tweets on welfare programmes and economic reforms was this: “Our nation is no longer helpless in the wake of terror attacks. Any force attempting to disturb peace and harmony is being given a befitting response. This is New India.”

And yet, the key to the BJP’s fortunes could lie in some of its alliances in key states.

Despite vehement criticism from the Shiv Sena, the BJP agreed to give 23 seats to its partner since 1995. That tie-up also helped the party dilute the criticism that its new leadership did not know how to deal with coalitions following the exit of TDP, PDP and RLSP.

In UP, facing a formidable coalition of SP and BSP, the BJP mollified disgruntled allies Apna Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.
In Bihar, it has already sealed a seat-sharing deal JD(U) and LJP — each will contest 17 seats, with the remaining six going to Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP.

 

https://www.financialexpress.com

Availability of forces was the most crucial reason in deciding the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, Chief Electoral Officer Ariz Aftab said on Sunday.

Besides, there were "other issues", Aftab said without elaborating it.

The country will go to polls for the Lok Sabha election in seven phases between April 11 and May 19, and West Bengal will have its share of polls in each of those seven days.

Counting of votes will be held on May 23. The opposition parties of the state claimed that the seven-phase polls reflects the "deteriorating" law and order situation under the Trinamool Congress rule, while the ruling party alleged that Centre has "misled" the Election Commission about the situation in the state.

Polls will be held for two seats on April 11, three on April 18, five on April 23, eight on April 29 seven on May 6, eight on May 12, and nine on May 19.

Aftab said while polling will be held in Coochbehar and Alipurduar in the first phase, he said Darjeeling and Raiganj will be in the second.

The third phase polls will witness voting in Balurghat, Malda North, Malda South, Jangipur and Murshidabad.

There will be a higher number of constituencies in the next four phase polls.

For the fourth phase, polling will be held in Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

The fifth phase will witness voting in Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Srirampore, Hooghly, Arambag.

For the sixth phase, it will be held in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Bishnupur.

The seventh and last phase polls on May 19 will be held in Kolkata and two neighbouring districts. The seats are Dumdum, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour.

The CEO said with the announcement of dates, model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect.

He said an estimated 6.97 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in 78,799 polling stations across the state.

There will be Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in all the polling stations, the CEO said.

To a question the CEO said the process to identify vulnerable polling stations was still on.

"We will shortly sit with all the political parties to ensure smooth and fair polls," he said.

https://www.indiatoday.in

The reconstruction of the historical Gorkha palace, damaged in the 2015 earthquake, continues to be delayed. Some 15 months since the reconstruction work began, only the foundation work has been completed.

The Department of Archaeology had signed a contract with the Pachali-Shiva JV constructions in November 2017.

However, the reconstruction work continues to be delayed since the start citing reasons like lack of laborers and transportation, says Acting Head of the Gorkha Palace Caretaker Office, Rameswar Kattel. “Recently, the contractor company has come up with an excuse that there is lack of timber,” Kattel said.

The Department of Archaeology had signed the contract with the company to complete the re-construction by mid-January 2020. The contract was awarded for a sum of Rs. 43.7 million.

The palace is believed to have been originally constructed during the reign of then King Ram Shah in 1666 B.S.

Birthplace of King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the palace is regarded as a very important historical heritage of the country and draws a large number of visitors every year.

http://setopati.net

Kathmandu: A mild 4.0 magnitude tremor was felt in Kathmandu on Saturday evening, in an aftershock of the Gorkha earthquake that devastated the country in April in 2015.

The quake with its epicentre located in the southern part of Kathmandu was recorded at 8.34 pm, according to National Seismological Centre.

The tremor was an aftershock of the Gorkha earthquake that shook Nepal on Nepal April 25, 2015, it said.  

https://www.news18.com

After a long wait, Gorkha community can now finally hope to have their own Gorkha Welfare Centre at Saket in the national Capital where they can avail multifarious facilities like gym, accommodation and library.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee on Wednesday inaugurated and laid foundation stone of the proposed Centre with a click of a button from the lawns of West Bengal State Guest House (Bangla Bhavan) at Chanakya Puri here.

The proposed Gorkha Welfare Centre is to be constructed at an estimated cost Rs. 20 crore and will have around 40 rooms and suites along with multifarious facilities like conference room, library, gym, recreational room and medical facilities etc. It aims to cater to the needs of Gorkha students, officials and general populace visiting Delhi for various purposes, said a statement here. 

Among those present on the occasion at Chankaya Puri venue was Chairman of GTA Binoy Tamang while at Saket, the programme was officiated by Indranil Sen, MoS, Information and Cultural Affairs and Tourism, WB and Anit Thapa, Vice Chairman, GTA.

www.dailypioneer.com/

New Delhi, PTI: Union minister S S Ahluwalia was on Wednesday admitted to the AIIMS after he complained of breathing problems, officials said.

His condition is stable and a team of doctor is monitoring his condition, sources at the premier hospital said.

"Upon returning to Delhi after attending prime minister's rally at Jalpaiguri on February 8, the minister has been admitted to a hospital with high fever and flu-like symptoms. Today, after his condition worsened, he was shifted to the AIIMS for specialised treatment," an aide of the minister said.

The Minister of State for Electronics and IT complained of breathing problems and restlessness, sources said.

A team of doctors are monitoring his condition, they said.

AS TENSION between the Centre and West Bengal government escalated and both the BJP and Trinamool Congress continued their war of words, the Congress is finding itself in a spot of bother. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had extended support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but the party’s Bengal unit, which is opposed to her, now wants the high command to go slow and take note of their concerns.

As Banerjee and her party celebrated the Supreme Court order claiming moral victory, senior Bengal Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury went to the extent of demanding imposition of President’s rule in Bengal, arguing there is no rule of law and democracy left in the state. He said the apex court ruling was no moral victory for Banerjee. He said the Supreme Court has given permission to the CBI to question Kolkata police commissioner. “I don’t know what victory is it.”

“There is nothing left in Bengal. Free and fair elections are not allowed to take place, the chief minister herself sits on a dharna if somebody comes to the residence of a police commissioner, the office of the CBI is locked down. There is a constitutional crisis in Bengal,” he told The Indian Express. Interestingly, the BJP too had made a similar demand.

He said Banerjee has been thoroughly exposed now.

“When Bengal was looted and duped by those chit fund companies, at that time the morality of Mamata Banerjee did not provoke her to do something for the people. Hundreds of those victims committed suicide. That time Banerjee’s morality was not aroused. Now for extending protection to a police commissioner, who is recognised as a stooge of Mamata Banerjee, her morality, her passion has aroused. This is the kind of morality that she possesses,” he said.

Interestingly, Chowdhury said it was the Congress which had first moved the Supreme Court with a demand for a CBI investigation into the chit fund scam.

Asked about Gandhi’s support, he said the Congress being a national party has its national views.

“Across the nation, it has been amply proved that the CBI, ED are being misused. The institution of CBI, RBI, ED are being undermined. It is a long list of accusations against the NDA government. You cannot segregate West Bengal from other institutions or other issues. The Congress has been viewing this issue on a national prespective. But so far as Bengal is concerned, we are concerned about the problems of the local people. Our concern is for the lakhs of people who have been cheated. Many of them have committed suicide. Our concern is that they should be given relief,” he said.

He said the investigation into the chit fund scam had been making very slow progress till recently and argued a Supreme Court monitored probe cannot be termed as vindictive attitude.

“The investigation was a Supreme Court monitored investigation. If anybody says that Supreme Court has been intervening into the autonomy of the state, it will not be correct. But the procedure adopted by the CBI may be wrong. That is a different kettle of fish. That does not mean that the entire investigation can be called vindictive attitude etc because it was a Supreme Court monitored investigation. Rather we had been alleging for the last couple of years that the investigation is going on in a staggered pace,” he said.

 

https://indianexpress.com

After four extra hours of travel, several hiccups and a strong dose of suspense, Yogi Adityanath today addressed a crowd of thousands in Bengal's Purulia town. Uncertainty hung over the rally till the last minute, with the local administration officials claiming holes in the BJP's paperwork. But with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister -- seen as the biggest mascot of the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- on way, the BJP was not ready to back down.

To pre-empt a debacle like Sunday -- when his chopper was not allowed to land for two rallies at Balurghat and Raiganj in north Bengal and he had to address the people on cellphone -- Yogi Adityanath took to the road on the last lap of his journey from Lucknow to Purulia. Landing at Bokaro in Jharkhand, he drove the 50-odd km to the venue.

To his audience, Yogi Adityanath said he was not given permission to land in Purulia and it was time the "undemocratic government" was sent on its way out.

The BJP - which is targeting at least 23 of Bengal's 42 Lok Sabha seats -- has complained to the Election Commission saying the Mamata Banerjee government was creating hurdles for party campaigns in the state.

Last month, there was a controversy that went down to the wire over the permission for BJP chief Amit Shah's chopper to land in Malda. 

Earlier, the BJP's plan to hold three rath yatras across the state in December got scuttled, with the state's refusal of permission being upheld by the Supreme Court.

Mamata Banerjee -- who was on a 40 hour sit-in protest in Kolkata that drew together the opposition - had sounded irate about the visit of her Uttar Pradesh counterpart. "Ask Yogi to take care of Uttar Pradesh first. So many people have been killed, even the police were murdered... so many people were lynched," she said.

But Yogi Adityanath had also struck deep, citing the government order to delay Durga Puja immersion because of Eid. The issue had turned controversial with the BJP claiming this was yet another instance of Mamata Banerjee's minority appeasement.

"The Bengalis are stopped from praying to goddess Durga... There are no restrictions on festivals in Uttar Pradesh... Vivekananda had told Hindus to proudly say that they're Hindus. Bengal gave Jana Gana Mana to the nation, it gave Vande Matram to the nation... Syamaprasad Mookerjee was a Bengali," he told his audience in Purulia.

For two consecutive years, the government had stopped the immersion of giant idols of the goddess for a day because the idols are brought in huge processions to the Hooghly river. The administration did not want those to clash with 'tazia' processions of Moharram. 

https://www.ndtv.com

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ended a nearly 48-hour street protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, saying she would mount a national campaign to oust his ruling Hindu nationalists. 

Banerjee is rallying regional parties and the main opposition Congress to forge an alliance to beat Modi in elections expected in the next couple of months.

On Sunday night, she started a sit-in in central Kolkata, after the police stepped up an investigation into Ponzi schemes in the state that defrauded thousands of small investors, a probe Banerjee says was ordered by Modi to undermine her administration.

Modi’s government has denied any wrongdoing and said West Bengal authorities had obstructed investigators and even briefly detained them. 

On Tuesday hundreds of supporters cheered as Banerjee announced the end of the protest.

“This dharna (protest) is a victory for the people, victory for the country, victory for the democracy, victory for the constitution. So let us finish it today,” said Banerjee, who leads the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) regional party.

Some opposition leaders including the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, N. Chandrababu Naidu, visited her to express support while others said they backed her campaign against Modi.

Elections are due by May and polls suggest Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is in a tight race against the Congress and regional parties. 

West Bengal, which sends the third largest number of legislators to the Lok Sabha, has become a battleground state as the BJP looks to make in-roads in the east to make up for any losses in its northern heartland.

The Supreme Court earlier on Tuesday asked the state police to co-operate in the federal investigation into the fraud schemes.

“TMC is afraid of the growing influence of the BJP in West Bengal and thus is trying to create a hype through this protest,” said Dilip Ghosh, state chief of the BJP.

https://in.reuters.com

In a decision to defuse the tension between the Mamata Banerjee government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Supreme Court on Tuesday walked the middle path by ordering Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to make himself "available" for questioning by the agency, which has in turn been barred from taking any coercive steps against the senior police officer, including his arrest.

"We direct the Rajeev Kumar to appear and make himself available to the CBI and faithfully co-operate with the CBI at all times... No coercive steps, including arrest, should be taken against the Kolkata Police Commissioner," Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ordered as the head of a three-judge Bench.

To avoid trouble or mud-slinging, the court went to the extra length of scheduling the meeting between Mr. Kumar and the CBI at "neutral" Shillong and not anywhere in West Bengal, least of all in politically-charged Kolkata, where Ms. Banerjee is still holding a dharna claiming the attempt to arrest of Mr. Kumar on January 3 night as an instance of high-handedness by the Narendra Modi government.

The court, however, issued notice on a contempt petition filed by the CBI against the West Bengal Chief Secretary, DGP and Mr. Kumar. The court asked them to file their reply on or before February 18. If found necessary, the trio will have to be personally present in the Supreme Court on February 20, the next date of hearing.

The case was taken up on priority basis by the court on Tuesday. Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, informed the court that Mr. Kumar was the "functional head" of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the West Bengal government which investigated the chit fund cases, including the multi-crore Saradha and Rose Valley scams, before they were transferred by the Supreme Court to the CBI on May 9, 2014.

Mr. Venugopal said the chit fund scams were connected to powerful persons in the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

"We found that some of the documents handed over to the CBI by Mr. Kumar was doctored. They were not all there. We summoned him, but he did not come. We wrote the DGP, there was no response. The cell phone of Mr. Sudipto Sen [main accused in Saradha scam] was returned to him by the SIT. Call records were not complete. Discrepancies were seen in the number of calls. Information on who called and to whom are missing... The call records were doctored," Mr. Venugopal submitted.

Reacting to this, Chief Justice Gogoi observed orally that "there should be no difficulty for the Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to co-operate".

"Yes, that is all we want," Mr. Venugopal said.

Mr. Venugopal said the CBI has also filed a contempt petition. The charges made in it are "far more serious". Pushing for the court to take immediate cognisance, Mr. Venugopal described how the CBI officers were "pushed around, bundled into a bus and illegally confined in a police station for hours. The Joint Director's house was laid siege".

"On whose orders were the police acting on? Who is behind all this?" the Attorney-General asked.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta added that CBI officers have been harassed by the local police ever since they took over the probe. He said Calcutta High Court had not given Mr. Kumar any protection.

Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi countered that an attempt was under way to humiliate Mr. Kumar. The "secret operation" happened on the last day in office of interim CBI Director M. Nageshwar Rao.

"What is the problem in co-operation with the CBI? Besides, none of you parties have any effect on us. We will direct the Police Commissioner to make himself available... We will issue contempt notice," said Chief Justice Gogoi.

https://www.thehindu.com

Kathmandu: India on Saturday donated 30 ambulances and six buses to Nepal and extended its support to the country in achieving prosperity.

India's gesture came as it marked 70th Republic Day. India's ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri handed over keys of the ambulances and buses to the recipient organisations amidst celebrations in Indian embassy premises, Kathmandu on Saturday.

Since 1994, the Government of India has gifted 722 ambulances and 142 buses to various organisations across Nepal to expand access to healthcare and educational services in Nepal.

Ambassador Puri also distributed cash to the kins of war veterans from the Gorkha regiment and gifted books to 53 schools and libraries across the country.

Puri unfurled the Indian national flag and read out the message delivered by the president of Indian to the nation on the occasion of the Republic Day.

"Government of India will extend support to government of Nepal in attaining its goal of 'Samriddha Nepal ra Sukhi Nepali' or 'Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepali'," assured ambassador Puri.

The function was attended by more than 2,000 people, including Indian embassy staff, Indian citizens residing in Nepal, Indian business community in Kathmandu, media persons and students.

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New Delhi: The 70th Republic Day parade will be a dazzling display of 'Nari Shakti', led by the Assam Rifles contingent, besides a lone woman officer exhibiting bike stunts on Rajpath as part of the iconic daredevil team.

Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, Maj Gen Rajpal Punia, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area, also said that four Indian National Army (INA) veterans, aged over 90 years, will also take part in the parade for the first time.

The artillery gun system M777 American Ultra Light Howitzers, recently acquired from the US and K9 Vajra, a self-propelled artillery gun will be new additions this year, he said.

Vajra is a symbol of the prime minister's Make in India initiative, Punia added.

"This Republic Day parade will also be an amazing display of 'Nari Shakti' (women power), as many contingents will be led by women, besides an all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles," he said.

Contingents of the Navy, India Army Service Corps and a unit of Corps of Signals (transportable satellite terminal) will all be led by women officers.

Asked if this Republic Day will see the largest participation ever of women in the parade, Punia, said, "Seeing the level of their involvement in this year's parade, with all-women Assam Rifles contingent, and other contingent leaders, it is the largest participation of women in the parade."

The all-women Assam Rifles contingent will create a history this year by participating for the first time in a Republic Day parade.

Maj Khushboo Kanwar, 30, and mother of a child, who will lead a contingent of the Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in the country, was brimming with pride.

"Leading an all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles is a matter of great honour and pride for me. We have practiced very hard...I am a daughter of a bus conductor from Rajasthan and if I can accomplish this, then any girl can fulfil her dream," she said on the sidelines of the media interaction.

A full-dress rehearsal of the Republic Day parade was held here on Wednesday.

Punia, also the Deputy Parade Commander in this year's parade, said, INA veterans will take part in a Republic Day parade for the first time.

"Also, in a first, four INA veterans, aged between 90-100 years will take part in the parade. INA soldiers had links with the British Indian Army, so they also have links with our legacy," he said, adding, that they tried to contact those veterans who were alive and there was no criteria for their selection.

Army sources said this is also the first time ever when the Gorkha Brigade is will participate as a contingent in the parade.

"The present Army chief is the president of this brigade. There are seven different Gorkha regiments which make up the Gorkha Brigade. The officer leading the brigade is Capt Abhaysheraz Sandhu, a third-generation soldier in the armed forces," a source said.

A host of the country's air defence capabilities will be showcased during the Republic Day celebrations here, including a 'vic' formation of An-32 aircraft, whose lead plane will be flying using a mix of traditional and bio-fuel for the first time during the parade.

Punia said besides 'Nari Shakti' and various thematic tableaux of the three services and different states and ministries, the theme of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary will also be reflected in the parade.

Capt Shikha Surabhi from the Corps of Signals will perform bike stunts alongside her male teammates as part of daredevils, a major attraction every Republic Day.

"I am the first woman to be part of daredevils segment of the parade. It took a lot of practice to perfect the stunts. But I am proud of this accomplishment. Women can do anything," said the 28-year-old officer who hails from Jharkhand's Hazaribagh.

"I will perform a standing salute on a bike," she said. Lt Ambika Sudhakaran, who will lead a marching naval contingent of 144 young sailors said, "Men and women are marching shoulder-to-shoulder to serve the nation."

Lt Bhavana Kasturi will lead a contingent of the India Army Service Corps' and Capt Bhavna Syal, a third-generation officer in the armed forces, will front the transportable satellite terminal's contingent.

For the first time, Shankhnaad, a military tune composed by an Indian classical music exponent based on a poem penned by a Mahar Regiment veteran, will also be played during the parade.

The combination of military bands of the Sikh Light Infantry, Mahar Regiment and the Ladakh Scouts will play the tune, officials said. 

 

https://www.news18.com/

Kolkata: Whatever its eventual outcome, political history was made at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's giant rally in Kolkata on Saturday where she brought together more than 25 top leaders from 23 parties from across the country with one common objective -- unite to oust the BJP.

Some concrete ideas emerged from four hours of deliberations in front of a huge audience-- a committee to draw up a common manifesto; a campaign against the electronic voting machine, which was labelled a "chor machine"; and a one-is-to-one fight that involved pitting just one opposition candidate against the BJP in each seat.

"Modi Babu's expiry date is over," thundered Mamata Banerjee, speaking right at the end. "You know every medicine has an expiry date. The expiry date of the BJP is over."

Ms Banerjee guests did not disappoint. From Hardik Patel, the first speaker, to Tejashwi Yadav, the penultimate one, the attack against the ruling party was ferocious.

"In the last 70 years, Pakistan's dream was to somehow break up this country, divide the country. What Pakistan failed to do in 70 years, Modi and Amit Shah did in five," said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "If they win the elections in 2019, India will change. They will change the constitution, they will stop elections. I shudder to think. But having come to this rally, I am sure their good days are over."

Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader, was also scathing in his criticism of the government. "The BJP has 40 allies. As the polls approach, you are making allies of the CBI and Enforcement Department also. But we are making an alliance with the people, and in a democracy, the people have the last word," he said.

Mr Yadav also did some political arithmetic. "In Tamil Nadu, they will get zero. It will happen in Bengal too, and after the BSP-SP tie-up on January 12, the BJP is wondering how they will even get a single seat," he said.

Some of the most biting attacks against the BJP came from of its own. Former Union Minister Arun Shourie slammed the Modi administration, saying: "There is no debate that this government has to go. No government has lied so much, no government has destroyed institutions, no government has neglected the defence sector more. The corruption in Rafael is the biggest."

And then, for good measure, he added, "Demonetisation was a lunatic idea."

BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha raised the Rafale question. "I am not saying that anyone is guilty, I am not saying anyone is innocent, but if you keep suppressing the truth, then people are bound to say that chowkidar chor hai."

The Congress gave up trying to maintain some distance from Ms Banerjee's initiative. MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi praised her move and termed the BJP as a "vengeful" government. Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge read out a message from Sonia Gandhi, which said that 2019 was not going to be an ordinary election.

And then he delivered his own little punch. "To save the country, the constitution and secular traditions, we must fight together. It's not difficult. But I will say that while the destination is very far, the road is difficult and even if hearts can't meet, let hands meet," Mr Kharge said. He had arrived late for the event, after intense trouble-shooting in Bengaluru.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav was also delayed because he had to make a court appearance. "Modi will lose his sleep. BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao (Drive away the BJP, save the nation). I thank Mamata Banerjee for uniting us. Our chowkidar (watchman) must understand that he may be the chowkidar, but the people of this country are his thanedaar (senior officer). If he does wrong, the thanedaar will punish him," he said.

He was taking a dig at PM Modi, who had described himself as the chowkidar of the national treasury a few years ago.

And who will be Prime Minister? From Brigade Parade ground, only one name echoed: Mamata Banerjee

But Ms Banerjee, like the other leaders, said that the prime ministerial choice was a post-poll call. And she was so confident of a BJP debacle that she invited all the leaders present at the venue to Kolkata for a mega post-poll rally. "We are not makers of history, we are made by history... so said Martin Luther King Jr years ago. Today, the Brigade Parade Ground bore witness to a bit of both. A whole galaxy of opposition leaders has made history ahead of the 2019 elections," she said.

The BJP is watching, and it promises to be a bitter battle to the end.

https://www.ndtv.com/