Senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee, who is in custody in connection with the alleged illegal recruitment in government and aided schools in West Bengal, Thursday slammed opposition parties for questioning his credentials and claimed they had recommended to him candidates for employment in jobs by the School Service Commission (SSC). Chatterjee also asserted that he had declined their request. The opposition BJP and CPI(M) dubbed his claim as baseless and politically motivated. Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged involvement in the SSC scam in July last year. He is now in CBI custody in the same case. Those who are lecturing me today should first check their own credentials," he lashed out at the BJP and CPI(M). "Sujan Chakraborty(CPI-M), Suvendu Adhikari and Dilip Ghosh (both BJP) came to me and recommended a few names. But I declined. I told them I could not keep such unethical requests," the former minister claimed while talking to report
Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya Thursday submitted an affidavit to Calcutta High Court praying for initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on the dismissal of thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run and aided schools on petitions before it. Bhattacharya, a Rajya Sabha MP, submitted the affidavit before the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj, which said it would look into it. On a suggestion by the court that Bhattacharya can himself file a contempt petition if he wishes to, he told the division bench that a criminal contempt petition requires the consent of the advocate general of the state. He prayed that the chief justice may take suo motu cognisance of the comments of Banerjee and send it to a larger bench for deciding on it. Bhattacharya had moved the HC on Wednesday with an oral prayer seeking suo motu contempt against the chief minister f
The ruling CPI (M) in Kerala on Tuesday continued to target the Jamaat-e-Islami over its recent discussion with the RSS and urged the Muslim outfit to explain to the public benefits of the parleys. Party state secretary M V Govindan charged that the organisation was accusing the Left party of 'spreading Islamophobia' to deliberately cover up their stand towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was speaking to reporters in the district in between the party's state-wide month-long People's Defence Rally, which began here on Monday. Stepping up his attack, Govindan said, "The Jamaat-e-Islami should explain to the people clearly what they are going to achieve by holding discussions with the RSS. The fact is that by using the term Islamophobia, a deliberate attempt is being made to cover up the stand of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the RSS." They were trying to blame the CPI (M) for that, he claimed and demanded that the outfit explain the benefit of holding talks with the Sangh Parivar.
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Binoy Viswam o moved a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 demanding a discussion on the Adani group of companies crisis
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Sunday denied the allegations raised by opposition parties, including the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, that non-BJP states were discriminated against in fund allocation, and said critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were "weaving a dismal picture". He said even though the country has "achieved remarkable progress" in all vital sectors, the Congress and Communists were making "concerted efforts to project India as a loser". Speaking at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023), Javadekar accused the critics of Prime Minister Modi of spreading a false narrative on India's democracy and federalism. "Those who are peddling in falsehood should remember that lies have no life. You can tell lies, once, twice or thrice. But a lie has no life," Javadekar said. He said India is a vibrant democracy and all the fundamentals of the system are strong and safe. "We believe in the prosperity of all. We love and respect each other. Citizens are n
The opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura on Friday unveiled its manifesto for the assembly polls, promising 2.5 lakh new jobs, pension to poor senior citizens, and reintroduction of the old pension scheme and two DA hikes for government employees every year if it is voted to power. In the 15-page manifesto, it also promised the reinstatement of 10,323 retrenched teachers, regularisation of services of contractual employees and more autonomy to the tribal council. Addressing a press conference, Left Front convener Narayan Kar alleged that democracy was throttled in Tripura after the BJP came to power in 2018. "Voting rights of people have been snatched away under the BJP-IPFT regime, while people's liberty to raise their voice has been lost. The Left Front will restore the democratic values once it wins the elections," he said. "We will create 2.5 lakh jobs during the next five years if the Left Front secures the blessing of the people," he said, adding that contractual ...
The CPI (M) on Sunday demanded a high-level enquiry into alleged irregularities levelled by a US-based investment research firm against the Adani Group, which however has denied the charges. The Left party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury asserted that the enquiry should be monitored by the Supreme Court. "The CPI(M) today demands that the Centre constitute a high-level enquiry team, involving all concerned ministries. The probe should be monitored by the Supreme Court on a day-to-day basis till the enquiry is completed. The interest of the country has to be protected," Yechury told reporters here. The US-based firm Hindenburg Research, earlier this week, released a report and alleged that the Adani Group had "engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades". The disclosure sparked a USD 51-billion sell-off in shares of the group companies over two trading sessions. The Adani group has, however, rubbished the charges and termed the
The Trinamool Congress will not join the CPI(M)-Congress alliance in the ensuing Tripura Assembly election, a senior party leader said on Sunday. Tripura Trinamool Congress president Pijush Kanti Biswas said TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister will arrive in Tripura on February 6 to campaign for party candidates. "The TMC is not going to forge any electoral understanding with the CPI(M)-Congress combine in the ensuing Tripura Assembly elections because many Congress leaders and workers who had suffered during Communist regime will not vote for their own party", said Biwas. "Our assessment is that the CPI(M)-Congress initiative will face the similar fate what had happened in West Bengal Assembly election in 2021, that's why we will keep our distance from it", he said. Biswas said "Trinamool Congress will contest the election in the seats where the party has a chance to win and TMC's doors are open for other parties for electoral understanding." He said Trinamool Congress sup
Those who will join the rally will not carry flags of any political party, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Sunday said the secular forces need to work together to bring "better times for the country". He also claimed that whenever the Congress took the Left's advice seriously it benefited the party and India. At a discussion titled 'Remembering Pranab' organised by the Pranab Mukherjee Legacy Foundation at India International Centre here, Yechury recalled Pranab Mukherjee's role in binding the Congress and Left parties together during the first UPA government. Mukherjee knew the art of managing contradictions and uniting opposites, the CPI(M) general secretary said. "Today, when you see Parliament and democracy, you wish all the more that had he been with us to advise and guide us. For better times in the country, the secular forces have to work together. Working together is what I have learnt from Pranab (Mukherjee)," he said. He further said Pranab Mukherjee's life and work have an indelible impression in the making of modern India.
Since the BJP/RSS combine and the CPI-M are two sides of the same coin, there will be no probe against the CPI-M leaders by national agencies, a top Congress leader in Kerala said
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at both her opponents in the state BJP and the CPI(M) led Left Front - claiming the ideological opposites, 'Ram-Baam' (BJP-Left), had allied covertly. Launching her party's new outreach programme titled Didir Suraksha Kavach (Didi's Protective Shield)', Banerjee said, Even if one weed attacks our paddy, the whole crop could be ruined, while cautioning her workers to root out corruption ahead of Panchayat polls to be held in the next few months. Around 3.5 lakh Trinamool Congress workers will reach out to the around 10 crore people of the state to check if they are benefitted from government projects, she said. Banerjee said a proper vigilance system at the party level will be put in place to weed out rotten elements. Her party functionaries have been facing a series of corruption charges and two prominent leaders have been arrested in the year gone by. "A proper vigilance system will be put in place to
The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has decided to bring MLA Saji Cheriyan back into the cabinet, a move which was criticised by the Congress which said on Saturday the Left party ought to have waited for the final outcome of the case against him before taking a decision. Cheriyan, in July, had resigned from the cabinet over his alleged remarks against the Constitution during a speech in Pathanamthitta district and the lodging of a criminal case against him in connection with that. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan on Saturday confirmed that the state secretariat of the party, a day ago, took the decision to bring Cheriyan back into the cabinet. "All that remains is for the Chief Minister and the Governor to decide on a date for the oath taking ceremony," Govindan told reporters. He also claimed that "all decisions" have come from the court in connection with the issue and nothing more remains to happen. On the other hand, senior Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan said that the Chie
The joint initiative' of the CPI(M) to bring all secular and democratic forces ahead of the Assembly elections in Tripura to defeat the BJP has reached its final stage, the Left party's state secretary Jitendra Choudhury claimed on Tuesday. However, Choudhury did not name the parties that will be associated with the CPI(M)'s move. Details of the joint initiative will be made known very shortly. It is aimed at defeating the BJP in the Assembly elections due in February, he told PTI. But, the senior leader said, the initiative should not be considered as political adjustment or alignment. For the CPI(M), win or defeat in elections doesn't matter much. We are working hard to restore democracy in the state where democratic values have been throttled in the past 58 months of BJP rule, Choudhury said. The BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) fought the Assembly elections together in 2018 and wrested power from the Left Front. The party's priority is to restore democr
The opposition CPI(M) in Tripura alleged that one of its activists was killed and 12 others, including former finance minister Bhanu Lal Saha, were injured in an attack by supporters of the ruling BJP in Sepahijala district on Wednesday. The BJP denied the allegation, claiming that the opposition party was trying to foment trouble in Charilam area and when its supporters attempted to resist it, a clash broke out. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bishalgarh BB Das said the police brought the situation under control immediately, and the exact number of casualties was yet to be ascertained. Saha, the former minister, said hundreds of CPI(M) supporters gathered at the party office in Charilam to give a deputation to the Block Development Officer (BDO) over various demands. "Our leaders were addressing a rally in front of the party office around 1.30 pm before marching to the BDO office. Suddenly, a group of BJP-backed miscreants hurled bombs at the rally. When our party workers start
Opposition parties have hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claims at the G20 Summit that India was making digital access public, alleging that the country shut Internet connectivity more often than any other. On Wednesday, Modi said India was making digital access public, but there was still a "huge digital divide" at the international level. Digital use can bring scale, speed and transparency into governance, he added. "Despite promoting a more digitally connected India, the @BJP4India Govt. shuts down internet more often than any country. The digital divide still persists, making remote learning an operational nightmare. And digital authoritarianism continues to thwart freedom of expression," the TMC said in a tweet from its official handle on Thursday. It further said the saffron party's abuse of technology would not be highlighted by the prime minister. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, in a tweet on Wednesday, highlighted how India was the leader in Internet ..
The office of the Governor was "being pitted against the governments" in non-BJP ruled states in matters involving universities in order to implement BJP-RSS agenda of converting India into a "fascistic Hindutva rashtra" by controlling education and consciousness of the youth, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Tuesday. Speaking at a protest organised at the Raj Bhavan here against recent actions of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is presently in the national capital, Yechury said the office of the Governor "has been reduced to advancing the political objective of the central government and the ruling BJP". "This a peculiar and unhealthy situation for Indian democracy," Yechury said at the protest outside the Raj Bhavan, where thousands had turned up, but was not attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or other ministers of his cabinet. The CPI(M) general secretary said "this kind of conflict situation was not only happening in Kerala", but in all other non-BJP ..
Vijayan and the Governor have been at loggerheads ever since he refused to ink Ordinances or Bills which are concerning the higher education sector.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that if the ordinance sent to Raj Bhavan by the CPI(M)-led government was intended to target him, then he will not sit in judgement over it and would refer the same to the President. Khan, while speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Saturday evening, said he was yet to see the ordinance or go through it and would take a decision only after that. "If I am the target, then I shall not be the judge in my own cause. I won't declare it now. I will see it and if I come to the conclusion that the purpose is to target me, then I shall not sit in judgement (over it). I shall refer (to the President)," he said. State Minister for Local Self-Governments and Excise M B Rajesh, meanwhile, said that the government expects the Governor to act in accordance with the Constitution. Rajesh, while speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, said that the state government exercised its powers under the Constitution when it came out with the ordinance and sent th
Asked about his stand on the replies of Vice Chancellors (of six universities) to the show-cause notice, Governor AM Khan said that he cannot reply unless he goes through their responses