For the third year running, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is an issue that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP find themselves wrangling over in West Bengal.In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021, the Centre announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23 will be observed as “Parakram Diwas (Day of Valour)”, leading the TMC and the Forward Bloc to accuse the Narendra Modi government of using Netaji as a political prop ahead of the Assembly elections.Last year, faced flak from the TMC after the state’s proposed Republic Day tableau was dropped. The proposed tableau was set to commemorate the contributions of Bose and his army on his 125th birth anniversary year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to Modi in which she urged that the government reconsider its decision. Later, in September, the PM unveiled a 28-ft Netaji statue at India Gate.This year will see Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat address a rally at Shahid Minar in Kolkata to pay tribute to Bose. This, BJP insiders feel, will help consolidate its position among the Bengali middle class that will prove to be a crucial electoral constituency in the Lok Sabha elections next year. The popularity of a pan-Bengal icon like Netaji is also something that the BJP hopes to benefit from ahead of the coming panchayat elections.Sources in the RSS said Bhagwat will be in West Bengal on a five-day tour beginning January 18 and the event on Netaji’s birth anniversary will also be attended by noted personalities from West Bengal and neighbouring states.But, non-BJP parties reacted to the news of Bhagwat’s visit with scepticism. TMC state vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar said, “In 2021, an event on the birth anniversary of Netaji was held at Victoria Memorial that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Everyone knew what had happened at that event. We have doubts about whether this event is being organised to pay respect to Netaji or get political dividends out of it ahead of the panchayat polls. It is also surprising to see Bhagwat attending this programme as RSS never showed respect to Netaji. They have always been an ardent follower of Veer Savarkar whom Netaji had refused to meet before Independence.”Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty targeted both the RSS and the TMC. “Mohan Bhagwat is free to come here and hold programmes. The RSS is growing in Bengal under the patronage of Mamata Banerjee. It is all well for the Sangh, but it is surprising to see them organising an event like this. The ideologies of Netaji and the RSS are poles apart. The RSS has always praised Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Netaji always was against Mukherjee. Then, how will Mohan Bhagwat talk about Netaji’s ideology? They are now glorifying Netaji to serve their political purposes.”Another senior CPI(M) leader said, “The BJP and the RSS are doing this not only for Bengal but also for our country as a whole. They want to propagate a ‘Hindu Netaji’ and posit his method of armed struggle in opposition to Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence. This is dangerous.”But dismissing the rivals’ concerns, a senior BJP leader said, “Netaji has made a place for himself as a model hero among Bengalis. Praising Netaji will benefit us as it will help us with Bengali Hindu voters. Because of Congress’s Gandhian attitude, Netaji’s place in Indian history was diluted. Narendra Modi and the BJP-RSS are trying to correct that. What is wrong with it?”BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “The Sangh is not at all a political outfit. It is above politics. The task of the Sangh is to build a strong and prosperous nation. They do this work through cultural nationalism. So, this is nothing related to politics.”
For the third year running, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is an issue that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP find themselves wrangling over in West Bengal.In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021, the Centre announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23 will be observed as “Parakram Diwas (Day of Valour)”, leading the TMC and the Forward Bloc to accuse the Narendra Modi government of using Netaji as a political prop ahead of the Assembly elections.Last year, faced flak from the TMC after the state’s proposed Republic Day tableau was dropped. The proposed tableau was set to commemorate the contributions of Bose and his army on his 125th birth anniversary year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to Modi in which she urged that the government reconsider its decision. Later, in September, the PM unveiled a 28-ft Netaji statue at India Gate.This year will see Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat address a rally at Shahid Minar in Kolkata to pay tribute to Bose. This, BJP insiders feel, will help consolidate its position among the Bengali middle class that will prove to be a crucial electoral constituency in the Lok Sabha elections next year. The popularity of a pan-Bengal icon like Netaji is also something that the BJP hopes to benefit from ahead of the coming panchayat elections.Sources in the RSS said Bhagwat will be in West Bengal on a five-day tour beginning January 18 and the event on Netaji’s birth anniversary will also be attended by noted personalities from West Bengal and neighbouring states.But, non-BJP parties reacted to the news of Bhagwat’s visit with scepticism. TMC state vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar said, “In 2021, an event on the birth anniversary of Netaji was held at Victoria Memorial that was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Everyone knew what had happened at that event. We have doubts about whether this event is being organised to pay respect to Netaji or get political dividends out of it ahead of the panchayat polls. It is also surprising to see Bhagwat attending this programme as RSS never showed respect to Netaji. They have always been an ardent follower of Veer Savarkar whom Netaji had refused to meet before Independence.”Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty targeted both the RSS and the TMC. “Mohan Bhagwat is free to come here and hold programmes. The RSS is growing in Bengal under the patronage of Mamata Banerjee. It is all well for the Sangh, but it is surprising to see them organising an event like this. The ideologies of Netaji and the RSS are poles apart. The RSS has always praised Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Netaji always was against Mukherjee. Then, how will Mohan Bhagwat talk about Netaji’s ideology? They are now glorifying Netaji to serve their political purposes.”Another senior CPI(M) leader said, “The BJP and the RSS are doing this not only for Bengal but also for our country as a whole. They want to propagate a ‘Hindu Netaji’ and posit his method of armed struggle in opposition to Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence. This is dangerous.”But dismissing the rivals’ concerns, a senior BJP leader said, “Netaji has made a place for himself as a model hero among Bengalis. Praising Netaji will benefit us as it will help us with Bengali Hindu voters. Because of Congress’s Gandhian attitude, Netaji’s place in Indian history was diluted. Narendra Modi and the BJP-RSS are trying to correct that. What is wrong with it?”BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “The Sangh is not at all a political outfit. It is above politics. The task of the Sangh is to build a strong and prosperous nation. They do this work through cultural nationalism. So, this is nothing related to politics.”
The Opposition has a new bone to pick with the Mamata Banerjee government. Effective immediately, West Bengal has announced a revised mid-day meal menu for schools run by its government, with chicken and seasonal fruits to be served weekly, from January to April.Served a googly, which it cannot bat away outright in a state with few non-veg apprehensions, the Opposition pointed out that the period of the scheme coincides with the run-up to the panchayat elections in the state.West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu told The Indian Express that “paucity of funds” had made them restrict the scheme’s duration to four months. “Under the caring leadership of our Chief Minister, we have constantly strived to provide maximum benefits to students, and this gesture is one more step in that direction. We have introduced chicken and seasonal fruits from our savings. We would have been very happy to continue the menu throughout the year, but that would need much more funds which, sadly, we lack,” said Basu.According to the January 3 notification issued by the School Education Department, Rs 372 crore extra will be allocated to provide for the extra chicken and fruits, which will be additional to the usual menu of rice, potatoes, pulses, vegetables, soybean and eggs. The extra money per child enrolled in the mid-day now known as PM POSHAN is expected to be Rs 20 a week, for 16 weeks. The notification put the number of beneficiaries at over 1.16 crore students in state-run and aided schools.While the state and Centre share the cost of PM POSHAN in a 60:40 ratio, the notification underlined that the additional Rs 372 crore will be paid entirely from the state’s share.The scheme comes into force immediately, with the additional items to be served in different blocks on different days of the week.The panchayat polls, which are expected to see a heated contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP, are to be held in the month of April-May. Last time, the rural elections had been marked by widespread violence.Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “Why did the state government all of a sudden feel the need to introduce chicken and fruits in the mid-day meal scheme? This means that the CM has understood that the situation is dicey and her party will not fare well in the rural polls… The government is now offering chicken to divert people’s attention from real issues. The TMC is trying to buy people’s votes in exchange for chicken and fruits.”Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty too slammed the state government. “It is good that the state government has increased the allotment for mid-day meals. It was a long-standing demand of the people. But has the government done this to improve the quality of the meals or just because elections are around the corner?” Chakraborty said, adding that they would have no objections if the government extended the scheme to December.State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said it was clear that the move was taken with an eye on the panchayat polls. “But we will not protest as we want the people of Bengal to have the best of things. However, please ensure that the move is corruption-free,” Chowdhury said.Questioning the Opposition’s objections, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said it should not read politics into every government move. “I would tell the CPI(M) that it should keep its mouth shut as its government destroyed the education system in the state… To the BJP, I would say that first criticise your own government’s decisions. We saw how petrol and diesel prices were (kept low) before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Before the Gujarat elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth crores.”Criticising the BJP’s “narrow-mindedness”, Sen added: “It indulges in this type of politics. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee works for the people throughout the year.”The introduction of chicken in Bengal is striking because measures to get eggs into mid-day meals in other states have faced resistance by some groups. Currently, eggs are served in mid-day meals in 13 states and three UTs as part of “additional food items”, with the states/UTs picking the tab. The frequency ranges from five days a week to once a month.In Madhya Pradesh, the previous Congress government’s decision to add eggs to the menu of anganwadis was overturned by the BJP after it came to power in 2020. In Karnataka, another BJP-ruled state, the proposal to add eggs has been fiercely resisted in the past by Lingayat and Jain seers.Meanwhile, Bengal Education Minister Basu had a counter-suggestion for the Centre: “We request it to provide us more funds so that we can continue with such best practices.”
THE Opposition has a new bone to pick with the Mamata Banerjee government. Effective immediately, West Bengal has announced a revised mid-day meal menu for schools run by its government, with chicken and seasonal fruits to be served weekly, from January to April.Served a googly, which it cannot bat away outright in a state with few non-veg apprehensions, the Opposition pointed out that the period of the scheme coincides with the run-up to the panchayat elections in the state.West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu told The Indian Express that “paucity of funds” had made them restrict the scheme’s duration to four months. “Under the caring leadership of our Chief Minister, we have constantly strived to provide maximum benefits to students, and this gesture is one more step in that direction. We have introduced chicken and seasonal fruits from our savings. We would have been very happy to continue the menu throughout the year, but that would need much more funds which, sadly, we lack,” said Basu.According to the January 3 notification issued by the School Education Department, Rs 372 crore extra will be allocated to provide for the extra chicken and fruits, which will be additional to the usual menu of rice, potatoes, pulses, vegetables, soybean and eggs. The extra money per child enrolled in the mid-day now known as PM POSHAN is expected to be Rs 20 a week, for 16 weeks. The notification put the number of beneficiaries at over 1.16 crore students in state-run and aided schools.While the state and Centre share the cost of PM POSHAN in a 60:40 ratio, the notification underlined that the additional Rs 372 crore will be paid entirely from the state’s share.The scheme comes into force immediately, with the additional items to be served in different blocks on different days of the week.The panchayat polls, which are expected to see a heated contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP, are to be held in the month of April-May. Last time, the rural elections had been marked by widespread violence.Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “Why did the state government all of a sudden feel the need to introduce chicken and fruits in the mid-day meal scheme? This means that the CM has understood that the situation is dicey and her party will not fare well in the rural polls… The government is now offering chicken to divert people’s attention from real issues. The TMC is trying to buy people’s votes in exchange for chicken and fruits.”Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty too slammed the state government. “It is good that the state government has increased the allotment for mid-day meals. It was a long-standing demand of the people. But has the government done this to improve the quality of the meals or just because elections are around the corner?” Chakraborty said, adding that they would have no objections if the government extended the scheme to December.State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said it was clear that the move was taken with an eye on the panchayat polls. “But we will not protest as we want the people of Bengal to have the best of things. However, please ensure that the move is corruption-free,” Chowdhury said.Questioning the Opposition’s objections, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said it should not read politics into every government move. “I would tell the CPI(M) that it should keep its mouth shut as its government destroyed the education system in the state… To the BJP, I would say that first criticise your own government’s decisions. We saw how petrol and diesel prices were (kept low) before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Before the Gujarat elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth crores.”Criticising the BJP’s “narrow-mindedness”, Sen added: “It indulges in this type of politics. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee works for the people throughout the year.”The introduction of chicken in Bengal is striking because measures to get eggs into mid-day meals in other states have faced resistance by some groups. Currently, eggs are served in mid-day meals in 13 states and three UTs as part of “additional food items”, with the states/UTs picking the tab. The frequency ranges from five days a week to once a month.In Madhya Pradesh, the previous Congress government’s decision to add eggs to the menu of anganwadis was overturned by the BJP after it came to power in 2020. In Karnataka, another BJP-ruled state, the proposal to add eggs has been fiercely resisted in the past by Lingayat and Jain seers.Meanwhile, Bengal Education Minister Basu had a counter-suggestion for the Centre: “We request it to provide us more funds so that we can continue with such best practices.”
Senior Trinamool Congess (TMC) leader Mukul Roy, 68, who has been keeping a low profile since his return to the Mamata Banerjee-led party from the BJP one-and-a-half years back, has returned to the spotlight now.BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, has claimed that close on the heels of the TMC’s victory in the 2021 state polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted Mukul Roy as the LoP and had even conveyed this wish to then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is currently the Vice-President. Roy was then with the BJP.Speaking to reporters at Uluberia in Howrah district last Monday, Adhikari said, “Let me give you an undisclosed information. Then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had informed me that Mamata Banerjee met him on May 3, 2021, two days before taking oath as CM (for the third consecutive time), and said that he must pass a message to Delhi that Mukul Roy should be the Leader of Opposition. Since the BJP central leadership did not accept the proposal, the CM got bitter towards us.”Once considered as No. 2 in the TMC and Mamata’s close confidant, Roy, following his switch to the BJP in 2017, went on to become the saffron party’s top leader in Bengal. He was also appointed as the BJP’s national vice-president.Roy was a key leader behind the BJP’s Bengal strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which saw the saffron party winning 18 of the state’s total 42 seats.In the 2021 Assembly polls, Roy contested from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly seat in Nadia district, apparently against his wishes as he preferred to work at the organisational level. He managed to win but the BJP lost the polls.In June 2021, one month after the TMC clinched the polls in a landslide, Roy returned to his erstwhile party. However, he did not resign as an MLA and still continues as a BJP legislator on paper.Following his return to the TMC fold, the Bengal Assembly Speaker, Biman Banerjee, named him as the head of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a post that is traditionally allotted to an Opposition nominee.As Roy did not resign as the BJP MLA, Suvendu Adhikari moved a disqualification petition against him before the Speaker under the anti-defection law. In February last year, the Speaker dismissed Adhikari’s plea, following which he challenged the former’s order in the Calcutta High Court.On April 11 last year, the high court set aside the Speaker’s order and restored the matter for his fresh consideration. The Speaker then again heard Adhikari’s petition seeking Roy’s disqualification, rejecting it on June 8. Later, Roy resigned from the PAC chairman’s post due to his health problem.Roy has hit the headlines now following Adhikari’s “disclosure” about Mamata’s “LoP wish” for him. Since his return to the TMC, Roy has been lying low, avoiding limelight and public activities. While the TMC leaders attribute it to his “ill health”, party sources said, “Roy has resumed his role as a party strategist, working behind the scenes.”Sources also said Roy held a meeting with Mamata at her residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat a few months ago, when the party was under intense pressure following the arrest of heavyweight TMC leaders and ministers in connection with various scams. With Panchayat polls just round the corner, Roy is likely to play a role in shaping the party’s strategy at the grassroots level, they added.The TMC rejected Adhikari’s “disclosure” as unfounded. “Adhikari’s December deadline (that the Mamata government will cease to exit by December 2022) has turned out to be a damp squib. He is thus trying to create a sensation in the media by making such baseless claims. He has lost his mind out of frustration and has become a loose canon,” charged TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.The BJP also declined to comment on the LoP’s claim. “It is his (Adhikari’s) personal comment. He is the best person to tell more about it,” said a senior party leader.
Senior Trinamool Congess (TMC) leader Mukul Roy, 68, who has been keeping a low profile since his return to the Mamata Banerjee-led party from the BJP one-and-a-half years back, has returned to the spotlight now.BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, has claimed that close on the heels of the TMC’s victory in the 2021 state polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted Mukul Roy as the LoP and had even conveyed this wish to then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is currently the Vice-President. Roy was then with the BJP.Speaking to reporters at Uluberia in Howrah district last Monday, Adhikari said, “Let me give you an undisclosed information. Then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had informed me that Mamata Banerjee met him on May 3, 2021, two days before taking oath as CM (for the third consecutive time), and said that he must pass a message to Delhi that Mukul Roy should be the Leader of Opposition. Since the BJP central leadership did not accept the proposal, the CM got bitter towards us.”Once considered as No. 2 in the TMC and Mamata’s close confidant, Roy, following his switch to the BJP in 2017, went on to become the saffron party’s top leader in Bengal. He was also appointed as the BJP’s national vice-president.Roy was a key leader behind the BJP’s Bengal strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which saw the saffron party winning 18 of the state’s total 42 seats.In the 2021 Assembly polls, Roy contested from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly seat in Nadia district, apparently against his wishes as he preferred to work at the organisational level. He managed to win but the BJP lost the polls.In June 2021, one month after the TMC clinched the polls in a landslide, Roy returned to his erstwhile party. However, he did not resign as an MLA and still continues as a BJP legislator on paper.Following his return to the TMC fold, the Bengal Assembly Speaker, Biman Banerjee, named him as the head of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a post that is traditionally allotted to an Opposition nominee.As Roy did not resign as the BJP MLA, Suvendu Adhikari moved a disqualification petition against him before the Speaker under the anti-defection law. In February last year, the Speaker dismissed Adhikari’s plea, following which he challenged the former’s order in the Calcutta High Court.On April 11 last year, the high court set aside the Speaker’s order and restored the matter for his fresh consideration. The Speaker then again heard Adhikari’s petition seeking Roy’s disqualification, rejecting it on June 8. Later, Roy resigned from the PAC chairman’s post due to his health problem.Roy has hit the headlines now following Adhikari’s “disclosure” about Mamata’s “LoP wish” for him. Since his return to the TMC, Roy has been lying low, avoiding limelight and public activities. While the TMC leaders attribute it to his “ill health”, party sources said, “Roy has resumed his role as a party strategist, working behind the scenes.”Sources also said Roy held a meeting with Mamata at her residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat a few months ago, when the party was under intense pressure following the arrest of heavyweight TMC leaders and ministers in connection with various scams. With Panchayat polls just round the corner, Roy is likely to play a role in shaping the party’s strategy at the grassroots level, they added.The TMC rejected Adhikari’s “disclosure” as unfounded. “Adhikari’s December deadline (that the Mamata government will cease to exit by December 2022) has turned out to be a damp squib. He is thus trying to create a sensation in the media by making such baseless claims. He has lost his mind out of frustration and has become a loose canon,” charged TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.The BJP also declined to comment on the LoP’s claim. “It is his (Adhikari’s) personal comment. He is the best person to tell more about it,” said a senior party leader.
Nothing has riled up Mamata Banerjee more in the past few years than the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan. Almost two years after the West Bengal chief minister refused to speak at a government event in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the slogan was raised, she faced the same situation during the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express at Howrah station on Friday.The incident last year occurred at Victoria Memorial at an event organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. As some people shouted “Jai Shri Ram”, an irate Banerjee refused to speak. In 2019, Banerjee confronted some suspected BJP supporters for raising “Jai Shri Ram” as her convoy passed by them. At the time, she wrote in a Facebook post, “Jai Sia Ram, Jai Ramji ki, Ram Naam Satya Hai etc have religious and social connotations. We respect these sentiments. But the BJP is using religious slogan ‘Jai Sri Ram’ as its party slogan in a misconceived manner by way of mixing religion with politics. We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others in the name of so-called RSS which Bengal has never accepted.”On Friday, as the CM reached Howrah station platform 22 to attend the event, some BJP supporters carrying party flags and stationed at platform 23 started the sloganeering. A visibly surprised Banerjee was seen complaining to Governor CV Ananda Bose as he arrived for the programme.Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other dignitaries at the event scrambled to do damage control. Vaishnaw and Union Minister of State for Education Subhash Sarkar tried to calm down BJP workers, repeatedly urging them over the loudspeaker not to raise the slogan. But the sloganeering continued and angered Banerjee even further. The CM initially refused to get up on the stage and sat on a chair beside the dais instead.When PM Modi appeared on a giant screen to flag off Vande Bharat, the CM regained her composure. Addressing the event, she offered condolences to Modi for his mother’s death. In her speech, she did not refer to the sloganeering. “Today is a sad day for you personally. It is a great loss of your personal life. May god give you strength and bless you so that you can love your mother … I convey my gratitude to you for being present here virtually as you could not come because of the sad demise of your mother. Please take rest and take care,” she told the PM.Speaking about the development projects inaugurated at the event, Banerjee said, “Today is my happiest way. My dream project, Joka to Taratala, is being flagged off. I am very happy that other projects are also being inaugurated which I started when I was the railway minister. You have also given one new train to the state. I am very happy … I also thank all the officers, ministers, MPs, MLAs and other officials for this. May god give you the strength to do your work.”Following Banerjee’s speech, PM Modi inaugurated the trains. Banerjee, Vaishnaw, and others also waved a green flag to mark the start of the Vande Bharat’s journey. Among the others present at the event were Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, and Union ministers Nisith Pramanik and John Barla.TMC hits out at BJPBut the sloganeering episode sparked a political firestorm, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the BJP of “misusing ‘Jai Shri Ram’” to insult Banerjee and criticising the Centre for failing to stop the sloganeering. The episode left the BJP somewhat divided, with BJP MP SS Ahluwalia saying the slogans should not have been raised and leaders such as his fellow parliamentarian Locket Chatterjee and Adhikari defending those who did.TMC MP Sougata Roy said, “The inauguration of Vande Bharat Express was a government programme. The Centre invited her to attend it. Now BJP MPs and workers raised the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan. This is a political slogan. If aimed at her, Mamata Banerjee feels insulted. Because of this reason, she did not go to the stage and stood beside the dais. I strongly condemn this attitude of the BJP workers. We cannot tolerate the insult of Mamata Banerjee after she is invited to a government programme.”TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh also criticised the Centre for allowing an incident like this to unfold at a government programme. “There is no problem with the chanting of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. But one must keep in mind the time and place of doing so. The BJP is misusing the name of Ram to disrespect Mamata Banerjee. This is not the first time it has happened.”Ashwini Vaishnaw thanked Banerjee for attending the event but added nothing had happened that warranted such a reaction from her. “We had respectfully invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend the programme and she responded to our invitation,” the Railways Minister told reporters. “There was no such issue which warranted a strong reaction from her. Workers out of excitement chant slogans. There is nothing wrong with that. But I want to thank Mamata Banerjee for gracing the event with her presence and increasing the dignity of the occasion.”SS Ahluwalia, the BJP MP from Purba Bardhaman-Durgapur, however, said that such slogans should not have been raised. “Different people think in different ways. This was a government event and in a national programme like this slogan of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ should have been raised.”But Locket Chatterjee, the parliamentarian from Hooghly, disagreed with Ahluwalia. “Our party workers started raising slogans after they saw the new train. When PM’s photograph was shown on a giant screen, the sloganeering intensified. It is natural for our workers to raise such a slogan because of the emotion and the passion attached to it. There is no political connection with this.”Targeting the CM, Suvendu Adhikari said, “It is clear from her behaviour that she is haunted by her defeat in Nandigram last year and that’s why she refused to share the dais with me. She had done the same thing in Kalaikunada last year during a cyclone review meeting. She indulged in a similar drama today. She cannot digest her defeat to me (from Nandigram during the Assembly elections). But I promise that she will have to endure this pain for a long time as I will ensure that she becomes a former chief minister of the state.”
Nothing has riled up Mamata Banerjee more in the past few years than the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan. Almost two years after the West Bengal chief minister refused to speak at a government event in Kolkata attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the slogan was raised, she faced the same situation during the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express at Howrah station on Friday.The incident last year occurred at Victoria Memorial at an event organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. As some people shouted “Jai Shri Ram”, an irate Banerjee refused to speak. In 2019, Banerjee confronted some suspected BJP supporters for raising “Jai Shri Ram” as her convoy passed by them. At the time, she wrote in a Facebook post, “Jai Sia Ram, Jai Ramji ki, Ram Naam Satya Hai etc have religious and social connotations. We respect these sentiments. But the BJP is using religious slogan ‘Jai Sri Ram’ as its party slogan in a misconceived manner by way of mixing religion with politics. We do not respect this forcible enforcement of political slogans on others in the name of so-called RSS which Bengal has never accepted.”On Friday, as the CM reached Howrah station platform 22 to attend the event, some BJP supporters carrying party flags and stationed at platform 23 started the sloganeering. A visibly surprised Banerjee was seen complaining to Governor CV Ananda Bose as he arrived for the programme.Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other dignitaries at the event scrambled to do damage control. Vaishnaw and Union Minister of State for Education Subhash Sarkar tried to calm down BJP workers, repeatedly urging them over the loudspeaker not to raise the slogan. But the sloganeering continued and angered Banerjee even further. The CM initially refused to get up on the stage and sat on a chair beside the dais instead.When PM Modi appeared on a giant screen to flag off Vande Bharat, the CM regained her composure. Addressing the event, she offered condolences to Modi for his mother’s death. In her speech, she did not refer to the sloganeering. “Today is a sad day for you personally. It is a great loss of your personal life. May god give you strength and bless you so that you can love your mother … I convey my gratitude to you for being present here virtually as you could not come because of the sad demise of your mother. Please take rest and take care,” she told the PM.Speaking about the development projects inaugurated at the event, Banerjee said, “Today is my happiest way. My dream project, Joka to Taratala, is being flagged off. I am very happy that other projects are also being inaugurated which I started when I was the railway minister. You have also given one new train to the state. I am very happy … I also thank all the officers, ministers, MPs, MLAs and other officials for this. May god give you the strength to do your work.”Following Banerjee’s speech, PM Modi inaugurated the trains. Banerjee, Vaishnaw, and others also waved a green flag to mark the start of the Vande Bharat’s journey. Among the others present at the event were Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, and Union ministers Nisith Pramanik and John Barla.TMC hits out at BJPBut the sloganeering episode sparked a political firestorm, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the BJP of “misusing ‘Jai Shri Ram’” to insult Banerjee and criticising the Centre for failing to stop the sloganeering. The episode left the BJP somewhat divided, with BJP MP SS Ahluwalia saying the slogans should not have been raised and leaders such as his fellow parliamentarian Locket Chatterjee and Adhikari defending those who did.TMC MP Sougata Roy said, “The inauguration of Vande Bharat Express was a government programme. The Centre invited her to attend it. Now BJP MPs and workers raised the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan. This is a political slogan. If aimed at her, Mamata Banerjee feels insulted. Because of this reason, she did not go to the stage and stood beside the dais. I strongly condemn this attitude of the BJP workers. We cannot tolerate the insult of Mamata Banerjee after she is invited to a government programme.”TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh also criticised the Centre for allowing an incident like this to unfold at a government programme. “There is no problem with the chanting of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. But one must keep in mind the time and place of doing so. The BJP is misusing the name of Ram to disrespect Mamata Banerjee. This is not the first time it has happened.”Ashwini Vaishnaw thanked Banerjee for attending the event but added nothing had happened that warranted such a reaction from her. “We had respectfully invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend the programme and she responded to our invitation,” the Railways Minister told reporters. “There was no such issue which warranted a strong reaction from her. Workers out of excitement chant slogans. There is nothing wrong with that. But I want to thank Mamata Banerjee for gracing the event with her presence and increasing the dignity of the occasion.”SS Ahluwalia, the BJP MP from Purba Bardhaman-Durgapur, however, said that such slogans should not have been raised. “Different people think in different ways. This was a government event and in a national programme like this slogan of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ should have been raised.”But Locket Chatterjee, the parliamentarian from Hooghly, disagreed with Ahluwalia. “Our party workers started raising slogans after they saw the new train. When PM’s photograph was shown on a giant screen, the sloganeering intensified. It is natural for our workers to raise such a slogan because of the emotion and the passion attached to it. There is no political connection with this.”Targeting the CM, Suvendu Adhikari said, “It is clear from her behaviour that she is haunted by her defeat in Nandigram last year and that’s why she refused to share the dais with me. She had done the same thing in Kalaikunada last year during a cyclone review meeting. She indulged in a similar drama today. She cannot digest her defeat to me (from Nandigram during the Assembly elections). But I promise that she will have to endure this pain for a long time as I will ensure that she becomes a former chief minister of the state.”
In a rerun of the Victoria Memorial incident in 2021, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was greeted with “Jai Shri Ram” slogans on Friday during the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express at Howrah Station. Even as the incident left Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and other BJP leaders present at the event embarrassed, Banerjee marked her protest by refusing to step onto the dais and sat on a chair beside the dais, along with other government officials.Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the express train as he could not attend the event due to his mother’s demise. Governor C V Ananda Bose, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and Union ministers Nisith Pramanik and John Barla were present at the event.After Mamata Banerjee reached the platform, some BJP supporters on the other side started chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. A visibly surprised Banerjee was seen complaining about the development to Governor Bose after he arrived at the programme. While the railway minister tried to pacify Banerjee, who was initially contemplating leaving the venue, she refused to go on stage and sat on a chair beside the dais instead.When PM Modi appeared on a giant screen to flag off the train, Banerjee regained her composure. Speaking at the event, she offered her condolences to PM Modi. “Today is a sad day for you personally. It is a great loss of your personal life. May god give you strength and bless you so that you can love your mother…I convey my gratitude to you for being present here virtually as you could not come because of the sad demise of your mother. Please take rest and take care,” Banerjee said.Speaking about the development projects that were also inaugurated at the event, Banerjee said, “Today is my happiest way. My dream project Joka to Taratala is being flagged off. I am very happy that other projects are also being inaugurated which I had started when I was the railway minister. You have also given one new train to the state. I am very happy…I also thank all the officers, ministers, MPs, MLAs and other officials for this. May god give you the strength to do your work.”Following her speech, PM Modi waved the green flag to inaugurate the trains. Banerjee, Vaishnav and others also waved a green flag to mark the start of the journey.In 2021, Banerjee was subjected to similar Jai Shri Ram chants at Victoria Memorial in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the birth anniversary celebration of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. At the time, Banerjee had refused to speak at the event and condemned such an incident at a government programme.
PANAJI: Continuing to sideline its Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro, TMC has dropped the former Goa chief minister from all parliamentary committees. TMC has not nominated Faleiro for any parliamentary standing committee, said a senior party official from Kolkata. "First, he was dropped as national vice-president, then not included in the state committee, and now Faleiro becomes the only TMC MP not to be given a spot in a parliamentary standing committee," said the TMC senior functionary. "Faleiro finds himself out in the cold again." The party's brass, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has been upset with the former state Congress chief ever since he refused to contest against Vijai Sardesai in Fatorda. While Faleiro himself remains tightlipped, sources said that he had been given six months to resign from the upper house, which he has refused to do. TMC officials said that the West Bengal chief minister made it clear to Faleiro when he joined TMC in Kolkata that he would have to contest the assembly elections. While Faleiro had initially agreed, he refused to contest from Fatorda, which led to his declaration as a persona non grata, said TMC officials. "I was there when Luizinho met Didi for the first time before induction. It was very clear at that meeting that he will contest an assembly seat from Goa. When Faleiro has not delivered his promises, how can he stick to the chair in defiance to the MLAs who elected him as Rajya Sabha MP?" said Rajendra Kakodkar, chairman, north Goa TMC. Out of the 543 LS MPs and 239 RS MPs, all MPs, except Union ministers, are given a spot on various Parliamentary standing committees. Faleiro was a member of the standing committee on industry for the year 2021-22, but has been dropped from all committees for 2022-23. Faleiro has sought a meeting with TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, which has been granted. "The party took a strong view after Faleiro withdrew his name as the TMC candidate despite national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee announcing Faleiro as the candidate. Things got even worse after the results were declared, as Faleiro said he took the decision so that he could "fight and campaign all over Goa for all TMC candidates," said a member of the TMC state committee in Goa. TMC officials said that the Faleiro-TMC relationship worsened when it was brought to the notice of the party when he wrote to PM Narendra Modi requesting for help to use his MPLAD funds for his constituency without consulting the TMC high command.
Panaji: Continuing to sideline its Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro, TMC has dropped the former Goa chief minister from all parliamentary committees. TMC has not nominated Faleiro for any parliamentary standing committee, said a senior party official from Kolkata.“First, he was dropped as national vice-president, then not included in the state committee, and now Faleiro becomes the only TMC MP not to be given a spot in a parliamentary standing committee,” said the TMC senior functionary. “Faleiro finds himself out in the cold again.”The party’s brass, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has been upset with the former state Congress chief ever since he refused to contest against Vijai Sardesai in Fatorda. While Faleiro himself remains tightlipped, sources said that he had been given six months to resign from the upper house, which he has refused to do.TMC officials said that the West Bengal chief minister made it clear to Faleiro when he joined TMC in Kolkata that he would have to contest the assembly elections. While Faleiro had initially agreed, he refused to contest from Fatorda, which led to his declaration as a persona non grata, said TMC officials.“I was there when Luizinho met Didi for the first time before induction. It was very clear at that meeting that he will contest an assembly seat from Goa. When Faleiro has not delivered his promises, how can he stick to the chair in defiance to the MLAs who elected him as Rajya Sabha MP?” said Rajendra Kakodkar, chairman, north Goa TMC.Out of the 543 LS MPs and 239 RS MPs, all MPs, except Union ministers, are given a spot on various Parliamentary standing committees. Faleiro was a member of the standing committee on industry for the year 2021-22, but has been dropped from all committees for 2022-23.Faleiro has sought a meeting with TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, which has been granted.“The party took a strong view after Faleiro withdrew his name as the TMC candidate despite national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee announcing Faleiro as the candidate. Things got even worse after the results were declared, as Faleiro said he took the decision so that he could “fight and campaign all over Goa for all TMC candidates,” said a member of the TMC state committee in Goa.TMC officials said that the Faleiro-TMC relationship worsened when it was brought to the notice of the party when he wrote to PM Narendra Modi requesting for help to use his MPLAD funds for his constituency without consulting the TMC high command.
