An Odisha woman has appealed to the state and central governments for assistance in rescuing her daughter, who she claims was kidnapped and taken to Bangladesh five years ago. The daughter reportedly contacted her mother recently, alleging captivity and forced religious conversion.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's dharna and outlined the BJP's promises for the upcoming assembly elections, including job creation, increased financial assistance for women, and proper DA for state government employees.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly insulting novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by calling him "Bankim da."
The death toll from landslides in Darjeeling, West Bengal has risen to 24, with rescue operations continuing amidst challenging conditions. Thousands of tourists are stranded as roads remain blocked.
The convoy of West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, was allegedly attacked by TMC workers during a protest in Cooch Behar. Bulletproof glasses of Adhikari's vehicle were smashed. TMC denies involvement, calling it a 'well-scripted drama'.
Clashes broke out between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party supporters in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district after a public meeting addressed by Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Paramanik got over and a rally led by state minister Udayan Guha was about to begin nearby.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday expressed confidence in the unity of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in combating injustice nationwide, a day after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's decision to go solo in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) has summoned six Central Industrial Security Force personnel who were on duty at booth number 126 in Jorpatki in Sitalkuchi assembly constituency where four persons were killed in a firing by the central forces personnel during voting, an official said.
The governor also named Justice Mukherjee as the new vice chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, he added.
The official also said that "re-polling will be held in booth no 126/5 in Sitalkuchi area" of the district, in view of the tragic incident.
The ban begins at 12 noon on Tuesday and will remain in force till 12 noon of April 15, the order said.
Lambasting the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly bringing up the issues of NRC, CAA and Uniform Civil Code ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted she would not allow anyone to take away the citizenship of people during her lifetime.
The Congress 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', led by Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to enter West Bengal from Assam on Thursday, amid political ripples within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in the state.
Invoking its Constitutional powers, the Election Commission on Saturday put in place certain restrictions, including extending the 'silence period' from 48 hours to 72 hours, for the fifth phase of polling in West Bengal after violence in Cooch Behar district.
Dhankhar had on Monday said he would go to the violence-affected areas of West Bengal to take stock of the situation.
The Bangladesh police team crossed the border and entered Dighaltari village in Dinhata area of Cooch Behar district at around 12.30 am and raided the house of Mohammad Hassan Mian and his wife Noorjahan Bibi.Seeing the team, Mian tried to flee but they fired at him and then dragged him into Bangladesh territory, sources said.
Tension was palpable in the area, and a large police contingent was deployed to prevent any further flare-up.
Addressing the mediapersons, Mamata alleged, "It is genocide. We have decided to observe today as a black day. The forces fired on them directly. The Central Industrial Security Force is trained to provide security to industries and not to control a mob. I could not sleep last night but the prime minister was eating sweets. Such an incompetent government, incompetent prime minister, incompetent home minister."
The apex court said the high court will be at liberty to take a fresh view on whether the investigation by the state police has been fair and proper, and if not, whether a case has been made out for the transfer of the investigation to the CBI.
She claimed that officials haven't given her any deadline when she will get the body.
The CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government at the Centre in 2019, aims at granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said he would visit places in Nandigram, where post-poll violence was allegedly reported.
The court also directed that the salary amount returned by Anita, who was a teacher at Indira High School in Cooch Behar district, be handed over to petitioner Babita Sarkar.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out simultaneous raids at the houses of around a dozen people, including two ministers, in connection with its investigation into the teacher recruitment scam and seized huge amounts of cash.
Five people were killed, including 4 in the firing by Central Industrial Security Force personnel, during the fourth phase of polling
Among those killed were eight from TMC, and one worker each of the BJP, the CPI-M, the Congress and the ISF.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Monday sent a letter to the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) seeking details of the need for additional 485 companies of central forces, for which it has sent a requisition, an official said.
Mamata asserted that she has not spoken to anyone in the Congress on seat-sharing in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
A college student was killed and several others injured in a clash between supporters of CPI-M and Trinamool Congress at Nakkatigachh in Cooch Behar district, the police said.
Banerjee lamented that she could not meet the next of kin of the deceased earlier, owing to a 72-hour ban on entry of political leaders in Cooch Behar, where four people were gunned down by CISF personnel in "self defence", on April 10.
The Sikkim Government has confirmed that 14 people have died so far in the flash floods that occurred in Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress supremo of doing appeasement politics even in case of deaths.
Modi later contended at a rally at Gangarampur in Dakshin Dinajpur, that Banerjee has been abusing him almost every other day as he raises questions on Trinamool Congress track record of "corruption".
The Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles traded gunfire after the BDR objecting to Indian fencing of the border.
After the prolonged GNLF movement, as well as the agitations by the 'Uttar Banga Tafsili Jati/Jan Jati Adivasi Sangathan', Uttarkhand and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, the GCPA's demand has put the Buddhadev Bhattacharjee government in a fix.
Haque, wanted in several cases in Assam and North Bengal was also in-charge of the outfit's foreign affairs department
Nine MLAs, including Babul Supriyo, took oath as ministers in West Bengal on Wednesday, in a major reshuffle of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.
Election officials said a report on the incident has been sought from the district officials.