The upcoming publication of West Bengal's electoral rolls is expected to intensify political tensions and debates ahead of the Assembly elections, reflecting concerns about voter inclusion and identity.
Clashes between TMC and BJP supporters erupted in Kolkata just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally, resulting in injuries and heightened political tensions ahead of Assembly elections.
The BJP has condemned the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Kerala during raids linked to former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing the Left and the Congress of shielding corruption.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has accused the BJP of orchestrating blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar to destabilise Punjab ahead of elections, alleging a connection between the BJP and ISI.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a Look Out Circular against Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas to prevent him from leaving the country after he failed to cooperate with the investigation into a money laundering case.
The first day of the Bengali New Year, Poila Baisakh, passed without any celebrations in Dhulian, West Bengal, for the first time in over 50 years. Fear gripped the area following violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, leading to canceled rituals, shop closures, and a sense of uncertainty. The violence, which started on April 8, left three people dead and several injured. Protesters blocked highways, torched vehicles, and disrupted train services. While the police deployed central forces and imposed restrictions, locals still fear for their safety and demand permanent security measures. The town and its surrounding areas remain tense, with many families displaced and facing significant losses.
The Information Technology sector has been exempted from the purview of the agitation.
The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre and West Bengal government to respond to a plea seeking directions to prevent the alleged exodus due to 'state-sponsored' violence after the assembly polls, constituting a Special Investigating Team to probe the issue and take action against culprits.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that the TMC will proceed with its planned sit-in protest against alleged attacks on party leaders and workers, as well as the Railways' hawker eviction drive, despite the police denying permission for the event.
"The friend left her alone when three unidentified men arrived there. The men snatched her phone and took her to a jungle outside the campus, where they raped her. She was threatened with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident," the officer said.
The party also announced the names of Milan Ghosh and Sujit Das for Samserganj and Jangipur seats respectively.
"If need be we will move and relocated the Nano project elsewhere. Relocation will cost both the Tatas and the West Bengal government, but I will not bring my employees here if they will be beaten up," the Tata Group chairman said.
A fresh controversy has erupted within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regarding the leadership of its legislature party, as documents purportedly from two MLA meetings on May 6 and May 19 have surfaced on social media. Rebel Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee has questioned the authenticity of these documents, which list MLAs' attendance and support for the election of the leader of the opposition, amidst ongoing allegations of signature forgery.
A four-member team of the Union home ministry, tasked with looking into reasons for the post-poll violence in West Bengal, met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Raj Bhavan.
A nationwide strike called by trade unions to protest against the central government's labor policies had a mixed impact across India. While normal life remained largely unaffected in most parts of the country, some sectors like banking, transport, and insurance experienced disruptions. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported in West Bengal.
The situation in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which was marred by incidents of violence following protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, was calm and peaceful on Wednesday with no reports of any untoward incident. Prohibitory orders were clamped in and around Raghunathganj and Suti police station areas and large police force deployed in all sensitive areas of the district, especially in and around Jangipur town, where a large number of people had assembled on Tuesday afternoon, demanding the withdrawal of the legislation. Internet connectivity remained suspended within the areas under the Jangipur sub-division to prevent the spread of any disinformation. Protestors, who had gathered in large numbers on the NH-12 in the Jangipur area to protest against the Waqf Bill, hurled stones at the police who were deployed in the area, on Tuesday afternoon. A couple of vehicles belonging to the police were allegedly torched during the protest and police had to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. A few policemen were injured in the stone pelting. Police have also detained a few people in connection with the incident. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose condemned the incident and said attempts to disturb the law and order situation in the state "should be put down with an iron hand". The opposition BJP alleged that the law and order situation in the state was "crumbling" under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was busy with "minority appeasement". The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament. The Act aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare. It also seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders' rights.
The Centre on Tuesday promised to take action on the report of a fact-finding team which claimed that there were 15,000 incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal in which 25 people were killed and 7,000 women were molested.
The court also left it to the discretion of the State Election Commission to take a call on extension of time for filing of nominations, refusing to consider a prayer in this regard.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has condemned the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling them a deliberate attempt to spread terror and disrupt the state's peace. He accused the BJP of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and division for political gains ahead of elections.
Nineteen people have been killed so far and a central minister attacked in pre-poll violence.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Saturday announced as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's vice presidential candidate.
A 23-year-old woman died after an alleged acid attack on her and her mother while they were sleeping in their house in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Police are investigating the incident.
Two petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe into the violence in West Bengal over the newly-enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act. The petitions call for a special investigation team or a judicial enquiry commission to investigate the incidents, which have resulted in deaths and displacement. The Calcutta High Court has already ordered the deployment of central forces in the violence-hit Murshidabad district.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal said the agency cannot cast aspersions on the entire judiciary in West Bengal.
The bench questioned the petitioner for not moving the high court and directly coming to the apex court.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Indira Banerjee on Friday recused from hearing a plea field by kin of two Bharatiya Janata Party workers, who were killed in poll related violence on May 2 in West Bengal, seeking court monitored probe and transfer of cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation or Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The EC also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
A political row has erupted over the twin blasts in Punjab, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accusing the BJP of trying to create fear ahead of next year's assembly elections. The BJP has hit back, terming the remarks condemnable and alleging that Mann ignored preliminary investigation findings pointing towards possible ISI involvement.
Left leaders on Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and presented him "evidence" of the "nexus" between the Maoists and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, charging the latter with using violence to expand their political base in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on the premises of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and another individual as part of a money laundering investigation against an alleged criminal syndicate in West Bengal.
According to Modi, the TMC's 'political syndicate' rules in the land of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jana-Gana-Mana' and pursues appeasement and vote bank politics.
The violence fanned out to Asansol areas, prompting police to suspend Internet services and clamp prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the trouble-torn areas of the district.
One person was shot dead while another suffered bullet injury in Burdwan and North 24 Parganas districts as voting began in 91 municipalities across West Bengal on Saturday.
The Lok Sabha will hold a discussion on efforts to eliminate left-wing extremism (LWE) in India, ahead of the government's deadline. The debate will cover the government's strategy, review of affected regions, and future plans, including potential withdrawal of security forces and launch of welfare schemes.
The wife of a BSF jawan, who was found dead with a gunshot wound at his home in Meerut, has been arrested for his murder along with four other people, including her alleged lover.
The high court also instructed both the Mamata government and the Centre to submit detailed reports on the situation. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 17.
Six policemen were injured and a police vehicle vandalised in a mob attack during an attempt to arrest a TMC worker in Sandeshkhali, once again pushing the coastal block into political focus ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led Centre of spreading communal hatred and failing to protect the country's border. She alleged that families affected by recent violence in Murshidabad were being prevented by the saffron camp from meeting her. Banerjee also criticized the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for its visit to Murshidabad and questioned its priorities, asking whether NHRC members visited BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and ethnic violence-hit Manipur.
