Tmc

Bleeding Constitution from a thousand cuts: Mahua Moitra slams govt

TMC MP Mahua Moitra accused the BJP-led Centre on Friday of "bleeding the Constitution from a thousand cuts" and said it is crystal clear that the political executive has "systematically eroded democracy" over the last 10 years. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution, Moitra asserted that the need of the hour is to ensure that the idea of India survives in its purest form. For a significant part of her speech, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP trained her guns on former chief justice of India D Y Chandrachud, without naming him, and said what troubles the opposition is that some members of the higher judiciary appear to be doing their best to compromise the independence and integrity of the country's constitutional courts. "The outgoing CJI waxed eloquent on how the right to bail has been granted during his tenure.... From A for Arnab to Z for Zubair, his alphabets seem to be abbreviated because it did not include G for Gulfisha Fatima, did not ...

Minister's post does not entitle someone to special bail consideration: SC

Holding a minister's post does not entitle a person for a special consideration for the grant of bail, the Supreme Court said on Friday, asserting that "official positions, regardless of their stature, lose relevance for the purpose of exercising judicial discretion judiciously". A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money-laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state, said impartiality is a prerequisite to the rule of law, wherein decisions are based on the factual matrix of a case as opposed to an individual's position or influence. It rejected Chatterjee's argument seeking special consideration for the grant of bail on the ground that he was entitled for the relief as he was a minister at the relevant time. "In this context, the argument that the appellant's position as a minister entitles him to any special consideration does not hold merit from either

Uproar over Mahua's reference to judge Loya's death, Rijiju warns of action

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra's reference to the death of judge B H Loya "long before his time" created uproar in Lok Sabha on Friday as Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused her of raising a matter settled by the Supreme Court, and warned of "appropriate parliamentary action". Participating in a debate on 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Moitra made a passing, but contentious, remarks on Loya's death as she attacked the ruling BJP for allegedly targeting institutions and opposition leaders to silence critical voices. The House was adjourned briefly twice due to the uproar over the matter. BJP member Nishikant Dubey first raised the issue after her speech was over. He also objected to her criticism of former chief justice of India D Y Chandrachud, who recently retired, for a host of reasons, including receiving Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence during the Ganapati festival. Dubey accused Moitra of making insinuation about Loya's death. Rijiju said the case is .

TMC raises Bangladesh issue in Parliament, demands statement from PM

Trinamool Congress on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on situation in neighbouring Bangladesh. The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha in the post-lunch sitting by TMC's Parliamentary Party leader Derek O'Brien, who sought permission to raise a point of order. He quoted Rule 251, and said he wanted the Prime Minister to come and give a statement on Bangladesh issue. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar however said it is not a point of order, and did not allow O'Brien to continue. The refusal was followed by TMC MPs breaking out into sloganeering in the House. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, TMC's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose said a statement on the issue should be given in Parliament by the Prime Minister. "The Parliament is in session, it is a very sensitive matter on the situation in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister must come to Parliament and give a full statement on Bangladesh in Parliament," Ghose said. "Our party leader D

LS adjourned till 5 pm after uproar on TMC leader's remarks against Scindia

Soon after the Lok Sabha met at 4.40 pm on Wednesday, the House was adjourned briefly again following uproar over TMC member Kalyan Banerjee's remarks against Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Trouble arose when Banerjee was speaking during a discussion on the amendments to the Disaster Management Act. The All India Trinamool Congress member alleged non-cooperation by the central government during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai countered it, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped all the states and successfully handled the crisis by taking everyone along. Rai also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to put hurdles in the transportation of Covid vaccines through its territory. Scindia stood up and supported Rai, saying that India had emerged as a "Vishwa Bandhu" during the pandemic and helped all the needy countries across the world. Following this, Banerjee attacked Scindia and made certain remarks against the minist

Will we have lollypop? Mamata slams 'occupy' claim of Bangladeshi politicos

Taking a dig at a section of Bangladeshi politicians, who said the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wondered whether Indians "would have lollipop" when external forces would try to occupy Indian lands. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, she urged people to remain calm and not get provoked by statements made in Bangladesh, stating that West Bengal will always stand by any decision taken by the Centre. Mocking some Bangladeshi leaders, who have made provocative statements recently, she said, "Stay calm and healthy and have peace of mind." A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recently said in a public meeting in Dhaka that the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Asking people of West Bengal to remain calm and not get swayed by provocative statements made by some people in Bangladesh, she said, "In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in ..

Differences among partners coming to fore; INDIA bloc's future in question

Questions are being raised on the future of the INDIA opposition bloc as differences among several of its constituents are now coming to the fore and voices emerging for serious introspection by the Congress. The latest point of friction has come from Maharashtra, where the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced quitting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader hailed the Babri masjid's demolition. The SP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were also not seen with their other INDIA bloc partners during protests on the Adani issue. There are differences among the partners on other issues both inside and outside Parliament. Parties are now flexing their muscles within the bloc, especially after the shocking defeat of the Congress in the Haryana and Maharashtra elections. With a "weak" Congress after a poor poll show, some opposition parties feel that it should introspect and be accommodative towards others. They are also speaking out against the "dominance" of the Congres

Want Mamata to be major partner of INDIA bloc, will soon talk to her: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that she has shown a successful model in West Bengal where she has kept BJP away from power

Willing to lead INDIA bloc if I get opportunity: WB CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition INDIA bloc, signaling her intent to take charge of the alliance if given the opportunity. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of Bengal. "I had formed the INDIA bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can't run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along," she said in an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla. Asked why she is not taking the charge of the bloc, given her credentials as a strong anti-BJP force, Banerjee said, "If given the opportunity I would ensure its smooth functioning." "I don't want to go outside Bengal, but I can run it from here," she said. The INDIA bloc, formed to counter the BJP, comprises over two dozen opposition parties. However, interna

Laws required to end toxic work culture in pvt sector, says TMC MP Gokhale

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Friday urged the government to frame laws to ensure that employees in private sector have good working conditions, as he highlighted recent incidents of professionals dying allegedly due to work-related stress. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Gokhale referred to the deaths of Anna Sebastian, who allegedly died due to extreme work pressure, and Satish Nandgaonkar, a journalist who suffered a heart attack, allegedly due to a toxic work environment. "After these two shocking incidents, there has been a groundswell of complaints on social media, with people in the private sector saying that there is often a toxic work culture, where employees are made to work long hours and are subjected to insults. A lot of this is happening in the private sector," he said. "We are talking about private companies. Bengal means business; we have more than 4.5 lakh active companies, and the IT sector alone employs more than 2.6 lakh people. So

SC reserves decision on Partha Chatterjee's bail plea in cash-for-jobs case

The top court in the previous hearing noted the trial, in the money laundering case related to irregularities of recruitment of primary teachers, against Partha Chatterjee, an MLA and former West

SC transfers 2 FIRs against Bengal BJP leader to CBI over 2020 clash

The Supreme Court Wednesday transferred to CBI two FIRs lodged against West Bengal BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose pertaining to the 2020 scuffle between his security staff and Trinamool Congress workers. A bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Pankaj Mithal gave its judgment on a plea filed by Bose seeking direction for transferring the investigation into the case to CBI, an SIT or any independent agency from the West Bengal Police. "In the peculiar facts of this case a writ of mandamus is issued to the respondents to hand over the investigation papers pursuant to the two FIRs to the CBI along with all records for its completion so that if necessary, the trial may commence, and justice is done to the parties," the bench said. Bose had also sought a stay of investigation and further proceedings in FIRs lodged against him by the West Bengal Police pertaining to the alleged scuffle. In his plea, Bose had claimed that on December 6, he along with his CISF guards came under heavy .

SP, TMC skip Congress protest: Is Parliamentary deadlock coming to an end?

The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on Nov 25 and runs until Dec 20, has been marred by repeated disruption due to Opposition protests

Railway collected Rs 12k cr from passenger services during festivals: Govt

Railways revenues from passenger services during the festive months of September and October in 2024 was Rs 12,159.35 crore, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday. TMC MP Mala Roy raised queries regarding the earnings of Railways through ticket sale and cancellation during festive months. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that from September 1 to October 31, 2024, passenger revenue of the Indian Railways is Rs 12,159.35 crore. Amount credited on account of cancellation of tickets by passengers is not maintained separately, Vaishnaw said. The minister also gave zone-wise data of number of passengers travelled during the period from September 1 to November 10, 2024, according to which, total 143.71 crore people took train journey between the said period and the highest number of travel among all zones was from the Central Railway Zone, ie, 31.63 crore. Further, to cater to the demand during festive season, Indian Railways notified 7,983 trips of

West Bengal: SC grants bail to ex-TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh in CBI case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted regular bail to former Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in a CBI case linked to the West Bengal primary school recruitment scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it is not likely that the trial will be completed in the foreseeable near future in the case where Ghosh has been in custody for the past 19 months. Advocate MS Khan, appearing for Ghosh, submitted two orders of the trial court to buttress his argument that the trial will not be completed in the near future as the CBI is yet to file the final charge sheet in the case. The bench granted bail to Ghosh and asked him to not leave West Bengal without prior permission of the court or the investigating agency. It said Ghosh will also not hold any public post and will not give any statements in the media related to the merit of the investigation. On November 20, the Calcutta High Court granted conditional bail to Ghosh, one of the prime accused in an Enforcement

ONGC awaits mining lease for new oil field discoveries in WB's Ashokenagar

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made four more discoveries since it first made an oil field near Asokenagar in West Bengal six years back but is still awaiting the state government's nod for a petroleum mining lease to develop them, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. ONGC notified the first Asokenagar discovery in Block WB-ONN-2005/4 on September 24, 2018, Puri said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The discovery, he said was the outcome of continuous exploration efforts of ONGC in the Bengal sedimentary basin over five decades. As per initial laboratory studies, crude oil, which is refined into fuels like petrol and diesel, discovered in the Ashokenagar discovery is a light variety with American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of 40-41 degrees and is almost similar to Bombay High and Brent Crude. "ONGC, accordingly, applied on September 10, 2020, to the Government of West Bengal for a grant of Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) for an

'ED's conviction rate very poor', says SC in Partha Chatterjee bail plea

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had questioned the 'quality of prosecution and evidence' garnered in cases related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by the Directorate of Enforcement

TMC MP urges Congress to set aside ego, backs Mamata as INDIA bloc leader

Bolstered by the TMC's clean sweep in the West Bengal assembly bypolls, senior party leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee asked the Congress to "set aside its ego" and recognise Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc. He also criticised the Congress for its poll debacle in Maharashtra. Kalyan Banerjee emphasised the need for "unified and decisive" leadership to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, drawing confidence from the TMC's impressive performance in the recent by-elections, where the party retained five assembly seats in West Bengal and snatched Madarihat from the BJP. The TMC MP emphasised that Mamata Banerjee's "proven leadership and grassroots connect" made her the "most suitable" figurehead for the opposition alliance. "The Congress and other opposition parties should admit their failures in the recent elections and prioritise unity over individual ambition. They must set aside their ego and accept Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the INDIA bloc, he said

Centre to meet party floor leaders today ahead of Parl's winter session

On the eve of Parliament's Winter Session, the government will meet floor leaders of political parties on Sunday to ensure the smooth functioning of the House against the backdrop of the BJP and its rival alliance's surprise victories in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, respectively. The meeting has been convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, leaders of Congress, Trinamool, DMK, Shiv Sena, BJD and others are expected to join the deliberations. The Winter Session of Parliament, beginning Monday, is scheduled to last till December 20. The government has listed 16 bills, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, for consideration, while the opposition is keen to raise the issues of the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur and the indictment of businessman Gautam Adani by a US court on allegations of bribery. Several opposition leaders have said they will raise the issue of the indictment of Adani in Parliament with Leader of the Opposition Rahul ..

Your blessings will help us work: Mamata to people after TMC's bypoll wins

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday thanked the people of the state as her party, the Trinamool Congress, was on the course to bag all the six assembly seats that went to the by-elections. She said the results of the by-elections would help her work for the people. "I would like to thank and congratulate the 'Maa, Mati and Manush' from the bottom of my heart. Your blessings will help us work for the people in the coming days. We all are common people and that is our identity. We are not zamindars, but the custodians of the people," she posted on X. According to the Election Commission, TMC has already won the Naihati, Sitai, Haroa and Madarihat seats, and was leading by big margins in Taldangra and Medinipur.