The leader of the opposition in West Bengal legislative assembly Suvendu Adhikari made a sensational claim in a social media post on 28 February regarding All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) goon and fugitive Sheikh Shahjahan. He has said that the TMC strongman, the main accused in Sandeshkhali sexual exploitation and land grab allegations, is in safe custody of the state police. Notably, after the attack on an ED team on his instructions, Sheikh Shahjahan is absconding.
The BJP leader claimed that he was nabbed from Bermajur – II Gram Panchayat area by the police, but he managed to negotiate a deal through influential mediators, and after that, he will be properly taken care of while he will be in police and judicial custody. Adhikari further claimed that the TMC leader will get 5-star facilities in custody.
Adhikari wrote, “The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali – Seikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajur – II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would be taken care of properly while in Police and Judicial Custody.”
The BJP leader added, “He will be extended 5 Star facilities during his time behind bars and will have access to a mobile phone, through which he will be able to lead the Tolamool Party virtually. Even a bed in the Woodburn Ward will be kept ready and vacant for him if he chooses to spend some time there.”
The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali – Seikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajur – II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would…
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) February 28, 2024
Popularly referred to as ‘Betaj Badshah‘ TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh is an influential person in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, an area that is adjacent to the Bangladesh border. Women from the area have accused him and his accomplices of sexual abuse and intimidation. “You may be the husband but you cannot exercise your right. They would take your wife away for nights at a stretch. They would not release the women from their captivity until they were fully satisfied. They have 20-30 goons with them. They would come in bikes and exercise their writ in the village,” a woman narrated the horrifying ordeal.
Despite continuous protests by hundreds of victims and constant outrage by the opposition as well as the media, Mamata Banerjee’s administration has yet to arrest her party’s strongman who is currently absconding. The Block Development Officer (BDO) has received more than 700 complaints against him in six days of excesses against villagers in the last six days. He was also the mastermind behind the assault on Enforcement Directorate officials who had reached to execute a raid on his residence as part of an investigation into the ration scam.
Minutes after reports started doing rounds that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has resigned from his post, Sukhu denied such reorts. The development comes a day after the Congress was jolted in the Rajya Sabha elections for HP seats.
However, he has also reportedly said that he will not hesitate to step down if its helps the party.
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dismisses reports that he has resigned, says the govt will complete the term of 5 years pic.twitter.com/oAgatg0aj2
Reports had also claimed that the Congress party could select a new CM by evening and has sent party observers to speak to the MLAs. However Sukhu said that his government is there to complete its tenure. His media advisor Yashpal too denied the reports of the resignation of the Chief Minister terming it as ‘baseless’.
The high voltage drama comes just an hour after the resignation of state minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
A fight has reportedly ensued between Sukhu and Vikramaditya with the latter accusing Sukhu of insulting him without taking his name and ignoring MLAs. Vikramaditya also held a public briefing to express his disappointment with Sukhu.
Himachal Pradesh went to Rajya Sabhal polls on 27th February where Congress MLAs cross-voted for the BJP candidate. These included Rajendra Rana, an MLA who had been demanding the ouster of Sukhu as CM.
6 Congress MLAs and 3 independent MLAs had voted for the BJP candidate putting the Congress government in danger.
Meanwhile, as many as 15 BJP MLAs of Himachal Pradesh were suspended from the House by Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday allegedly for creating ruckus in his chamber.
The 15 BJP MLA’s who were suspended from the House include Jai Ram Thakur, Vipin Parmar, Randhir Sharma, Hans Raj, Vinod Kumar, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Lokinder Kumar, Trilok Jamwal, Surinder Shourie, Puran Chand, Dalip Thakur, Inder Singb Gandhi, Ranbir Nikka and Deep Raj.
The BJP legislators were suspended by the Speaker after the State Parliamentary party affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a proposal recommending the expulsion of the MLAs from the house.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set to receive a second spaceport for small satellite launches in Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to lay the cornerstone for the significant project on 28th February (Wednesday). The move will prove to be geographically advantageous for the country.
Regarding the upcoming development, the state’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) published full front-page newspaper advertisements displaying pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister MK Stalin, DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and other party leaders on Wednesday. The advertisement by DMK Minister Thiru Anita Radhakrishnan was published in several Tamil newspapers on 28 February.
However, in a shocking display of allegiance to China, the print advertisement uses an image of a Chinese rocket, instead of the image of an IRSO rocket. In the image, the top of the rocket is painted red with yellow stars, depicting the flag of China. The ad also depicts several other rockets in the background, but they are all foreign rockets. The promotion didn’t feature even one indigenous rocket to the shock of many.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai slammed the DMK government over the advertisement. He said that ever since the ISRO’s second launch pad in Kulasekarapatinam was announced, DMK has been “desperate to paste stickers”.
He tweeted, “The amount of desperation only proves their attempt to bury their past misdeeds, but we must remind them that DMK was why the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is today in Andhra Pradesh & not Tamil Nadu.”
This advertisement by DMK Minister Thiru Anita Radhakrishnan to leading Tamil dailies today is a manifestation of DMK’s commitment to China & their total disregard for our country’s sovereignty.
DMK, a party flighing high on corruption, has been desperate to paste stickers ever… pic.twitter.com/g6CeTzd9TZ
Annamalai also said that when the first launch pad was launched in Tamil Nadu, DMK minister Mathiyazhagan attended the inauguration ceremony in an “inebriated state”. He said, “When the 1st launch pad of ISRO was conceptualised, TN was the first choice of ISRO. TN CM Thiru Annadurai, who could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting. ISRO officials were kept waiting for a long, and Mathiyazhagan was finally brought to the meeting in an “inebriated state” & was incoherent throughout the meeting. And, this was the treatment our country’s space programme received 60 years ago.”
“DMK hasn’t changed much & has only become worse!” the BJP leader added.
Posting the image of the ad published on another paper, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha tweeted, “
Rahul Gandhi’s obsession with China has travelled to his favourite alliance partner now. DMK uses Chinese rocket in its advertisement for ISRO’s new launch site in Kulasekarapattinam for which PM Modi lays the foundation stone today!”
Rahul Gandhi’s obsession with China has travelled to his favourite alliance partner now. DMK uses Chinese rocket in its advertisement for ISRO’s new launch site in Kulasekarapattinam for which PM Modi lays the foundation stone today! pic.twitter.com/W8YXsx73rd
Furthermore, the advertisement showed mega-sized and heavy-lift satellites whereas the facility is only dedicated to small ones. More importantly, launching big rockets from the region of Kulasekarapattinam would be perilous for safety.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation for the construction of a fresh plant that would span 2,233 acres in the districts of Sathankulam, Kulasekarapattinam and Padukkapathu, as well as the villages of Pallakurichi and Mathavankurichi. The state government has finished acquiring land for the large-scale project, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 950 crore. The centre’s decision to permit 100% Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the space industry swiftly preceded the event.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan informed, “The foundation ceremony is going to be held on February 28. PM Narendra Modi will lay the foundation of this historic project. The project is a boon in the field of science and technology for the state of Tamil Nadu.”
The Tamil Nadu government is already working on establishing a Space Industrial and Propellants Park, which would occupy 2,000 acres in the district, to make use of the new complex and establish an ecosystem for the space industry in the area.
Rockets fired from Sriharikota currently have to travel east before turning south, which requires a detour because of Sri Lanka’s neighbouring airspace. The Telangana Governor stated that the proposed spaceport will eliminate the need for this deviation and that the site is closer to the Equator than Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, Mahendragiri, the location of ISRO’s propulsion complex is 88 kilometres closer to Kulasekaranpattinam than it is to Sriharikota (780 miles). This proximity will speed up and lower the cost of rocket component delivery.
ISRO scientists also confirmed that satellites launched from Kulasekarapattinam spaceport will save fuel because they can head directly southward, unlike those launched from Sriharikota, which fly in a southeasterly direction after taking off from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre to avoid flying over Sri Lanka and then make a sharp turn towards the South Pole.
India’s space organisation intends to use the Kulasekaranpattinam spaceport for the commercial launch of the small satellites. The cost of launching small satellites from Sriharikota is higher because the rocket has to travel a longer distance. The rocket’s cargo capacity is lowered because of the increased distance, which forces the rocket to carry additional fuel. The new spaceport will provide a solution to this problem.
The governor added, “Kulasekaranpattinam is all set to witness phenomenal growth, thanks to satellite-based space technology and the efforts of the central government. Scientists predict that a number of allied industries will come up in the neighbourhood. This will create thousands of jobs, benefitting Thoothukudi district.”
Meanwhile, ISRO has scheduled the launch of the Rohini Sounding Rocket to mark the momentous occasion. “ISRO had planned to launch a Rohini Sounding Rocket ‘RH–200’ from its new spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam between 9.30 a.m. on February 28 and 2 p.m. on February 29. Hence, ISRO had declared the area stretching up to 10 nautical miles (18 km) from the shoreline between Manappad Lighthouse and Periyathazhai groyne a ‘danger zone’ and warned fishermen and small ships against entering the zone,” mentioned District Collector G. Lakshmipathi in a statement.
S Somanath, the head of ISRO, stated in January that the space agency will be able to launch rockets at a faster pace and with a greater cargo capacity owing to the new spaceport. Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh is home to the first spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
When a drunk DMK Minister forced Vikram Sarabhai to drop his plans for a rocket launch pad in Tamil Nadu
Nowadays, it is rare to find someone in the country who hasn’t heard about Sriharikota. Since the launch of India’s sole launch site, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, this barrier island has been the focus of the nation’s attention as it hosted ISRO’s second moon mission, Chandrayaan 2.
However, only a few individuals are aware that if Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) co-founder K A Mathiazhagan hadn’t damaged the possibilities, this very well might have been Tamil Nadu’s pride. Tamil Nadu lost a great chance to host India’s sole rocket launch pad due to the DMK leader’s actions and demands, imminent scientist Nambi Narayanan recounted in his book “Ready To Fire: How India and I Survived the ISRO Spy Case.”
It read, “Not many know that Sriharikota itself was not ISRO’s first choice for a launch pad. I was one of the few sites identified by senior ISRO scientist R M Vasagam, another being a place south of Nagapattinam. Both were in Tamil Nadu. For launching polar satellites, it was clear to us, that our launch pad had to be on the eastern coast. Launching the rocket along the spin of the earth, it gave a huge advantage of cost; also by manoeuvring the rocket to the south after its initial eastward journey, we avoid flying over any landmass. The coastline of Kanyakumari was considered in the late 1960s, but a terrible mishandling by the government of Tamil Nadu, and a timely pitch by Andhra Pradesh, made Sriharikota happen.”
Source – Ready To Fire: How India and I Survived the ISRO Spy Case.
Nambi Narayanan further unveiled, “Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai was to participate in a discussion with (Vikram) Sarabhai and a few scientists and officials over the identification of a site from a shortlist proposed by Vikram Sarabhai. Annadurai could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, and he deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting. Sarabhai was kept waiting, and after some time, the minister was ‘brought’ to the meeting – with a few holding him from falling. The politician irritated Sarabhai to no end with his impossible demands and incoherence. Much before the meeting got over, Sarabhai had decided Tamil Nadu is not the place to be.”
Source – Ready To Fire: How India and I Survived the ISRO Spy Case.
He added, “Just then Andhra Pradesh made an offer virtually nobody could refuse. Take the 26,000-acre Sriharikota island, he told Sarabhai. With India’s rocket launch pad coming up there, the Andhra Pradesh government must have realised that the sparsely inhabited place may see some development. There were a few fishing hamlets along the Bay of Bengal on one side of the island, which had a lagoon (Pulicat Lake) on the other side. Villagers on the inland side were also cooperative. ISRO had to lay a road across the lagoon to reach the island where now stands two launch pads and a few other facilities. Today, a rocket lifting off, spewing fire and smoke reflected on the Pulicat Lake, where migratory flamingoes come to roost is quite a sight.”
Trinamool Congress leader and Vice President of Mayureshwar-2 Panchayat Samiti of Birbhum Jatileswar Mondal recently threatened to chop off the hands of anyone who spoke against TMC or indulged in ‘negative campaigning’ against the party.
On Sunday (25th February), Jatileswar Mondal while addressing a meeting of party workers in Ulkunda in Birbhum said that the Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Legislative Assembly all are in control of TMC, the Central forces will not be there all the time to protect those voting against TMC.
“Central forces are not your father’s pet. They will leave after the elections, nobody will stay back. Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zilla Parishad, Vidhan Sabha everything is ours. These four are ours. You won’t get any benefits from there. We will break your bones wherever you go be it the police thana, court. I will go politely… listen… you vote or don’t…. Do not step out of your house. Whisper this guru mantra in the ears of locals wherever applicable,” Mondal said.
“If you [voters] cheat on us [TMC)]….you don’t need to go out….you stay at home….no need to vote….don’t vote…. But don’t indulge in negative campaigning against us. And if you slander us, I will cut off your hands. Will definitely chop your hands off. You are taking your wife’s allowance given by our leader, you scoundrel are taking old age allowance/pension, you are taking rice, you are taking land money, you are taking everything, and you are voting on the other side, I will not spare you…,” the TMC leader continued.
The video of the TMC leader’s speech threatening the voters has gone viral online. Taking to X, West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari wrote, “TMC Leader and Vice President of the Mayureswar Block No. II Panchayat Samiti; Birbhum district; Jatileswar Mondal is threatening to chop off the hands of Voters if they go out to cast their vote and those who campaign against the TMC Govt.”
TMC Leader and Vice President of the Mayureswar Block No. II Panchayat Samiti; Birbhum district; Jatileswar Mondal is threatening to chop off the hands of Voters if they go out to cast their vote and those who campaign against the TMC Govt.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) February 27, 2024
The BJP leader further informed that he has written a letter to Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner; of the Election Commission of India requesting him to take action against such criminal intimidation.
“…He is openly threatening the Voters of his area and asking them to stay put at home during elections. He is stating that he would chop their hands if they go out to vote or engage in negative campaigning against the Trinamool Congress Party. West Bengal Police are politically motivated and are under the influence of the Trinamool Congress Party. They won’t look into this matter, rather would try to sweep it under the mat,” Adhikari wrote.
Every Saturday, the English newspaper The Hindu publishes a full-page story titled “Ground Zero”. On February 24th, 2024, they decided to finally honor us with their version of the horrors of Sandeshkhali, in West Bengal.
The headline is not the only thing that will throw you off. But let’s quickly discuss the disgusting nature of the headline. In the English language, Fire and smoke are terms often used to justify page-3-type gossip and political rumors. Not to justify serious criminal complaints of rape, gang rape, violence and harassment. The dreaded editors of The Hindu have no qualms though in resorting to such cheap headlines. Like I said at the beginning of this paragraph, the headline is not the only thing that will throw you off.
At the center of all the serious criminal complaints of rape, gang rape, violence, and harassment is the dreaded criminal Sheikh Shahjahan. According to The Hindu, who is Sheikh Shahjahan? Let’s take a look at the image below (which is a snippet from the article).
Snippet from the article by The Hindu on Sandeshkhali
When do you use phrases such as “humble beginnings” and “rose to prominence”? These are phrases that have a positive connotation and are used when describing inspiring stories of heroes in our society. However, in our country, we have these brain-dead editors in the English media who possess this petulant penchant for romanticizing the lives of dreaded criminals and terrorists. After everything that we have heard about this hard-core criminal, can you imagine that The Hindu actually wants us to be in awe of how Sheikh Shahjahan “rose to political prominence”. Shahjahan is so awesome that “Mamata Banerjee had once described him as “popular”.
Snippet from the article by The Hindu on Sandeshkhali
It took an ED raid for the world to unearth the dreaded empire of this criminal, Shahjahan. “Little known” Shahjahan was so awesome that when ED raided him, bringing him into the limelight, he ensured that his mob attacked and injured the officers. And the brave man that he is, he ran away!
You may argue that The Hindu has graciously given space to a full page for this story and I am nitpicking on a small paragraph. I will make it a little easier for you to understand how The Hindu story is structured. If it was not for social media (especially OpIndia), I would have easily thought that this whole ruckus about Shahjahan is just about land grabbing from poor people. Because everything that I have marked in the pink shade in the article (image below) talks about land grabbing “allegations” by villagers against Shahjahan.
Snippet from the article by The Hindu on Sandeshkhali
The elaborate introductory paragraphs describe how a woman bravely recorded her statement before the magistrate, and only towards the end of this section (the small patch of red I highlighted), we are told as a matter of fact that the allegations were about how she was raped, 5 months ago.
Everything that I have marked in the red shade is actually instances when the article refers to the multiple horror stories of rape that the women of Sandeshkhali have poured out. You can easily notice how The Hindu has taken elaborate pains to make this issue more about land grabbing and less about rape and violence.
After elaborately explaining to us the land grabbing and violent stories that the villagers are “alleging”, The Hindu begins a section titled “The political flashpoint” (the 2nd patch of the red box I highlighted in the above image)
Snippet from the article by The Hindu on Sandeshkhali
We were told that the “floodgates opened” only after “a woman from Sandeshkhali told…”. Please notice the absence of any adjectives to describe the bravery of this woman and every woman who spoke after this. The section very quickly transitions to how the police have dutifully informed the press that no rape complaints were ever filed before February 15th and hence they didn’t know about this. And then how various political leaders are trying to make a beeline to this area.
And then the article amazingly moves back to the stories of land grabbing and arrests. You would think many culprits have been arrested, but according to this story – more than 10 BJP workers, 1 television journalist (The Hindu doesn’t even want to say Republic TV!), and a former MLA come CPI have been arrested, in addition to just 2 Trinamool leaders. The article ends with how the woman who recorded her statement before the magistrate continues to live in fear.
It’s not as if they can’t use better adjectives or writing skills to accurately describe the pain and the courage that is currently on display by the residents of Sandeshkhali. It’s just that they chose to save the incumbent TMC government from any bad imaging. It’s just that the editors chose to tell the world that they have no conscience.
On 27th February (local time), it was reported that BBC apologised to the parents of a young person who complained the now-suspended BBC presenter Huw Edwards in the matter related to cash for explicit photos. In the apology, BBC admitted they should have acted more swiftly on the mother’s complaint of the young person.
Reports suggest that BBC launched a review into the complaints procedure following the scandal that came to light in July 2023. BBC group chief operating officer Leigh Tavaziva apologised and said in a statement that the organisation found specific process shortcomings in the complaint made about Edwards. She said, “The initial complaint in this case was not escalated quickly enough to senior management, and we have apologised to the complainant for this.”
BBC apologised after an independent report found process shortcomings
The organisation further added that it would improve its procedures for dealing with non-editorial complaints after a review found that there was a need for greater consistency across the organisation while dealing with the most serious complaints. Deloitte partner Simon Cuerden reviewed the organisation’s procedures.
As per the report, the complaint was made on 18th May, but the matter was not escalated despite the investigations team seeking to contact the complainant. The case was not even logged into the BBC system at the time, meaning there was “no opportunity for wider visibility of the case within the BBC”. The report pointed out that the course of action was unclear due to a lack of documentation of the contact and follow-ups.
Edwards never made a public statement himself about the allegations, but his wife did and said he was suffering from “serious mental health issues”.
Huw Edwards allegedly paid a teenager thousands of pounds for explicit images
On 8th July 2023, The Sun published the shocking story of an unnamed BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teen 35,000 Pounds over a period of three years for sexually explicit images. The publication cited the victim’s mother’s version while publishing the story against the BBC presenter. Later, he was identified as Huw Edwards after his wife issued a statement.
On 10th July, it was reported that the TV representative, who was identified as a male staffer of BBC, called the young person and asked, “What have you done?” in panic. The BBC presenter called the young man twice after the allegations were published in the publication. The report adds that the BBC ‘star’ asked the victim to drop their complaint or stop the ongoing investigation.
BBC confirmed the reports that it had known about the complaint way back in May 2023. However, the state-run British Broadcaster claimed that the new allegations were of a “different nature”. It added that it had suspended the male staffer accused of these wrongdoings.
While the young person who received money for sexually explicit images denied the claims made by the mother and the stepfather, the parents rubbished them. They said they wanted the BBC presenter to stop sending him money. The young person’s mother accused the BBC presenter of pushing the young person, who was only 17 when it started, towards drugs.
On 12th July, Vicky Flind, the wife of Huw Edwards, named him as the BBC presenter accused of paying a vulnerable young person in exchange for sexually explicit images. Edwards, who was one of the network’s highest-earning anchors, was suspended by BBC pending an investigation.
In a statement, Flind said Edwards was getting treatment at the hospital for his “serious mental health issues”. The statement was given on his behalf “primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children”.
Flind said that her husband was suffering from serious mental health issues and pointed out that it was well-documented he had severe depression. There were no details on the allegations against Edwards in the statement. She “hoped” that the statement would end the speculations being raised in the media about other BBC presenters.
In fresh trouble for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh, a state minister and the son of the former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position.
Vikramaditya Singh announced his decision at a press conference held following the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha election result declared on Tuesday.
“All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister,” Singh said.
While addressing the press conference he also said that the results of the Rajya Sabha elections which saw the Congress candidate losing the polls following cross-vote, is a result of the system prevailing in the government in the last year since it was formed.
“…There is no doubt that former CM Virbhadra Singh’s name was used in the (Assembly) election…This is a matter of fact, a matter of record. This government was formed with everyone’s contribution. It has completed one year of governance. I have never said anything about the functioning of the government, but it is my responsibility to say it clearly today…I have always said that position and cabinet berth is not important for me. For me, the most important thing is the relationship with the people of Himachal Pradesh…But the kind of system prevailing in the government in last one year, how MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices – this is a result of that,” Singh said.
He further said that he will decide the future course of action after a consultation with his supporters.
“In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action…” he added.
Vikramaditya Singh, born in 1989, is an MLA from Shimla Rural constituency. He is the son of ex-CM late Virbhadra Singh. His mother, Pratibha Singh is the MP from Mandi. She is also the state Congress chief.
Vikramaditya Singh is a two-time MLA. He won his first election in 2017. He repeated the performance in 2023.
On Tuesday, a high drama unfolded in Himachal Pradesh after BJP pulled off an upset by defeating Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections because of cross-voting by six of the party’s MLAs.
The BJP has said that the government has “lost the mandate and trust”.
The trouble for the government comes at a time when the Assembly’s annual Budget session is going on and ahead of voting on the state Finance Bill in the Assembly.
The BJP is pressing for division voting on the passing of the Budget after it is introduced in the assembly. If Congress is unable to see the Budget through the government in the state will fall.
The Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.
Harsh Mahajan, the BJP leader who won the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday claimed that his party is going to form government in the state by ousting the ruling Congress on the ground of ‘lacking majority’ in the house.
Mahajan, while speaking to ANI on Wednesday said that several Congress legislators are in touch with the BJP and the state is going to witness a change in the government.
“BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the next few hours and you will see BJP will form its government soon…For the next 10-20 years, Congress is not going to come to power here…” Mahajan said. (ANI)
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Trinamool Congress MP from Basirhat, Nusrat Jahan raised eyebrows yet again as she was seen attending a film event in Kolkata while conveniently maintaining silence on Sandeshkhali.
Due to "174 act" being imposed, Basirhat MP Nusrat Jahan could not visit Sandeshkhali. Gems of Trinamool pic.twitter.com/wqozdzAvDY
Moreover, when questioned at the event about why she had not visited Sandeshkhali yet, the Bengali actress said that it was because the “174 Act was imposed” that she could not visit. The TMC MP was decked up in a stark red saree and dangler earrings at the “Bengal National Pride” event organised for the felicitation of national award winners.
The TMC MP’s statement is drawing flak on social media for her sheer ignorance on the issue. And this is not the first time.
About five days ago, the TMC MP was posing for the cameras at the “Calcutta Times Food Guide Party”. A week ago, she was posing for a photo shoot for a brand.
While her constituents suffer and thousands of women demand justice for the atrocities inflicted by her party members, Sandeshkhali MP Nusrat Jahan shamelessly revels in Spring festivities. It's disgraceful! Prioritize your duty over personal indulgence, Nusrat! #JusticeDeniedpic.twitter.com/to7Gwv7PzO
Moreover, while she was silent on Sandeshkhali land grabbing and sexual assault cases, the TMC MP continued to post reels on Instagram, celebrating Valentine’s week and promoting her new release ‘Sentimental’ on social media platforms.
Jahan who is also a film actress, could be seen posting a couple of Instagram reels celebrating 4 successful weeks of her new movie. Meanwhile, several social media users criticized the ‘leader’ for maintaining silence over violence in Sandeshkhali.
The TMC MP seems to have posted around 7-8 posts on Instagram after 8th February, the day on which hundreds of women from Sandeshkhali took to the streets demanding the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
Protests rocked a small village of West Bengal’s North 24 Paraganas, Sandeshkhali which comes under the Basirhat constituency, after locals took to the streets against the terror of local TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan, a close associate of Mamata Banerjee.
Allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault of women in broad daylight shook the Mamata-led TMC government. Surprisingly, TMC MP from Basirhat Nusrat Jahan has not yet visited the victims.
Even as the Hindu women in Sandeshkhali came out in protest against TMC leaders Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides exposing the horror of rape, sexual exploitation, and threats unleashed upon them, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge remains unmoved, unaffected. Speaking at TV9 Bharatvarsh’s ‘What India Thinks Today’ conclave on Tuesday (27th February), he said that such things keep happening in West Bengal and its not relevant for a national debate.
When asked about what his and the Congress party’s stand is on the Sandeshkhali horror, Mallikarjun Kharge started talking about MSP and farmers instead. He said, “See, we need to do something for the farmers, for that we have promised legal guarantee [for MSP]. In our very first announcement we promised that if our [I.N.D.I.A.] alliance comes to power, we will help legalise MSP…”
Even when he somehow realised that the question was about atrocities against women in Sandeskhali and not about farmers or MSP, Kharge dismissed the incident as state-level party politics and not worthy of a national debate, “See in West Bengal it has been like this…on one side there is Congress party, one side the communists and on another is TMC…so about these things…I don’t want comment much about it on a national level. (Dekho, wahan par hamesha ye chalte rehta hai ki ek taraf Congress party ke log hain, ek taraf communist party ke log hain aur ek taraf TMC hai..toh ye cheezein…rashtriya star par uske baare mein main zyada comment nahi karna chahta hoon),” Kharge said.
While the question was about the Congress party’s position on the Sandeshkhali issue, the party president explained the political landscape of West Bengal instead after bringing in MSP out of nowhere. The TV9 Bharatvarsh’s anchor reiterated his question about the atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. To this, Kharge finally said, “That we condemn…we condemn the atrocities on women…that is why we are fighting. After independence, it was Congress that gave voting rights to women. Adult franchise…it was not there even in England, France and the US…”
Ironically, in the same program, Mallikarjun Kharge had said before that his party was determined to “save the country and its constitution,” yet Kharge was unwilling to even discuss the rampant crimes against women in Sandeshkhali and seek justice for them.
His apparent attempts to dodge the question by discussing MSP and women’s voting rights, among other things, demonstrate that Congress’s sole goal right now is to oppose Modi, and the party is unwilling to upset TMC even though its leader, Shahjahan Sheikh, is the main accused perpetrator in the Sandeshkhali crimes and is still at large.
“Ye sab chalte rehta hai” (such things go on), stated by the Congress President in the context of Sandeshkhali, insinuating that it is more about regional party politics between the TMC, Congress and Communists, and not worthy of discussion at a national level, shows how the party trivialises crimes against women as per their political convenience.
How can a party whose leaders refuse to stand with women seeking justice and dignity after years of abuse, exploitation, threats, and other mistreatment at the hands of TMC leaders claim to fight for saving the country, its democracy, or its constitution? Are the women of Sandeshkhali, not Indian citizens, or is their plight not alarming enough to warrant national debate? The question arises as to whether the Congress party and Mallikarjun Kharge would have been as apathetic to the episode if it happened in a BJP-ruled state.
However, the Congress leader’s dismissal of the sexual exploitation and institutionalized harassment the women in Sandeshkhali faced at the hands of accused TMC leaders, is not surprising since the Congress party has a history of downplaying, brushing aside and even justifying riots and violence at times.
In May 2019, Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, insulted the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots by dismissing the issue in an attempt to discredit Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, the anti-Sikh pogrom had resulted in deaths of thousands of Sikhs in Delhi. In a blatant display of zero empathy for the victims of the riots, Rahul Gandhi’s political mentor said, ““Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya? (now what about ’84? What did you do in 5 years, talk about that. What happened in ’84 had happened. What did you do?) You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain (you didn’t do that also. You didn’t do anything hence you are talking here and there).”
Back in November 1984, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had justified the violence that took place against the Sikh civilians after former PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. He had said, “Jab bhi koi bada ped girta hai, to dharti thodi hilti hai. (When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.)”
It is notable here that Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar were directly involved in the violence against Sikhs.
Protests in Sandeshkhali
On 8th February, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali marched to the streets to protest land grabbing, wage nonpayment, and sexual abuse committed by Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
The women attacked his illegally acquired properties, setting fire to a poultry farm owned by TMC leader Shiba Prasad Hazra. They also encircled the Sandeshkali police station, demanding the trio’s immediate arrest. The commotion in the village lasted three days. Notably, while Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar have been arrested, the main perpetrator, Sheikh Shahjahan, is still on the run from law enforcement. Meanwhile, CM Mamata Banerjee defended Sheikh Shahjahan and blamed the BJP-RSS saying that Sandeshkhali had become an RSS bunker.
In a successful coordinated operation at sea, the Indian Navy, in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau, apprehended a suspicious boat carrying almost 3,300 kg of contraband off the coast of Gujarat. The seizure makes it the largest in terms of quantity, in recent times, said the Indian Navy in a statement.
#IndianNavy in a coordinated ops with Narcotics Control Bureau, apprehended a suspicious dhow carrying almost 3300Kgs contraband (3089 Kgs Charas, 158 Kgs Methamphetamine 25 Kgs Morphine). The largest seizure of narcotics, in quantity in recent times.@narcoticsbureaupic.twitter.com/RPvzI1fdLW
The suspicious vessel was intercepted near the International Maritime Boundary Line off the Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea. The contraband, along with the apprehended boat and crew, were handed over to the law enforcement agencies at an Indian port, on February 27, they added.
The items seized included 3089 kg of charas, 158 kg of methamphetamine, and 25 kg of morphine.
Based on the input of P8I LRMR aircraft on a surveillance mission, the IN mission-deployed ship was diverted to intercept the suspicious dhow engaged in contraband smuggling.
The seizure of drugs from the dhow, which is by far the largest in terms of quantity, was possible through the collaborative 4efforts of the Indian Navy’s mission-deployed assets with the NCB.
The coordinated response of the Indian Navy with law enforcement agencies is reflective of our resolute stance against narcotics trafficking in India’s maritime neighbourhood.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
