During the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids in Sandeshkhali on Thursday, which is the hub of Shahjahan’s first export business, the agency seized several incriminating documents.
Sources said following scrutiny of the documents, the ED has joined the dots as to how crores of unaccounted proceeds of the ration distribution case were first invested in the fish export business of Shahjahan, and then shifted abroad through the hawala route, mainly in Dubai and Bangladesh.
Sources said the fish export business was the second channel where the hawala route was adopted to divert crime proceeds abroad.
The same hawala channel was adopted when crores of scam proceeds were first converted into foreign currencies through multiple entities dealing in forex and then diverted abroad through the hawala route.
In the first case, the operator was Shahjahan, while in the second case, the handler was another arrested Trinamool Congress leader Shankar Adhya.
With both Shahjahan and Adhya being close confidants of former Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who is also in judicial custody in connection with the ration distribution case, the ED is pretty sure that it was Mallick who assigned them different routes for funds diversion.
As per the information shared by the party, the Chief Minister tripped while taking a walk at her residence in Kalighat on Thursday evening.
The Trinamool confirmed the news on its official X handle, saying: “Our chairperson @MamataOfficial sustained a major injury. Please keep her in your prayers.”
The social media cell of the Trinamool also released a photograph in which the Chief Minister could be seen bleeding from her forehead.
As per sources, CM Banerjee has been admitted to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital where a team of doctors is examining her. The wound, some party insiders claimed, is quite deep.
Banerjee was admitted to the hospital by her nephew and Trinamool General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the sources said.
Further details are awaited.
Shahjahan, who was arrested from Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district late on Wednesday night after being on the run for 55 days, was remanded to 10-day police custody by a district court on Thursday.
A local Trinamool strongman in Sandeshkhali, Shahjahan is also accused of harassing villagers in the trouble-torn area.
“This (decision to suspend Shahjahan) proves that the Trinamool Congress takes steps against those facing specific allegations. This is nothing new for us. Trinamool Congress had done this before as well,” Basu told mediapersons.
Drawing comparison between BJP and Trinamool, the minister said, “BJP is not like Trinamool Congress. I challenge the Prime Minister to suspend party leaders like Suvendu Adhikari, Narayan Rane and Himanta Biswa Sarma. What steps have been taken against the Chief Minister of Manipur or BJP leaders like Brij Bhusan,” Basu asked.
Meanwhile, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar termed the suspension as nothing but a face-saving exercise.
“Till yesterday, the ruling party was denying Shahjahan’s involvement in any kind of wrong-doings. Both the arrest and the suspension are part of a scripted drama. The way in which Shahjahan entered the district court, it didn't seem that he was under arrest. It seemed as if Shahjahan has arrested the cops,” Majumdar said.
Although the state police are tight-lipped on the exact time and place of the arrest, coincidentally the arrest comes a day after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam observed on Wednesday that any investigating agency, state or central, is empowered to arrest Shahjahan, against whom complaints about oppression of local people have been piling for the last few years.
Incidentally, on Wednesday, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, commented that the Trinamool leader was in the safe custody of 'Mamata Police' since Tuesday midnight.
As per the latest information available, Shahjahan has been kept at a lockup within the premises of the Basirhat Sub-divisional court, where he will be presented this morning after the court operations resume.
The state administration was under pressure for quite some time over Shahjahan remaining absconding as there were all-round criticism of him being deliberately sheltered by the state police following several local persons in Sandeshkhali claiming to have seen him in and around North 24 Parganas district.
Even a section of the Trinamool Congress leadership started claiming that the state police were unable to arrest him because of a stay on his arrest by the Calcutta High Court. However, Justice Sivangnanam, consecutively on Tuesday and Wednesday clarified that there was no stay on his arrest and the stay was just on the formation of a joint investigation committee of CBI and the state police in investigating the matter of attack on ED and CAPF sleuths.
Political observers feel that after Justice Sivangnanam, on Wednesday, made it clear that his arrest was the business of any agency, state and central, the state police came under immense pressure to act promptly in arresting him.
Sandeshkhali had been on the boil for the last few weeks with the local people, especially women, hitting the streets protesting against the oppression, including sexual harassment, by Shahjahan and his associates for the last so many years.
Adhya, also the former chairman of the Bongaon Municipality in the same district, has been brought to the ED’s office at Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
He will be first taken to a hospital for medical check-up and then presented at a special court of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on Saturday afternoon, where the central agency counsel will seek his ED custody.
This is the third arrest by ED in the ration distribution case, the first being Kolkata-based businessman Bakibur Rahaman and the second being the current West Bengal forest minister and the former state food supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick.
Adhya, like Rahaman, is known to be a close confidant of Mallick for a long time.
ED sleuths escorted by armed CAPF personnel started conducting massive raid and search operations on Friday morning at Adhya’s residence Bangaon. However, here the ED sleuths did not have to face resistance like another team which attempted a simultaneous raid and search operation at Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Sajahan's residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on Friday morning in which three ED officials were injured.
After a marathon raid and search operations that started on Friday morning and continued till late Friday night, the ED sleuths finally arrested Adhya. ED sleuths also recovered unaccounted cash of Rs 4.5 lakhs from his residence.
Notably, Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is probing the cash-for-query case following an allegation from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey. Dubey alleged that Mahua Moitra accepted cash and favours from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Lok Sabha, mostly related to the business tycoon Gautam Adani.
The Bhubaneswar MP said, "A meeting of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee was held on October 26 when the panel heard the complainant Nihikant Dubey and advocate Jay Anant. That day we had decided to summon TMC MP Mahua Moitra to depose before the committee on October 31. But she refused to appear before the panel on October 31.”
"I got information that the date was extended and the TMC MP has been called to appear before the Ethics Committee on November 2. I should not tell in public about the proceedings and discussion about the issue. The proceedings of the standing committee are always confidential," Sarangi said.
She further said that people would know what action would be taken against those found involved in the case.
It may be noted here that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on October 20 had linked Puri Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Pinaki Misra with TMC MP Mahua Moitra. At a recent presser, BJP leader Manoj Mohapatra claimed that in the affidavit filed by businessman Darshan Hiranandani, he admitted that he had bought furniture and other luxurious items for Moitra and mentioned the name of the Puri MP.
Mohapatra e had termed Puri MP Pinaki Misra as the 'current account' of Mahua Moitra.
Later, the Puri MP had warned of legal proceedings against the people dragging his name into the cash-for-query imbroglio.
The Commissioner-cum-secretary to the Odisha Health and Family Welfare department, Shalini Pandit on Friday informed about the government’s decision while responding to a letter from the Director of Tata Memorial Centre dated October 3, 2023.
In her letter, she said that the state government is pleased to accord in-principle approval to extend support for the establishment of a Dharmshala-cum-Guest House and a dedicated Paediatric Cancer facility in Jatni.
The state government will construct 2 blocks of Dharmshala-cum-Guest House (about 2 lakh square feet) in the vicinity of the hospital with an estimated cost of about Rs. 12O crore and hand over the same to the TMC, Mumbai. This construction work is to be undertaken by the Works Department, Govt. of Odisha, in consultation with the TMC team, she said in her letter.
She also said that the state government will support funding of Rs 15O crore ( Rs 80 crore for the building and Rs 70 crore for the equipment) for the construction of a state-of-the-art paediatric cancer facility. This amount will be placed with TMC, Mumbai for the purpose.
Three persons -- a candidate and an activist of All India Secular Front (AISD) and one local leader of Trinamool Congress, were killed in the severe clashes at Bhangar last Thursday.
Gobinda Naskar, a resident of Hatgacha area, has been identified as the person making the confession.
West Bengal Panchayat Elections : A Goon caught by locals in Bhangar. Hear from the horse's mouth, he has been sent by Trinamool MLA Saokat Molla to Kill Opposition candidate's 🧐🧐👇 pic.twitter.com/57bzNgZcb6
— Naren Mukherjee (@NMukherjee6) June 16, 2023
In the video, Naskar after being nabbed by All India Secular Front (AISF) supporters, can be seen confessing that he was hired by Saokat Molla, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Bhangar-adjacent Canning (East) Assembly constituency.
A copy of the video is available with IANS, though the authenticity of the same has not been confirmed.
"I belong to the Saokat Molla camp. I was hired at Rs 5,000. I possessed a firearm and bullets. I also openly fired. I was asked to shoot at AISF supporters. After my bullets got exhausted I tried to escape, but got caught," Molla said.
He also confessed that he had come to Bhangar from Hatgacha in a group of around 30. Going viral since Friday evening, the video has created major ripples in the political circles of the state.
Saokat Molla has rubbished the allegations made in the video and claimed that it was doctored and circulated by AISF to malign his image.
Even Naskar took a U-turn from what he confessed in the video just hours after it went viral.
"After I was nabbed by the AISF supporters, the latter forced me to say such things and made a video out of it," Naskar said.
But he did not give any satisfactory answer on his presence at Bhangar on the nomination days as an outsider.
"The Trinamool leaders have accessed and circulated a telephonic conversation between two senior officials of the Railways on social media. How could it be possible? I do not think that the call was leaked by the Railways. I strongly doubt that it was recorded by some officials of Kolkata Police," Adhikari told newspersons on Monday.
The BJP leader also said that he will wait for some days and then take necessary action to ensure that CBI includes this call leaking episode in its ambit of investigation into the Balasore train mishap that left nearly 300 people dead, including many from West Bengal.
"If nothing happens, I will personally go to Bhubaneswar and approach the CBI office there with my plea. If nothing happens even then, I will move the court," Adhikari said.
On Saturday, Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh had circulated the recorded call between the two officials through his social media handle, claiming that he could not verify the authenticity of the conversation.
Adhikari also claimed that since the time the Railway Board recommended a CBI probe into the train tragedy, panic has gripped the Trinamool leadership.
"What is the reason for this panic, when the place of the accident is not West Bengal," Adhikari questioned.
Taking to Twitter, Panda shared a video in which the three women were allegedly forced to reach TMC office by performing 'Dandavat Parikrama' in full public view (circumambulate in a prostrate position) as punishment and then rejoining the ruling party in Balurghat in North Dinajpur district.
“Such cruelty on joining BJP! Three tribal women were forced to reach TMC office by performing 'Dandavat Parikrama' in full public view,” wrote Panda while sharing the Panda.
The BJP National Vice-President further wrote, “Such inhuman act of the ruling party in Bengal is proof of the pathetic condition of the tribals in the state. TMC is worried about Dalits-Tribals only at the time of vote.”
BJP में शामिल होने पर ऐसी क्रूरता! तीन आदिवासी महिलाओं को खुलेआम 'दंडवत परिक्रमा' करते हुए TMC ऑफिस पहुंचने पर मजबूर किया गया!
— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) April 13, 2023
बंगाल में सत्तारूढ़ दल का यह अमानवीय कृत्य प्रदेश में आदिवासियों की दयनीय स्थिति का सबूत है। TMC को दलितों-आदिवासियों की चिंता सिर्फ वोट के समय होती है। pic.twitter.com/LYrDBTcTrH
Earlier on Saturday, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar had also alleged that the women were forced to crawl to the TMC office as ‘penance’ for joining BJP.
Majumdar also shot off a letter to the President of India Droupadi Murmu and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes highlighting about the atrocities on Tribals in West Bengal.
“TMC has time and again insulted tribal people. This takes it even higher. This is highly condemnable. We firmly stand with our karyakartas and will do everything to protect them,” Majumdar had tweeted.
Wrote to Hon’ble President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu ji about the atrocities on tribals by TMC goons in West Bengal. @rashtrapatibhvn pic.twitter.com/Lx7kMikxz6
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) April 10, 2023
The decision was taken on Thursday afternoon at a meeting chaired by party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which was attended by 33 out of the 35 Trinamool MPs.
"Each member was given the opportunity to present his/her views in front of the Chief Minister. Thereafter, 85 per cent of the MPs present at the meeting voiced in favour of abstaining from voting in the Vice Presidential poll," Trinamool's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee told mediapersons after the meeting.
He said while the question of supporting NDA nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar does not arise, Trinamool has strong objections to the opposition parties announcing the candidature of Margaret Alva as their candidate without consulting the Trinamool leadership or Mamata Banerjee.
"Discussions were on with us over some probable names as the opposition candidate. But we were surprised in the manner in which suddenly a meeting of some opposition parties was convened at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar after which the name of Margaret Alva was announced as the opposition candidate.
"We have nothing against Margaret Alva. Mamata Banerjee shares a good relationship with her. But the point is her name was announced without consulting the Trinamool leadership," said Abhishek Banerjee.
When asked if Trinamool's decision will adversely impact the anti-BJP opposition unity in the country, Abhishek Banerjee said that opposition unity is not that fragile and it doesn't depend on voting in the Presidential or Vice Presidential polls.
"We are abstaining because we did not like the manner in which the name of the opposition candidate was announced without consulting us. But that does not mean that this development will affect the bigger opposition unity," he said.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, along with central leaders of the party were present at the hour-long meeting held in a city hotel.
Around 65 MLAs and 16 MPs of the saffron party were present at the meeting and assured her of support in the presidential poll, according to sources in the state BJP.
Murmu is visiting various states to garner the support of lawmakers.
All of us have assured full support to her and wished her success, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said.
Our Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, who was not present at the meeting in Kolkata, has already met her in Siliguri on Monday. Other BJP who were absent were either sick or had met her in Siliguri, like our Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba, a state BJP leader said.
The party's Bhatpara MLA Pawan Singh was not invited to the programme. His father, party MP Arjun Singh had recently switched over to the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Ghosh while speaking to reporters exuded confidence that many TMC lawmakers might vote in favour of Murmu.
After the comment by the chief minister we are hopeful that many TMC lawmakers will vote for the NDA candidate for the presidential poll. The TMC is in a dilemma about whom to vote after Mamata Banerjee's comment, he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently said that Murmu, a tribal BJP leader from Odisha , could have been a consensus candidate had the saffron camp disussed it with the opposition parties before fielding her.
Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim, however, dubbed Ghosh's claim as "baseless".
"TMC is a disciplined party and the party lawmakers will vote for the opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, he said.
Major non-BJP parties of the countrylike the Congress and TMC have named Sinha, a former union minister, as the joint nominee for the presidential election.
The BJP at present has 17 Lok Sabha MPs from West Bengal. Arjun Singh has switched over to TMC but is yet to resign as a parliamentarian.
In the 294-member West Bengal assembly the saffron camp has 75 MLAs. However, five of them have joined TMC without resigning as legislators.
Earlier in the day, Murmu visited the ancestral house of Swami Vivekananda in north Kolkata.
A meeting of opposition leaders, called by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was held here on building consensus on zeroing in on a joint opposition candidate.
In the meeting, a resolution was passed to field a common candidate in the next Presidential poll.
"In the forthcoming Presidential election which is being held on the 75th anniversary of India's independence, we have decided to field a common candidate who can truly serve as custodian of the Constitution and stop the Modi government from doing further damage to Indian democracy and India's social fabric," it said.
Banerjee said all important political parties sent their representatives and several senior leaders attended the meeting.
"One or two parties did not attend the meeting and they must have their reason. All the members in the meeting unanimously named Sharad Pawar. If Pawar is ready, it is ok. If not, then names will come for political parties. It (name) will be discussed and decided. Today is the beginning and I think after so many months we sat together and we will do it again... for the bulldozing going on in the country's democratic system. Every institution is totally misused politically and it is necessary we must sit together," she said.
An opposition leader present in the meeting said that the Trinamool supremo proposed the name of NCP chief Pawar and everyone agreed.
"But Pawar refused and said he will be active in politics till his death."
Banerjee also suggested names of Farooq Abdullah and Gopalkrishna Gandhi for opposition nominee for Presidential polls but no discussion was held on the names. It is learnt that opposition leaders will meet again on June 21 to finalise the candidate.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Congress will play a constructive role in ensuring that the parties assembled here this afternoon arrive at a consensus candidate in the next few days. Let us be proactive and not be reactive. The Congress has no particular candidate in mind. It will sit together with all of you and arrive at a candidate acceptable to all."
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, NCP chief Pawar, Congress' Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and Randeep Singh Surjewala, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference's Omar Abdullah, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, DMK's T.R. Balu, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi, RJD's Manoj Jha and others attended the meeting.
The presidential poll will be held on July 18 and counting of votes will take place on July 21.
The Bill was passed by a simple voice vote on the floor of the House as the BJP legislators staged a walkout. Soon after state Education Minister Bratya Basu rose to explain the state government's logic behind passing the Bill, the BJP legislators started protesting.
Basu asked them to occupy their seats. But they kept on protesting and shouting 'shame, shame' slogans and then staged a walkout.
On Monday only, a bill to replace governor with the Chief Minister as chancellor in the 31 state universities under the West Bengal education department was passed in the House. The state government also proposes to pass another Bill where state universities under departments other than education like health, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries sciences will also get the chief minister as the chancellor replacing governor.
All these bills that get passed on the floor of the House will be sent to the governor for his consent. The state government has already said that if the governor refuses to give consent to the Bills, they will be implemented through an ordinance.
Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari has already vowed to stop West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from being the chancellor of the state universities. "I will request the governor to send the Bill to Delhi since education is in the concurrent list," he said.
Pawar, however, refused, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said after his meeting with him.
Pawar met Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, and NCP leaders Praful Patel and P C Chacko in Delhi and conveyed to them his decision to not contest the election.
"I have been informed that Pawar will not be the opposition face for the presidential poll, other names are under consideration," said Yechury.
Opposition sources said Pawar was not keen to enter a battle which he is destined to lose at this point in his political career.
Banerjee is in Delhi for a meeting of non-BJP parties she has convened to formulate a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential poll.
Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, has convened the meeting on June 15 at the Constitution Club in the national capital for discussions to come out with a consensus opposition candidate.
The election of the President of India will be held on July 18.
Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, last week wrote to 22 opposition leaders and chief ministers requesting them to attend the meeting on June 15 at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
The TMC leadership is hopeful about the success of the meeting.
"We are very much hopeful that the meeting will be a success. As far as we know, all the 22 leaders will be represented at the meeting," a senior TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
She is also likely to meet some of the opposition leaders.
"After the meeting, there are chances that she will meet a few opposition leaders. But nothing is finalized as of now," the TMC leader said.
Banerjee wrote the letter to 22 leaders of non-BJP parties including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday.
In the letter, she said the presidential election provides the perfect opportunity for all progressive opposition parties to reconvene and deliberate on the future course of Indian politics when "the divisive force" is plaguing it.
The presidential elections are conducted indirectly through an electoral college consisting of elected members of Parliament and legislative assemblies of states and Union territories.
The number and value of votes of each voter from the state legislatures are worked out by a formula which takes into account the state's population in 1971.
This is the first-ever victory of a Trinamool candidate from Asansol since the creation of this Lok Sabha constituency.
Although the final margin of victory for both the constituencies are yet to be declared by the Election Commission, figures available from the counting centres confirmed the victory of Trinamool in both the constituencies.
In Ballygunge Assembly bypolls, Trinamool candidate and singer-turned politician, Babul Supriyo, defeated his nearest rival, CPI(M)'s Saira Shah Halim, by around 20,000 votes.
In Asansol Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool nominee and actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha defeated his nearest contestant, BJP's Agnimitra Paul, by a whooping margin of over 2.97 lakh votes.
However, Trinamool's victory margin in Ballygunge came down substantially this time compared to 2021, when its candidate and former state minister, late Subrata Mukherjee, defeated his nearest contestant, BJP's Loknath Chatterjee, by a massive margin of 75,359 votes.
Mukherjee passed away in November last year, which necessitated the bypolls in Ballygunge.
Out of the seven municipal wards under the Ballygunge Assembly constituency, in the two minority-dominated wards -- No. 64 and No. 65 -- Saira Shah Halim was ahead of Babul Supriyo.
In Ballygunge, BJP's Keya Ghosh was in the third position, followed by Congress' Kamruzzamn Chowdhury.
In Asansol, CPI(M)'s Partha Mukherjee and Congress' Prasenjit Patitundi were in the third and fourth positions, respectively.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Supriyo, as a BJP candidate, had defeated Trinamool nominee and actress-turned-politician Moon Moon Sen by a massive margin 1,97,637 votes from Asansol. However, after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Supriyo joined the Trinamool and also resigned as the Asansol MA, which necessitated the bypolls.
Hossain's statement was recorded by the CBI after he was questioned at the probe agency's camp set up at a government guest house in Rampurhat, an official said on Sunday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday had ordered the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Hossain for his involvement in the carnage.
Earlier, the police had also prepared a list of the accused, and the list prepared by the CBI is almost same.
Following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, a team of forensic experts led by the CBI officials went to Rampurhat and collected samples on March 25.
Before the court order, the police had lodged a case, and also claimed to have arrested 10 people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and others have accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of sheltering the accused.
The BJP had Banerjee of trying to cover up the incident. The Trinamool Congress, however, has denied all the charges.
After the Calcutta High Court order of handing over the probe to the CBI, the West Bengal government said that they would support the agency in conducting a fair probe.
Bhadu Sheikh, a Trinamool Congress leader and local deputy president of Rampurhat village was killed on March 21 by bike-borne assailants, after which a mob allegedly set several houses afire.
Next day, the police recovered the charred bodies of at least eight persons including children and women from a gutted house.
The Asansol seat was vacated by Supriyo, a former Union minister, after he quit the saffron party last year and joined the TMC.
The Ballygunge assembly seat fell vacant following the demise of state minister Subrata Mukherjee.
"Happy to announce on behalf of the All India Trinamool Congress that Sri Shatrughan Sinha, former Union Minister and famed actor, will be our candidate in Lok Sabha by-election from Asansol," the TMC boss tweeted.
"Sri Babul Supriyo, former union minister and noted singer, will be our candidate in Vidhansabha by-election from Ballygunge. Jai Hind, Jai Bangla, Jai Ma- Mati- Manush!" she wrote.
Sri Babul Supriyo, former union minister and noted singer, will be our candidate in Vidhansabha by- election from Ballygunge. Jai Hind, Jai Bangla, Jai Ma- Mati- Manush!(2/2)
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 13, 2022
Supriyo, in response, thanked Banerjee for providing him with the opportunity to serve people.
"I want to thank Didi for allowing me to serve the people of the state. I am grateful to her and would work for the development of the state," Supriyo told PTI.
The former BJP MP had joined the TMC last year, just months after he was dropped as a minister following a union ministry reshuffle.
Sinha, however, could not be reached for comment.
Speculation was rife that the actor-turned-politician would be joining the TMC, as he had heaped praise on Banerjee after last year's assembly polls.
'Bihari babu', as Sinha is often referred to, had said back then, "Politics is an art of possibility."
A popular Bollywood hero of the yesteryears, Sinha had joined the BJP in the early 80s when it was a party of two MPs and served as its star campaigner during the Vajpayee-L K Advani era.
He was a union minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee ministry when Banerjee was the railway minister.
The two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib later walked out of the BJP over differences with the present leadership. He joined the Congress and entered the poll fray from the same constituency in the 2019 polls but lost to former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Sinha had joined Banerjee's mega anti-BJP conclave at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata before the 2019 parliamentary polls when he was still an MP of the saffron camp.
Meanwhile, BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya took a dig at TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and the party's state youth wing chief Saayoni Ghosh over its decision to field Sinha from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency.
"It was widely speculated that TMC would field Saayoni Ghosh, president of party's youth wing, considered close to Abhishek Banerjee, from Asansol. But Mamata Banerjee, just to cut her nephew to size has fielded a complete outsider, not just for Asansol but Bengal, from the seat," Malviya tweeted.
Ghosh, in response, said, "Dear Mr.Malviya, Khamosh (silence)!!", borrowing a popular dialogue of Sinha in a Hindi blockbuster film in the 90s.
She had unsuccessfully contested from Asansol South assembly seat in the last year's state elections.
Lashing out at the TMC, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, the party, which had propagated the 'insider-outsider' narrative, must now tell people which category did Sinha fall under.
"The TMC had fought assembly elections on the poll plank of Bengali pride and propagated the insider-outsider theory. The party must now answer if Shatrughan Sinha is an insider or an outsider," Majumdar stated.
The TMC leadership, in a quick retort, said Sinha was a well-known actor with a pan-India appeal.
"For us, outsiders were BJP leaders, who just came to Bengal to win elections and had no attachment with the people here. Shatrughan Sinha is a well-known actor with a huge fan following. He is loved and respected in Bengal," TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh added.
A substantive motion is a self-contained, independent proposal submitted for the approval of the House and drafted in such a way as to be capable of expressing a decision of the House.
At a virtual meeting of the TMC parliamentary party in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, it was also decided that the MPs will take up the issue of alleged attack on the federal structure and "efforts by the Centre" to snatch away the states' rights, including its recent proposal to amend the IAS (Cadre) rules.
Although the issue regarding floor coordination with the Congress was not discussed, a section of the TMC MPs said the party is likely to adopt a "flexible approach" on this.
In the last winter session of Parliament, the party had decided against engaging in any form of floor coordination with the Congress.
"At the meeting, Rajya Sabha Chief whip Sukhendu Shekhar Ray spoke about bringing in a substantive motion against the governor in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget session," a senior TMC MP said on condition of anonymity.
It has been decided that Ray will bring in the motion, he said.
"The way the governor is meddling in the jurisdiction of the state is unprecedented. He is trying to create a problem and a controversy every day," he said.
On January 25, while speaking to the media after paying floral tributes at the statue of B R Ambedkar on the Assembly premises on the National Voters Day, the governor not only castigated the Speaker and the chief minister for allegedly not providing the information he had sought, but also described the political condition in West Bengal as horrible and frightening .
A day later, Speaker Biman Banerjee said that in future his office might enquire about the purpose of any visit by Dhankhar to the Assembly, other than constitutionally mandatory appearances such as the governor's address at the inaugural session of the House.
Since he took charge in 2019, Dhankhar has had several run-ins with the West Bengal government over various issues.
The TMC MP said the issues related to the alleged attack on the federal structure of the country would be raised in both Houses of Parliament.
"We will raise the issue of (proposed amendments to) IAS cadre rules, attack on federal structure, attempt to undermine the authority of states, especially opposition ruled states, discrimination in the distribution of Covid vaccines, the BSF's increased jurisdiction and bank privatisation," he said.
Till Wednesday, nine non-BJP ruled states have opposed the Centre's proposal that gives it an overriding power while deciding on central deputation of IAS officers, whereas eight others have given their consent.
The West Bengal CM had twice written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the proposed amendment to the IAS (Cadre) Rules claiming that it would lead to destruction of democracy.
When asked whether anything was discussed about floor coordination with the Congress, several TMC MPs replied in the negative.
"Most likely, this time we will adopt a flexible approach. We will continue to function as an opposition party. We have our own identity. We will raise issues concerning the masses, like weakening the federal structure.
"We will ask all opposition parties, including the Congress, to join us. Now whether they will join us or not depends on them," a TMC MP said.
The relationship between the Congress and the TMC had hit an all-time low in 2021. The TMC had slammed the grand old party over its alleged failure to fight against the BJP and dubbed it as an "incapable and incompetent" party that has gone into a "deep freezer".
The Congress has recently turned down the TMC's offer for an alliance in the upcoming Goa assembly polls.
Welcoming Paes (48) during a press conference, Banerjee recalled meeting Paes when the Olympic bronze medal winner was a teenager.
I was the sports minister of the country when I (first) met him, she said. I have got my younger brother and sweet and cute brother in the TMC, she added.
Paes told reporters that having retired from tennis, he wants to serve the people through the vehicle of politics to make a difference to country.
He said he had met Banerjee when he was 14 and she was the sports minister.
She was very encouraging and supportive. It enabled me as a young boy to embark on this game. I have travelled the world for the last 30 years playing for the country. I have retired from tennis and would like to get the guidance from the powerful young lady (Banerjee), he said.
Paes, who won the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished doubles players in the world, said he wants to make a difference in the lives of the people.
Didi is a lady of her words. She is a true champion, he added.
Nafisa Ali, who won the Femina Miss India title in 1976 and was the second runner-up at the Miss International contest, had contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from South Kolkata against Banerjee.
Goa-based entrepreneur Mrinalini Deshprabhu also joined the party in the presence of TMC MP Derek O'Brien.
The by-polls are being held in south Kolkata's Bhabanipur, besides Jangipur and Samserganj seats in Murshidabad district.
A total 6,97,164 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the three constituencies.
Votes will be counted on October 3.
Banerjee, who lost from the Nandigram constituency in the assembly elections earlier this year, has to win this by-poll to retain the chief minister's post.
Polls had to be countermanded in Jangipur and Samserganj in April following the death of two candidates.
As part of its elaborate security arrangements, the Election Commission has deployed 72 companies of central forces in the three constituencies, of which 35 are stationed in Bhabanipur alone, the officials said.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed within 200 metres of the polling centres.
Long queues were seen since early morning outside several booths across the constituencies. Voting will continue till 6 pm.
The polling centres have been stocked up with masks and sanitisers as part of the COVID-19 guidelines, the officials said.
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, is pitted against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas in Bhabanipur.
"Today, in the presence of National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, former union minister and sitting MP Babul Supriyo joined the Trinamool family," the official account of the AITC tweeted.
On July 31, Babul, also a playback singer, declared that he had quit politics and would soon resign as the MP too. He had cited a difference of opinion between him and the state BJP leaders, saying that it was "harming the party".
"I will continue to work constitutionally as an MP in Asansol. Politics is beyond the constitutional post and I withdraw myself from it. I will not join any other party. I will vacate the MP bungalow in Delhi and release security personnel from their duties soon," he was quoted saying.
A minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, Supriyo was dropped in a reshuffle that took place in the month of July. Post his leaving the saffron party, he had told media that if someone asks whether leaving the politics was somehow linked to losing ministry then he said that is true to some extent. He also added differences with the senior leadership since the assembly poll campaign as another reason.
It is yet to be seen whether Supriyo will resign from his Lok Sabha seat or leave it to the Bharatiya Janata Party to move the Speaker's office for his disqualification post the latest move.
Earlier in the day, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reduced the security cover of Babul from Z to Y category, an official ministry said.
Having joined BJP in 2014, Babul Supriyo has been elected twice from Asansol.
Currently, Nusrat has been dating Bengali actor Yash Dasgupta after her much-publicised estrangement with her husband Nikhil Jain. Speaking to the media recently, she referred to the talk about the father of her newborn child and had described the questions as a black spot on a woman's character. Nusrat revealed, "The father knows who the father is and we are having a great parenthood moment together. Myself and Yash, we are having a good time."
However, in the online birth certificate uploaded on Wednesday night, the father's name is mentioned as 'Debashis Dasgupta'. Though there was no mention of Yash in the birth certificate, Debashis, who contested and lost on the BJP ticket in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections from Chanditala in the Hooghly district, is the official name of Yash Dasgupta.
Nusrat, who is a TMC MP from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas, had mentioned in Parliament that she was married to Nikhil Jain. However, Nusrat had recently claimed that it was only a live-in relationship as the marriage was not accepted in India as legal after taking place in Turkey.
She will be pitted against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and Left Front's Srijib Biswas. The Congress has decided not to field a candidate against her.
The votes for Bhowanipore as also Jangipur and Samserganj will be counted on October 3 and results declared the same day.
Banerjee was accompanied by the wife of state cabinet minister Firhad Hakim at Survey Building in Alipore where she filed her nomination papers.
She was later seen greeting people with folded hands before boarding her car.
The people of Bhowanipore are eagerly waiting to rewrite history by ensuring Mamata Banerjee's victory by a record margin. They are waiting to avenge the conspiracy that was hatched to defeat Mamata di at Nandigram, Firhad Hakim told reporters.
TMC supporters lustily cheered their leader with slogans like Bhowanipore Nijer Ghorer Meyekei chai (Bhowanipore wants her own daughter) and Bhabanipur eh Khela Hobe (Game will happen in Bhabanipur).
For us, the challenge is not victory as we are confident about it. The challenge is to ensure Didi's win by a record margin, another TMC worker said.
Banerjee, a resident of Bhowanipore, had won the seat twice in 2011 and 2016 but shifted to Nandigram, where the anti-farmland acquisition movement against the Left Front government had transformed her into a major political force in the volatile state, to dare her former protege and now a BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on his home turf. Though Banerjee powered the TMC to a resounding win for a third straight term in office, she lost in Nandigram.
She now must win Bhowanipore to ensure an unbroken stint as the chief minister.
Banerjee is required to win a seat in the state assembly by November 5 in conformity with the constitutional provisions in order to continue as chief minister. The Constitution allows a non-member of a state legislature or Parliament to continue in a ministerial position without getting elected only for six months.
After her defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhowanipore, vacated the seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.
Reacting to her nomination, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said she will face the same fate as in Nandigram.
The BJP had defeated her in Nandigram. She will be defeated again in Bhowanipore. The people of the constituency will give her a befitting reply for the torture and violence her party unleashed after the assembly polls, he said.
Banerjee was first elected to the Assembly in a by-poll from Bhowanipore months after the TMC stormed to power ousting the 34-year-old Left Front dispensation in 2011.
She represented South Kolkata Lok Sabha seat, of which Bhowanipore is a segment, six times.
Here's a quick look at some updates ahead of the launch.
8 Opposition parties also say that protests this week by textile traders show that small traders and others are not ready for GST. They suggested postponing the launch. Mamata Banerjee, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, said the "unnecessary hurry to roll out GST is another epic blunder of the Centre."
It may be mentioned here that it is the fourth time since Independence that an event will be held at the Central Hall at midnight. The last three celebrated India's Independence. GST, which replaces a slew of indirect taxes with a unified tax, is set to dramatically reshape the country's economy.
(With inputs from NDTV)
The Statement of the Tribal Affairs minister came hours before Banerjee's scheduled visit to Odisha today.
"Naveen Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee are equally sad as they both have partnered the chit fund scams. So they are meeting repeatedly to share their sorrows. Perhaps, both may enter into an alliance. Their leaders, cine-stars and party workers have duped the people. They would be punished for such sin", Jual Oram said.
"Apparently terming Narendra Modi as top fighter, the Sundergarh MP made a satirical remark against the leaders of the two prominent regional parties.”Hundred lame persons cannot take on a strong fighter", Oram said.
Reacting to Jual's apprehension, BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik rejected the coalition remarks of the Union Minister. "His statement is false and baseless", Patnaik said adding that there is no plan to meet TMC president.
If sources are to be believed, she will address a gathering on April 19 in the capital city here, to counter the BJP’s poll strategy ahead of the 2019 general elections. Speculation is rife that Banerjee in her address to the rally would train her guns against the BJP and its government at the Centre.
Arya Kumar Gyanendra, the state convenor of TMC however said, her tour is "purely personal and has nothing to do with politics".
Gyanendra said, after arriving here on Tuesday evening, Mamata will make a night stay in Puri and pay obeisance to the Holy Trinity the next morning. On Wednesday, she will be in Bhubaneswar and attend several programmes. Mamata will return to Kolkata on Thursday morning. Official sources said she would be a State guest during her three-day tour.
Asked whether Banerjee would meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Gyanendra said, "We have no information in this regard."
Highly placed sources, however, said Banerjee is likely to meet Patnaik during her visit. On April 10, both the chief ministers had met at the Parliament House in New Delhi.
The proposed meeting of the two non-BJP and neighbouring chief ministers assume significance as the ruling parties in Odisha and West Bengal have been entangled in the chitfund scam which is being investigated by CBI.
As both the regional parties - TMC and BJD are being targetted by BJP Banerjee and Patnaik may draw a specific strategy to counter the saffron surge in their respective states.
National media reports said Ms Banerjee is also expected to visit her ailing party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay who has been admitted to a private hospital here following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam.
Though TMC has already set up its unit in Bhubaneswar its presence has not turned out to be impressive so far, sources added.
The party workers would stage demonstration followed by a protest meeting at Lower PMG here from 11 AM to 3 PM. TMC general secretary and MP Subrat Baxi, West Bengal Education Minister Patha Chatterjee, Water Resources Minister Saumen Mahapatra and Ramnagar MLA Akhil Giri are scheduled to participate in the protest.
Earlier on Monday, a group of TMC activists staged a demonstration in front of CBI office here protesting arrest of MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay in the Rose Valley ponzi scam. Besides, the court granted a four-day remand to MP Sudip after his six-day remand period ended on Monday.
Bhubaneswar: Arrested All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was taken on a 4-day remand by the CBI for the second time in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund scam while the party continued its attack on the Centre accusing it of political vendetta.
The Central investigating agency produced Sudip in the CBI Special CJM Court after his six-day remand ended today and applied to take him on 8-day remand. However, the court allowed to take him on 4-day remand.
“Till the time the parliament session in on, the Modi-led government will not leave us,” said Sudip while he was brought to the special CJM court in Bhubaneswar earlier in the day.
Reacting to the statement of the TMC MP, State BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan said, “An institution was robbing the general public and the Party was supporting it and has also received money from it. Does Sudip have the moral authority to make such comments?”
Also Read: TMC to take out protest rally in Bhubaneswar
On the other hand, TMC also intensified its protest against arrest of Sudip as members of the party staged demonstration in front of the CBI office here in Bhubaneswar. The party has also planned a bigger protest tomorrow. Alleging that the Centre is conspiring against the party which has been vocally protesting its demonetization move, the TMC also targeted BJP MP Babul Supriyo.
“Sudip is innocent and he is locked up here and Babul Supriyo who is guilty has not been nabbed. The Modi government wants to protect its own party leader,’ said a TMC leader Mohammed Ali.
On the other hand, urging President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention to "save" the people from the "brink of disaster" following demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today alleged that the Narendra Modi government had turned the CBI into the "Conspiracy Bureau of India".
"They (Modi government) have turned the CBI into the Conspiracy Bureau of India," she said, referring to the agency's arrest of TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam.
"I have been an MP for 23 years and have seen many governments, but have never seen such a government which only sees conspiracy if someone protests," the Trinamool Congress chief said, claiming that the situation was "worse than that of the Emergency days of 1975".
"We do not care about that. If he can, Modi babu may put all of us in jail, but we will not stop talking for the people," she said at Burdwan while inaugurating the 'Mati Utsav' (Soil Festival).
"Even if they take us from Bengal to Odisha, Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, it does not matter. Every place is our country," Banerjee said.
According to sources, CBI is trying to establish the links of the TMC MP with the Rose Valley group, the benefits he has availed from the chit fund company and the nexus of other politicians to the group.
In connection with the case, Sudip’s wife Naina was also once again seen at the CBI Bhubaneswar office today. Sources informed that a Bollywood and Bengal cine actress could be called for interrogation by CBI for her links with the tainted ponzi firm.
Tapas, who is under judicial custody after being arrested by the CBI in the multi crore ponzi scam, had earlier moved the court seeking bail on health ground. The court had rejected his plea following the argument of CBI counsel that the investigating agency could not interrogate Pal as the MP kept sleeping most of the time and complaining about his health. Therefore, the agency could not extract facts from him, the CBI counsel had contended.
Pal was arrested by central probe agency from Kolkata on December 30 and was produced in court in Bhubaneswar in the following day.
The parliamentarian, while working as a director of Rose Valley Group in 2010, had allegedly appointed his wife, daughter and niece in different positions. He was arrested from Kolkata by the CBI on 30 December and brought to Bhubaneswar on 31 December.
Rose Valley had allegedly taken Rs 450 crore from its poor investors in Odisha, a chargesheet filed by the CBI in January 2016 had said.
Alleging that BJD and TMC have struck an undeclared alliance, Odisha BJP vice president Sameer Mohanty today told media persons that the ruling-party in Odisha has agreed to provide its own people for a rally planned by TMC in Odisha on January 10.
Moreover, Mohanty also asked who was the ruling party MLA from Cuttack who arranged a rented house in Mancheswar area of Bhubaneswar for Rose Valley Group chief Goutam Kundu’s media venture? Moreover, he also indicated that a BJD minister had also arranged a meeting of Kundu with CM Naveen Patnaik.
Citing that two and a half years have passed and the affected investors are yet to get back their money; Mohanty said that the Odisha BJP will make this a poll issue in the upcoming Panchayat Elections.
“There is an undeclared alliance between BJD and TMC. Two and a half years have passed since the government’s assurance but the chit fund scam-affected investors are yet to get back their money. It is a known fact in some quarters that Goutam Kundu was in Odisha to set up a media house. The CM should clarify who arranged a meeting with Kundu,” said Mohanty.
In response to BJP’s allegation, BJD minister Damodar Rout said “The CBI took up the chit fund investigation on Supreme Court directive. Now the BJP is in power at the Centre and the CBI is a central agency, so why they are not cracking the chit fund case as soon as possible? I am not against the incrimination of the real culprits. Now the BJP is alleging that a Cuttack MLA is linked and is not naming him. Hence the whole thing should be investigated first to find out who the person is”
“BJP is bringing these baseless allegations to stay in media limelight and in view of the upcoming Panchayat Elections. Without any proof and basis it seems like they are only bluffing,” said BJD spokesperson Rabi Narayan Nanda.
Also Read: Chit fund scam: BJP alleges BJD link with arrested TMC MPs
On the other hand the Congress has alleged that BJD MLA from Cuttack-Barabati, Debashis Samantray is linked to Goutam Kundu and he arranged a meeting of the ponzi firm chief with the Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
“Debashis Samantray was involved in Aashta chit fund and there was a Mercedes car in his driver’s name. However, the whole issue was covered up. The manner in which the links of TMC MPs with Kundu have surfaced, I want to inform all that the ponzi firm chief shared links with Odisha CM and MLAs. In the Rose Valley scam involvement of lot of people here will come out in the open. Hence we demand that the CBI should bring the MLA and others into the purview of its investigation,” said President of Cuttack Nagar Congress, Mohammed Moquim.
“CBI is investigating the matter and in case someone is involved then the investigating agency will be the first to reveal the details. Without CBI naming anyone, I don’t understand why they are making such allegations. Seems like the CBI wants them to bring out such random names or they themselves are making these allegations to tarnish BJD’s image,” responded Debashis.
Nayna, an MLA herself, who showed up at the CBI office here, also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the central investigation agency as a 'caged parrot.'
“It is very much clear that the CBI is being used by the BJP. From back to back arrest of two TMC leaders, it is evident that political vendetta is the reason behind Sudip's arrest,” Nayna told media persons.
Though it remains unclear whether Nayna deposed before the CBI or she on her own had gone to the office to meet her husband who is in CBI custody, official sources said she spent around one hour in the office.
CBI sources said Sudip is likely to be interrogated about the extent of his alleged association with Gautam Kundu, the arrested chairman of Rose Valley. He will also be asked about the favours he allegedly received from Kundu.
The TMC MP will face questions about a trip he made to Europe two years before the scandal broke. The CBI
claims that Rose Valley paid around Rs 22 lakh for the trip, and that a luxury car he used was also provided by the company.
A special court here on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Sudip and remanded him to six-day CBI custody. He was arrested by the CBI on Tuesday in connection with the scam which led to violent protests by TMC workers. The MP's arrest came days after the arrest of another party MP Tapas Paul in the same case.
A CBI statement Sudip has been charged under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 408 (criminal breach of trust), 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) and various sections of Prize, Chits and Money Circulation (Banning) Act of 1978. Earlier, CBI had arrested another TMC MP Tapas Pal in connection with the same case and kept him in remand for three days.
The Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of about Rs 17,000 crores in different States and in Odisha alone it is said to be Rs 450 crore. The case is being investigated both by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). While Pal was one of the directors of the group, Sudip is accused of being a promoter of the ponzi firm.
Party workers led by TMC MLA from Ramnagar Akhil Giri have also announced to organise a mega rally on January 10 in protest against the arrest of Sudip and another MP Tapas Paul arrested three days earlier in the same case.
The party alleged that arrest of the MPs in the case is a conspiracy of BJP-led Central government to wipe out the TMC in West Bengal. “BJP has hatched a vain plan to eliminate our party after Mamata Banerjee took out nationwide movement against demonetisation. We are going to organise a mega rally in Bhubaneswar on January 10 protesting CBI action. The allegations against our MPs are completely baseless”, Giri said.
BJP had received a huge set back in the general election in West Bengal. That is only reason of BJP being vindictive, Giri added.
Also read: Rose Valley scam: Tapas Paul’s daughter appears before CBI for 2nd time
The lawyer of the arrested parliamentarian, meanwhile, said that he will soon file a petition in the court for bail. "Definitely, we will pray court bail as he has some health related issues. We will produce the documents regarding this and hope the court will consider our plea", advocate Rajiv Majumdar said.
He further added that CBI has to prove the allegation that Sudip has taken some amount from the ponzi firm. He is a mere accused and all allegations against him are baseless. Sudip has been arrested with a politically vindictive approach, Majumdar told reporters.
Trinamool workers had also laid siege to the state BJP headquarters in central Kolkata soon after the arrest TMC strong man. Senior party leaders staged a dharna in front of the CBI's Salt Lake office from where Bandyopadhyay was flown to Bhubaneswar yesterday.
The MP himself had called his arrest a "reward for good performance in Parliament". Bandyopadhyay , a four-time MP and former Union minister, is the fifth and most high-profile Trinamool leader to be arrested in Ponzi scam related cases so far. On Friday, another party MP and actor, Tapas Paul, was arrested in the same case.
As per the CBI notice, Sohini arrived in Bhubaneswar today to appear before the agency.
Tapas allegedly gave senior posts to his wife, daughter and nephew in Rose Valley company.
Notably, CBI officials are trying to find out the post in which Sohini was working in the firm and the amount transacted during her tenure.
On the other hand, Tapas was taken to the Capital hospital on account of his mental illness. The doctor treating Tapas informed that even if Tapas can be said to be ill medically, he still can face CBI interrogation.
“Despite his frontal lobe has been operated upon, road accident and symptoms of epilepsy and diabetes, he is healthy. He is not completely normal but he is not so serious that he cannot face interrogation,” said Dr Prashant Mohapatra of Capital Hospital.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Babul Supriyo has said that he will file a defamation suit against Tapas after the latter dragged the minister’s name into the graft case.
Tapas was one of the directors of the tainted chit fund group that has allegedly duped investors in Odisha, West Bengal and some other states. He is also accused of promoting the company and "misleading" people to deposit money in the firm.
In its charge sheet submitted in the court on January 7, CBI had accused the ponzi firm of duping investors of Rs 17,000 crore, of which Rs 450 crore is from Odisha alone. The company was active in Odisha and had 28 branches in the state.
Replying to queries fielded by newsmen, Paul, while being taken on a three-day CBI remand starting today, said, “Many leaders including Supriyo are involved in the chit fund scam. He tricked me into the scam and he is involved in it," he alleged.
When asked on the involvement of Satabdi Roy in the chit fund scam, Paul declined of having any knowledge about links between the woman TMC MP and Rose valley.
"I am innocent. I am not guilty at all. Everything will be proved later," Paul told the reporters while getting into a car of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here after a health check-up in a hospital.
Also read: Rose Valley scam: TMC MP denied bail, sent to 3-day CBI custody
He added, “The truth will see the light soon.”
Terming his arrest as "politically motivated", his wife Nandini Paul reiterated his claims, saying the actor-turned-politician was not involved in anything illegal.
"It is definitely politically motivated," Nandini said.
"He hasn't done anything illegal. He worked as a director in a film produced by the Rose Valley and received monthly remuneration by cheque after TDS deduction. I know he hasn't taken any money apart from the remuneration," she said.
Hours after, the Bollywood singer and union minister has mentioned in his tweeter page that he will soon file defamation case against the TMC MP. "I shall file a defamation case against this Crazy Man• Though I still like 2 believe that he hasn't said this", he tweeted.
He further tweeted "I have instructed my lawyers to IMMEDIATELY initiate Defamation case against Taposh & Nandini Paul•He needs to be taught a stringent lesson".
He said that he has nothing to give to CBI in the case as he had performed as a singer. "Surprisingly I have no information about anyone to give to CBI • I just performed as a singer/actor • NOTHING LESS NOTHING MORE", Supriyo tweeted.
Paul was arrested on Friday afternoon by the CBI sleuths from Kolkata after being interrogated for four hours for his alleged links with the ponzy scheme.
He was shifted to Bhubaneswar in the late hours of Friday on transit remand.
The Special Chief Judicial Magistrate's court of the CBI in Bhubaneswar on Saturday allowed the agency to take the Trinamool MP on a three-day remand.
"Gates, welcome arches, posters, cut-outs, festoons have been vandalised ahead of our national president's rally. Gates have set on fire. Vehicles carrying our supporters are being stopped in many places," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.
BJP supporters and activists were threatened and harassed so that they could not attend the programme, he alleged.
"Despite all these, our supporters are active and the process of 'paribartan' (change) has been started," he added.
After high drama over denial of permission for facilitating the landing of Shah's chopper in Malda, the state's BJP leadership said that they finally received the clearance at two places in the district.
The BJP received permission to land the chopper at the helipads in Golden Park Hotel here and the one used by the Border Security Force in Malda district.
In a Facebook post, he said the opposition had a negative anti-Modi agenda and they were seeking to take the best advantage of the electoral arithmetic.
"A negative campaign works when there is a strong anti-incumbency. When there is a comfort level with the government and its leader, a set of more satisfied people vote a government back," he said.
"It is only the fear of his popularity and comeback that is bringing them together. The Prime Minister remains by far the most popular, decisive and dynamic leader of the present set of politicians.
"His integrity, emphasis on ethics, decisiveness, growth-oriented politics, has made aspirational India to accept him. He has singularly decimated all caste-based parties and dynastic political groups in 2014," he said.
Jaitley welcomed the opposition making Modi's continuation in office a key political issue.
"If a second term for Modi is the issue, it is advantage BJP. The election will be more presidential. If negativism is the political campaign in an aspirational nation, it won't work. If arithmetic is the only hope, the Modi chemistry can prevail over it," he said.
Jaitley, however, admitted that coming together of BSP and SP in Uttar Pradesh and Congress and the JD-S in Karnataka may change arithmetic combinations.
"Except in Uttar Pradesh and to a lesser extent Karnataka, the arithmetical combination does not appear to be any significantly different from 2014. The whole emphasis in these two states is on caste coalitions. Vote transferability in such caste coalitions is not so simple. Local chemistries react differently," he said.
Referring to the Kolkata rally organised by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, he said it was an anti-Modi rally but more significantly it was also a non-Rahul Gandhi rally.
"The opposition politics has thrown up four desirous Prime Ministers wishing to challenge Modi. Besides Mamata Banerjee, the other three - Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and KCR - were significantly absent in Kolkata. Two-third of those on stage were those who in the past have worked with the BJP," he said.
"Negativism was writ large in their approach. The strategy of each of the four contenders is clear," he said.
Jaitley slammed the presence of former BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and party MP Shatrughan Sinha at the rally, saying some octogenarians reached there to "satisfy their late-life ambitions".
The Minister said the BJP and NDA had to be prepared for a battle for a 50 per cent vote in the direct fight contest.
"People are more intelligent than what many politicians think... They never choose chaos as an option. What has been presented by the opposition is a post-election leadership battle, no common programme, no policy and a disastrous memory of their administrative disabilities.
"Experimented, tried and failed ideas only scare voters. They convey no appeal. People want a five year government, not a six month one," he said.
"The India of 2019 has moved way ahead of India of 1971. Aspirational society never commit a collective suicide. They do not suffer from a Lemming Syndrome.
"Will 2019 be a replica of 1971? It is Modi vs an unviable and an unworkable short-lived combination? OR is it Modi vs Chaos," he ended.
According to a report by election watchdog, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a total of 4,201 donations of above Rs 20,000, amounting to Rs 469.89 crore were declared by the seven national parties for the year.
Of the total donations, BJP got the lion's share with 2,977 donations followed by the Congress which has declared receiving Rs 26.658 crore.
The total donations received by the BJP is more than 12 times the aggregate declared by the rest of the national parties-- Congress (INC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).
The total donations of the national parties, during the year dipped by Rs 119.49 crore from the previous year.
The BJP's donations have decreased by 18 per cent from Rs 532.27 crore it received in 2016-17 while the Congress' donations decreased from Rs 41.90 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 26.658 crore during 2017-18.
The Mayawati-led BSP declared that it did not receive any donations above Rs 20,000 during the year.
It is mandatory for political parties to provide details of all donations of more than Rs 20,000 to the Election Commission annually.
Of the total donations, 1,361 amounting to Rs 422.04 crore were made by corporate/business sectors while 2772 individual donors donated Rs 47.12 crore in the year.
The CPI-M garnered Rs 2.75 crore from 196 donations, while the NCP collected Rs 2.08 crore through 42 donations. The CPI got Rs 1.14 crore from 176 donations while Trinamool Congress got Rs 20 lakh from 33 donations.
In an official communication to the BJP, that was made public by the opposition party, the government quoted intelligence reports to claim that the "yatras" (rallies) would be turned into "communal propaganda with the likely participation of "organisations with overtly communal agenda" like the "RSS, VHP and the Bajrang Dal".
"The areas proposed to be covered by the yatra are, because of publicity and propaganda, gradually turning into communally sensitive pockets. Intelligence reports indicate the public perception is that the religious overtones of the yatras will be turned into communal propaganda," said the letter signed by three top government officials and addressed to West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh.
"Intelligence reports also indicate that in several districts, organisations with overtly communal agenda, such as the RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP would actively join the yatra," it stated, adding, "there is grave apprehension of major breach of peace and communal violence during and in the aftermath of the yatra."
The saffron outfit was scheduled to hold three yatras in north Bengal's Cooch Behar, South 24 Pargana district's Gangasagar and Birbhum district's temple town Tarapith.
The missive said the "large convoys of the yatras would create a chaotic situation and grave disruption of traffic on aerial roads and highways".
"We are therefore, of the opinion that, for reasons which have been elaborately mentioned... it is not possible to allow the Yatra as proposed by the BJP," said the letter signed by chief secretary Moloy De, home secretary Atri Bhattacharya and director general of police Virendra, who represented the state government in Thursday's meeting with BJP representatives.
Angry over the government's decision, BJP state vice president Pratap Banerjee called it "politically motivated", "in total disregard of the laws and regulations."
"At the insistence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the administration has not given the nod to the programme. They want to put a curb on BJP's political programmes," said BJP state VP, asserting, "we will talk to our leadership and decide on the next step."
"We have held a meeting here on Saturday night and decided not to cast our votes in favour of Congress-led opposition-backed presidential candidate Meira Kumar since she is also supported by the CPI-M," Tripura TMC President Ashish Saha told IANS here.
"Since there is no candidate other than Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar, we might support the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) candidate. The picture would be clear within the next few days," he said.
Saha, one of the six TMC legislators, said that "it is final that all the six party legislators in Tripura would not cast their votes in favour of CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) supported nominee".
The TMC, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is officially supporting opposition-backed contender Meira Kumar, the former Lok Sabha Speaker.
There are media reports that BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav and Assam's powerful BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), have urged the TMC legislators in Trip-ura to vote for Kovind.
According to media reports, all the six TMC legislators ae likely to join the BJP this month.
Saha said: "It was not yet decided that the TMC MLAs would join BJP. We want a united fight in the next year's assembly elections in Tripura to oust the CPI-M led Left Front government from power."
"We might do any sacrifice to vote out the Left parties in the next assembly polls," he added.
Last week, BJP's Tripura unit President Biplab Kumar Deb said that the party's doors are shut for the nine TMC and Congress legislators.
Deb had told reporters: "In consultation with the party's central leaders, we had earlier announced a deadline of May 31 for the entry of the nine TMC and Congress MLAs into BJP. That deadline being over, the doors are also accordingly shut for them."
"It is, however, open for other leaders and workers of the TMC, Congress and other parties but not for the nine sitting MLAs," he added.
Six Congress MLAs, led by Sudip Roy Barman, resigned from the party last year and have joined the TMC in protest against the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left parties in the West Bengal assembly elections.
Another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, resigned from the Tripura assembly and re-joined the ruling CPI-M, reducing the Congress' strength in the state assembly to three. Sarkar joined BJP last month.
The TMC's Tripura unit former President and former Minister and also the former President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, Surajit Datta, party's Tripura unit coordination committee chief Ratan Chakraborty, TMC's Tripura unit's founder-chairman and incumbent Vice-President Arun Chandra Bhowmik and many other state committee members had joined the BJP in the past few months.
Besides, several thousand workers from the Congress, TMC and CPI-M also walked over to the BJP, making it (BJP) the main opposition party in Tripura. The state goes to elect a new assembly in about eight months.
Meanwhile, the Congress has also recently served a show cause notice to senior legislator Ratanlal Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders, including party President Amit Shah".
"We have served a show cause notice to Ratanlal Nath last month (May) for his closeness with BJP leaders, including Biplab Deb," Tripura state Congress President Birajit Sinha said.
According to Congress sources, Nath might be expelled from the party after the presidential election on July 17.
The Khordha District and Sessions Judge court rejected the bail plea of Bandyopadhyay.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested the four-time Lok Sabha member from Kolkata on January 3. Bandyopadhyay is presently lodged in Jharpada Special Jail here.
Another TMC MP Tapas Pal has also been lodged in Jharpada jail for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam.
According to CBI sources, the Rose Valley group has allegedly duped investors in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, MP, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh of nearly Rs 17,000 crore.
Bandyopadhyay was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund scam.
Banerjee demanded the arrest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah instead.
"We strongly condemn the politically vindictive attitude of Modi and Amit Shah. They have arrested our Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay. He is a veteran politician and senior leader of our party.
"It is all because of our fight against NoteBandi (note ban). We are and will be with the people. Nothing can stop us from being with the people and we will continue with our protest against NoteBandi," she added.
"We condemn, condemn and condemn this," she said in a Facebook post.
Banerjee said her party will launch pan-India protests against the Centre's vindictive attitude.
"We will hold a demonstration in front of Kolkata RBI on January 9 and there will be dharnas in 10 different states including Delhi, Assam, Odisha and Tripura on January 10 and 11," she said.
"I also run a government and I also have the power to arrest certain people who are thieves, hooligans and extortionists. This arrest has been made under pressure from the PMO.
"This is vendetta politics because the Trinamool is fighting against the Centre over demonetisation," she told the media earlier.
"The regional parties are enough to tackle the BJP," Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee told reporters after a 10- minute meeting with Patnaik at his residence here.
Asked about the threat to regional parties, particularly from the BJP in wake of the Uttar Pradesh assembly poll results, Banerjee shot back "I do not believe that they (BJP) are a threat."
Coming down heavily on the BJP, she said the party (BJP) divides people and split political parties, a tactics that the regional parties do not resort to.
"They divide parties. Sometimes they purchase ministers, MLAs and whatever they can.
"They create division among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, tribals and scheduled caste people. They even create division within the Hindu community. We regional parties do not do that. We say Jai Jagannath as there is no caste, creed and religion in the Jagannth culture," said Banerjee.
To a question on the proposed federal front, the TMC chief said, "That is my consistent effort. We love regional parties and we want regional parties to persist and grow."
"In the federal structure, regional parties strengthen the very system under the Constitution," she said adding all states are important in a federal setup.
"We are already in the federal structure. Look, he (Naveen) is Odisha Chief Minister and I belong to West Bengal.
Therefore, I say all regional parties are there. Secular parties are always secular and are together," she said.
Asked whether she finds a natural ally in Patnaik's BJD, Banerjee said "We have great respect for it."
On the upcoming Presidential election, she said "It is still early for that. If he (Naveen) proposes any name, I will talk to him. Don't worry. We have the best of relationship."
The two chief ministers, who spoke to the press together, maintained that their meeting was not political in nature and it was out of courtesy.
"I m very glad that honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal came to pay a courtesy call today," said Patnaik and denied having any political discussion with her.
The TMC supremo said "I m deeply honoured that Naveenji gave me time. I knew his father Biju Patnaik very well and he was very fond of me. He had helped me by sending an aircraft for a meeting when I was a Union minister of state for Women and Child Development."
As neighbouring states, it is good to keep in touch, she said adding "Politics is a continuous process."
"I wish Naveenji good health and that his party do better," she added.
Patnaik said he has invited Banerjee to lay foundation stone of West Bengal Bhavan at Puri.
TMC state president Arya Kumar Gyanendra said this after Banerjee met the party's state leaders in Puri.
"We have been instructed to create a field for the next urban polls and strongly oppose BJP everywhere in the state," Gyanendra told PTI after the meeting Banerjee.
Stating that TMC will leave no stone unturned to oppose BJP in Odisha, Gyanendra said "Mamataji has given us clear instructions to ensure that BJP fails in its bid to communalise Odisha. She also asked us to create TMC's presence in all 314 blocks of the state."
Banerjee has also said that she will soon appoint a TMC state in-charge, he said.
Asked about TMC's relationship with the ruling BJD, Gyanendra said "They (BJD) will do their work and the TMC is free to conduct its own programme. There is no bar on highlighting weakness of the state government."
"Banerjee has also given a clear signal that TMC will stand by the farmers, dalits, tribals and urban poor," he said adding, the state unit of TMC will hold a rally at Puri to be addressed by senior party leaders.
"This could happen one day. After all, we are a political party which is growing by the day. People may decide that (making Mamata the PM)," TMC general secretary and West Bengal state unit chief Subrata Bakshi said here.
He was speaking to reporters after addressing TMC's 'Fight Against Financial Emergency' rally, organised by the Odisha unit of the party.
"Looking at the prevailing political situation in the country, all the secular parties are assembling on one platform. However, who will lead them will only be answered in the future," Bakshi said.
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Claiming that the TMC's stock was improving by the day, he said, "We had only two MPs in 2004, which increased to 19 in 2009 and to 34 in 2014. Therefore, the party will grow further in 2019 too."
Asked about the party's existence outside West Bengal, Bakshi said it was stepping into different states.
"Today, we are staging agitations in eight states against Modi's demonetisation. We will hold such agitations in 29 states in the next three-four months," he said, adding that party chief Mamata Banerjee had all along been a people's leader who hit the streets whenever the people were put to trouble.
"Our leader opposed demonetisation the very next day Modi announced it. We will fight it out as the people are behind Mamata Banerjee," Bakshi said, claiming that the BJP's strength had been "declining by the day" after the 2014 general elections.
"BJP, which got seven MPs from Delhi, was first rejected by the people in the Assembly polls barely seven months after the 2014 general elections. In November 2015, the people of Bihar rejected it, though they had sent 31 of the 40 MPs from the party to Parliament in 2014. In Uttar Pradesh also, the people will reject the BJP in the February polls even though the party had won 70 of the 81 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections," the TMC leader said.
On the arrest of two TMC MPs in a chit fund scam, Bakshi said, "They (Centre) cannot stop Mamata Banerjee from raising her voice against the plight of the people. The CBI may arrest more TMC leaders, but we will continue to fight.
"Modi, Mayawati and Lalu have faced the CBI in the past. All of them had said that they were booked in false cases. Now, you decide what CBI is."
Former West Bengal minister Manas Bhunia, who also addressed the rally, demanded a clarification from the Centre on the death of "over 120 people due to demonetisation".