West Bengal

India: BJP trying to create armed cadre base through 'Agnipath' scheme: Mamata

Kolkata, Jun 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP-led central government over the Agnipath' scheme, alleging that the saffron camp was trying to create its own "armed cadre base through the new defence recruitment programme.

Terming the scheme as an insult to the armed forces, Banerjee also wondered whether the BJP plans to hire Agniveer' soldiers as "watchmen" at its party offices, after their four-year service period.

India: Kolkata on alert amid cyclone Asani forecast

Kolkata, May 8 (PTI) The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has put on alert its employees and disaster management teams in view of the formation of cyclonic storm Asani, which is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclone, mayor Firhad Hakim said on Sunday.

He said the leaves of all employees concerned are being cancelled to deal with any emergency evolving due to the cyclone, which he said is unlikely to hit the city but will bring heavy rains in its wake.

India: BJP worker found dead in Kolkata, Amit Shah to visit his home

Kolkata, May 6 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, will visit the home of a BJP worker who died in "mysterious" circumstances at Kashipur area of north Kolkata on Friday.

The body of Arjun Chowrasia, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader of the Kashipur area, was found hanging inside an abandoned building in Ghosh Bagan area, police said.

India: Left parties rally in Kolkata for communal harmony

Kolkata, Apr 26 (PTI) The Left parties Tuesday held a huge rally in Kolkata for peace and communal harmony.

CPI(M), CPI, All India Forward Bloc, RSP, CPI(ML) Liberation, SUCI (Communist), RCPI, MFB and Workers Party were among the Left parties that took part in the rally, which began at Moulali in central Kolkata and concluded in Narkeldanga.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI(M) state general secretary Md Salim and RSP general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya were among the leaders who participated in the march.

India: CBI arrests TMC leader in Congress councillor's murder

Purulia, Apr 13 (PTI) The CBI on Wednesday arrested a TMC leader in connection with the murder of Congress councillor Tapan Kandu in West Bengal's Purulia district, a senior officer said.

The man, a non-teaching staff at a primary school, was arrested in the early hours of the day after he was interrogated for around 21 hours by officers of the central agency, he said.

India: Stones hurled at Asansol BJP candidate's vehicle

Kolkata, Apr 12 (PTI) Stones were hurled allegedly at the vehicle of BJP's Lok Sabha bypoll candidate Agnimitra Paul on Tuesday morning, leading to tensions in Asansol.

Around 10 per cent turnout was recorded till 9 am in the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency and Ballygunge assembly segment where by-elections were underway, the Election Commission said.

Stones were hurled when security personnel baton-charged a group of TMC supporters who gheraoed Paul's vehicle, alleging that she tried to enter a polling booth along with her guards.

India: BJP's attempts to impose Hindi language on non-Hindi states will be resisted: TMC

Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI) The TMC on Friday said any effort to impose Hindi by the BJP-led Centre on non-Hindi speaking states will be resisted.

The party's assertion came a day after Shah, presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee here, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the official language, and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi.

India: Don't need lessons on law and order from Shah: TMC

Kolkata, Apr 7 (PTI) The TMC on Thursday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on the law and order situation in West Bengal and said that the party doesn't need lessons from him.

Speaking on the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill at Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Shah had recalled that he was attacked with firebombs in Bengal during his campaigns for 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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