West Bengal CM accuses BJP of using Army to dismantle protest stage in Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “politically misusing” the Indian Army after soldiers attempted to dismantle a stage erected by her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party at central Kolkata’s Dharmatala, near the Gandhi statue. The stage had been set up as part of weekly demonstrations by the ruling party to protest what it calls discrimination and harassment faced by Bengali-speaking migrant workers. Army personnel began removing the structure around midday, saying the party’s permission to keep it in place had expired, according to defence sources. Banerjee rushed to the site after being informed, accusing the BJP-led federal government of orchestrating the move. “They cut our microphone connections and broke the stage. The Army is not at fault; they are acting under Delhi’s instructions,” Banerjee told supporters. “When the Army has to follow BJP’s orders, it raises questions about where the country is heading.” Banerjee, who has often clashed with the central government over federal powers, said the protest would now be shifted to Rani Rashmoni Road, another designated venue for political rallies in Kolkata. The Army did not immediately comment beyond confirming that the temporary structure’s permission had lapsed. The BJP has not responded to Banerjee’s allegations.
West Bengal Speaker bans lawmakers from entering assembly with personal security guards
Lawmakers in West Bengal will no longer be allowed to enter the state assembly accompanied by personal security guards, Speaker Biman Banerjee said on Monday, amid a legal dispute over security arrangements for ruling and opposition members. Banerjee said the only exception would be the chief minister’s security detail, noting that they do not carry arms inside the assembly. Similar rules are in place in India’s Lok Sabha and other state legislatures, he added. The decision comes after the Calcutta High Court sought affidavits from Banerjee and Assembly Secretary Sukumar Roy following a petition filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP legislator Shankar Ghosh. The petitioners argued that while ruling Trinamool Congress lawmakers were allowed to enter with state police personnel, BJP legislators were denied entry with their Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) guards. Justice Shampa Sarkar of the high court questioned the disparity, asking why Trinamool lawmakers were permitted to bring state police into the assembly but BJP members could not be accompanied by central force personnel. Banerjee’s announcement came on the opening day of a special assembly session. He said the new rule would apply equally to all lawmakers regardless of party affiliation. BJP legislators, who typically receive central security, have said their guards are required to remain outside the assembly complex during sessions, housed in temporary camps. Trinamool legislators, by contrast, are protected by state police.
Powerful earthquake kills hundreds in Afghanistan, tremors felt across region
A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, killing at least 600 people and injuring more than 1,000, local media reported, as officials warned the toll could rise in remote mountainous areas. The 6.3-magnitude quake hit at 11:47 p.m. local time near Nangarhar province, about 27 km northeast of Jalalabad, at a shallow depth of eight kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Shaking was felt as far away as Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with aftershocks rattling New Delhi and parts of Pakistan. Afghanistan’s government said 250 people had been confirmed dead and 500 injured, while state broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) put the toll at more than 600 killed and 1,000 injured. The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled. Rescue operations were hampered by landslides and damaged infrastructure in Kunar province, where heavy rains and flooding earlier this month had already battered roads and villages. The defense ministry said it dispatched 30 doctors and 800 kg of medical supplies to the affected area. Taliban minister for disaster management, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, traveled to the region to oversee relief efforts. Hospitals in nearby towns reported being overwhelmed by the influx of casualties. “The number of wounded is rising every hour,” a provincial health official told Press, asking not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Afghanistan sits on the seismically active Hindu Kush region at the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, making it prone to devastating earthquakes. In October 2023, a 6.3-magnitude tremor in western Afghanistan killed nearly 2,000 people.
Thousands gather for grand Radha Ashtami celebrations at Mayapur ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Mayapur witnessed a sea of devotees on Sunday as thousands from India and abroad gathered to celebrate Radha Ashtami, marking the birth anniversary of Goddess Radha, consort of Lord Krishna. The festival began on Saturday evening with the traditional adhivas rituals, setting the stage for a day of elaborate ceremonies on Sunday. At dawn, devotees performed mangalarati (auspicious morning prayers) before the deities of Radha and Krishna, followed by devotional chanting, harinam sankirtan and a special mahabhishek (ceremonial bathing of the idols). Rasik Gauranga Das, ISKCON Mayapur’s spokesperson, also known as Ramesh Maharaj, said, “Radha Ashtami is one of the most sacred observances in our tradition. Every year, we organise special programmes to honour Srimati Radharani. She is inseparable from Krishna — they are one and the same, appearing together in different forms across the ages. The divine love of Radha for Krishna is pure and unconditional. If devotees imbibe even a fragment of that love, it can create an atmosphere of peace across the world.” The sprawling Chandrodaya temple complex was adorned with thousands of lights and decorations for the occasion. Devotees queued up from the early hours to offer prayers, with temple officials estimating that over 20,000 people received prasadam (consecrated food) during the celebrations. The festival continued until late evening, with spiritual discourses, cultural performances and devotional singing forming part of the programme. Authorities made extensive security arrangements to manage the large crowds, with additional measures in place compared to regular days. “We anticipated the surge of pilgrims this year as restrictions have been lifted. Our priority was to ensure that everyone could celebrate peacefully,” a temple official said. For the past two years, Radha Ashtami at Mayapur had been subdued due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with devotees barred from entering the temple premises. This year’s full-scale observance, unrestricted for the first time since the pandemic, brought a festive fervour back to the holy town. Alongside Radha Ashtami, the temple also marked Janmashtami — the birth of Lord Krishna — adding to the devotional atmosphere. Speaking on the significance of Radha, Rasik Gauranga Das emphasised the role of divine feminine power: “When the strength of the mother increases in society, only then will humanity in the age of Kali find true peace.” The Mayapur temple, ISKCON’s global headquarters, is one of the most important centres of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and continues to attract devotees from across the world.
Air India flight makes emergency landing in Delhi after engine fire; no injuries
An Air India flight bound for Indore returned to Delhi on Sunday morning after one of its engines caught fire shortly after take-off, the airline said. All passengers and crew were safe. Flight AI2913 departed Delhi for Indore when cockpit crew noticed flames in the right engine minutes after take-off. The pilots shut down the affected engine and turned the aircraft back to Delhi, where it landed safely, an Air India spokesperson said. The aircraft, which has two engines, continued flying on the left engine until it made its return. Passengers were unharmed, though the incident caused alarm on board. Air India said the aircraft is being inspected to determine the cause of the malfunction and that an alternative flight was arranged for passengers to continue their journey to Indore. The carrier apologised for the disruption. The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of Air India’s safety record. In June, an Ahmedabad-to-London Gatwick service crashed shortly after departure, killing all 260 people on board and several residents on the ground, raising concerns about the airline’s operational safety.
Supreme Court forces publication of disqualified teacher recruitment list
West Bengal’s School Service Commission (SSC) on Saturday published a list of 1,804 disqualified candidates in line with a Supreme Court order that barred “tainted” job-holders from sitting in upcoming recruitment exams. The court had directed the SSC to release the list within seven days, after questioning why earlier orders from the Calcutta High Court had not been implemented. Drama unfolded at the SSC headquarters before the release. A draft version of the list briefly circulated but was withdrawn before being uploaded. SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar later held a meeting with officials and legal advisers, and the final list was published online in the evening. Two SSC recruitment tests are scheduled for Sept. 7 and Sept. 14. The Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma has ruled that those named on the disqualified list cannot appear for the exams. The commission’s release did not specify how many disqualified candidates had been appointed in secondary or higher secondary categories. Earlier, officials had indicated that around 180 disqualified individuals had applied for fresh recruitment, but their identities were not disclosed in the list. Reacting to the publication, Suman Biswas, representing qualified teachers, said, “Had this list come earlier, we would not have suffered so much. We were left like living corpses. We will approach the Supreme Court again.”
Husband and Wife Convicted in Gruesome Murder Case in West Bengal
A court in West Bengal has sentenced a man to life imprisonment and his wife to five years in prison for their roles in the brutal killing and dismemberment of a villager in 2018, a case that shocked the local community. According to court documents, the incident took place on November 6, 2018, in Dakshin Jojra village under Madhyamgram police station, on the outskirts of Kolkata. Investigators revealed that Abdul Hasan had been in an extramarital relationship with Arjina Bibi, the wife of Zakir Hossain. On the night of the murder, Hasan visited Arjina at her home while her husband was away. But Zakir unexpectedly returned, sparking a heated confrontation. During the altercation, Zakir strangled Hasan to death. With Arjina’s help, he attempted to dispose of the body. Police said the couple dismembered the victim, severing his legs and decapitating him in an effort to conceal his identity, before dumping the torso in the Noai canal near the village. That same night, Hasan’s family lodged a missing person complaint. The following day, locals discovered a mutilated body floating in the canal and alerted authorities. Acting on leads, Madhyamgram police arrested Zakir and Arjina, both of whom later confessed to the crime. Police subsequently recovered the victim’s head and severed legs from a hideout linked to Zakir. “This was a highly heinous crime involving murder, destruction of evidence, and common intention,” said public prosecutor Sandip Chattopadhyay, noting that 19 witnesses testified in the case. Police filed the chargesheet within 90 days. On Friday, Judge Dipali Srivastava (Sinha) of Barasat’s 5th Court sentenced Zakir Hossain to life imprisonment and fined him ₹5,000 ($60), while his wife Arjina Bibi was sentenced to five years in prison and fined ₹1,000 ($12). In default of payment, Arjina will serve an additional month in prison. Prosecutor Chattopadhyay told the court he had sought the maximum penalty of a death sentence, underscoring the brutality of the crime.
BJP faces storm as party worker accuses prominent leader of amassing Rs 100 cr in assets
A senior woman leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, who is also a lawyer by profession, has been accused of acquiring property worth more than Rs 100 cr ($120 million), triggering turmoil within the party’s state unit. The complaint, unusually, has not come from the opposition but from within the BJP itself. A party worker from Howrah has filed petitions with India’s federal investigative agencies – including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax Department – demanding a probe into the source of the leader’s wealth. Copies of the complaint were also sent to BJP’s national president, J.P. Nadda. According to the complaint, the BJP leader and a close relative allegedly purchased multiple high-value properties despite declaring significant debt in earlier election affidavits. The documents cited by the complainant claim the leader owed over 7 million rupees in loans during the 2021 elections but has since acquired luxury flats worth several crore rupees. Her relative is accused of buying properties exceeding 10 billion rupees. The allegations raise suspicions of tax evasion and money laundering, the complainant wrote, urging investigators to determine whether the acquisitions were influenced by the leader’s political position or protected by senior figures within the party. The controversy quickly spilled into the public domain after Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh posted on social media that he had received a copy of the complaint. “If true, I hope central agencies will take appropriate action,” he wrote, while stressing that he had not verified the claims. The BJP has not officially responded, but the accusations have caused unease within its ranks, exposing rifts in a party already struggling to consolidate itself in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress remains dominant. For the BJP, which has positioned itself as a crusader against corruption, the allegations strike at its credibility, particularly since they involve one of its more visible faces in the state.
RSS warns BJP against alienating Bengali migrant workers, says move could help Mamata
Kolkata, Aug 29 (Reuters) – The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological mentor of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has cautioned party leaders against targeting Bengali-speaking workers in BJP-ruled states, warning that such moves could strengthen West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to people familiar with the matter, senior RSS leaders have privately conveyed to BJP’s central leadership that the harassment of Bengali migrant workers amounts to a “self-goal,” handing Banerjee political ammunition. They said the issue has already given the Trinamool Congress leader an opportunity to project herself as the protector of Bengali identity. The concern is expected to feature in the RSS’s coordination meeting scheduled from Sept. 5-7 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be present, the people said. The organization, which has been expanding its grassroots presence in West Bengal in recent years, fears the incidents could hamper its outreach. RSS leaders have also raised the matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a senior federal minister, underscoring that no Indian citizen should be treated as an outsider for speaking Bengali. The Sangh believes action against illegal migrants should not spill over into hostility against lawful citizens, which risks alienating West Bengal’s electorate. Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has staged street protests over alleged assaults on Bengali workers in BJP-ruled states, accusing the ruling party of discrimination.
BJP files police complaint against TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra over ‘anti-national’ remarks
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday filed a police complaint against Trinamool Congress (TMC) parliamentarian Mahua Moitra, accusing her of making “anti-national” remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah. The complaint, lodged at Kotwali police station in Nadia district, followed comments Moitra made on Aug. 26 during a land allotment event in Krishnanagar. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Moitra criticised the government over illegal immigration and lashed out at Shah. “If no one is responsible for guarding India’s borders and thousands from other countries can just walk in, then the Home Minister’s head should be cut off and placed on the Prime Minister’s table,” Moitra said, referring to Shah. Her remarks sparked an immediate backlash from BJP leaders, who questioned how a sitting MP could speak of beheading a Union minister. Sukanta Majumdar, a BJP MP and former state party president, said: “Mahua proves that knowing English does not mean one is educated.” Sandeep Majumdar, BJP spokesperson for Nadia North organisational district, lodged the police complaint, demanding immediate action against the lawmaker. The controversy comes months ahead of West Bengal state elections. Immigration and border security have become flashpoints in the political contest between the BJP, which accuses the state government of sheltering illegal migrants for electoral gain, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, which argues that border protection is the responsibility of the federally controlled Border Security Force (BSF).
