Left Front stages protest rally in Kolkata against Israeli actions in Gaza
Kolkata witnessed a massive rally on Saturday as the Left Front and its affiliated organisations marched from Rabindra Sadan to Lenin’s Statue at Esplanade, raising their voice against the recent Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The protesters also demanded the immediate release of internationally renowned activists, including environmentalist Greta Thunberg, who have reportedly been detained for standing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.The rally, called by Left parties, was marked by a sea of banners, posters and placards condemning Israel’s actions. The demonstrators carried slogans demanding an immediate end to what they described as “genocide in Gaza” and condemned the United States for providing continuous support to what they termed “war crimes” by Israel. Senior Left leaders, including Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) general secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, were present at the forefront of the rally. They walked shoulder to shoulder with a large number of activists, students, workers, and common citizens who had gathered in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Speakers at the rally strongly criticised the Israeli government for launching repeated assaults on civilian populations in Gaza, as well as the attack on the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid. “The attack is not only an assault on the people of Gaza but also on international humanitarian principles,” Sujan Chakraborty said. He further alleged that such actions were possible only because of unconditional backing from the United States, which continues to shield Israel on international platforms. The rally reiterated the student community’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and demanded the immediate release of Greta Thunberg and other activists who had stood up against what they called “ecological destruction and human rights violations in the name of war.” The rally saw hundreds of participants chanting slogans such as “Stop genocide in Gaza,” “Free the detained activists,” and “Down with US-backed Israeli war crimes.” The protest concluded at Lenin’s statue in Esplanade, where participants took a pledge to continue mobilising public opinion in support of Palestine. The leaders announced that similar rallies and meetings would be held across districts in West Bengal in the coming days to sustain the momentum.
Murshidabad explosion kills man while making crude bombs
A middle-aged man, identified as Usman Biswas, was killed while manufacturing crude bombs in West Bengal’s border district of Murshidabad, barely 24 hours after a woman died in a similar incident in the same district, police said today. The explosion took place late last night at Chhatiani village under Raninagar police station limits. Biswas died on the spot under a bamboo grove. The incident took a dramatic turn as Biswas, who had left home last evening after being summoned by three friends on a motorcycle, went missing after the blast shook the area. Police said the explosion triggered panic in the locality, prompting an immediate response from Raninagar police. Several crude bombs and bloodstained bamboo were recovered from the site, though one bomb was found nearby. After Biswas’s wife, Samira Bibi, reported him missing, police launched a search. One suspect, identified as Waz Karim, was arrested and confessed that Biswas’s body had been buried in a nearby bush. The body was unearthed this morning. SDPO of Beldanga, Uttam Garai, confirmed that Biswas was killed in the blast and that his associates attempted to conceal the crime by burying the body. Police said more suspects are being traced. Yesterday, a 38-year-old woman, Siddhatun Khatoon, was killed in a massive explosion while making crude bombs at her home in Nischintapur village under Domkal block of Murshidabad district.
Furious Mamata slams DVC over release of 1.5 lakh cusecs during Puja
Furious at the unilateral discharge of about 1.5 lakh cusecs of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the central agency of a deliberate ploy to unleash disaster on the people of the state during the festive season.Protesting against the DVC’s fresh release of water from different dams, Banerjee said, “This is a deliberate ploy to unleash disaster on us to inflict pain on millions when they are still busy in the Pujas. Shameful, intolerable, unacceptable! We protest!!”Giving an update on the “unilateral and wilful release of water” by the DVC, she said that by this evening, the agency had released more than 1.5 lakh cusecs of water from the Maithon and Panchet dams to flood Bengal during the festival period. She said it was a “manufactured disaster” after the DVC released water on Bijoya Dashami without prior notice to the state.Banerjee added that the sudden discharge endangered millions of lives during Durga Puja festivities.She described the move as “reckless” and “unacceptable,” accusing the central agency of disrupting peace and placing the state at high risk. “Bijoya Dashami marks the close of Durga Puja – a time for joy, cheer and renewed hope. Yet, instead of allowing the people of West Bengal to conclude the festival in peace, the DVC released water without any prior notice to the state. This reckless act is nothing short of an attempt to inflict misery during our sacred festivities,” the chief minister iterated. Banerjee said the act on the part of the DVC was”unilateral, shameful, and absolutely unacceptable”. “By releasing water without intimation, the DVC has placed millions of lives in Bengal in immediate peril. This is not a natural calamity; it is a disaster manufactured by the DVC,” she said.“Let me be clear, I will not allow anyone to carry out a Bisarjan of Bengal. Every conspiracy against our people will be resisted with full force. Truth will prevail over deceit and good will triumph over evil,” she concluded.Meanwhile, reports from the districts said that local administrations and disaster response teams sounded alerts after the DVC release and began evacuations in low-lying areas along rivers and canals.Officials reported rising water levels in several districts and moved residents from vulnerable zones to safer shelters.Puja organisers postponed or shifted immersion activities in affected places to avoid large gatherings near inundated riverbanks. State emergency services deployed boats and rescue teams to manage sudden waterlogging and assist in transporting the elderly and children away from risk zones during the holiday.
Animal sacrifice held en masse at Odisha shrine despite opposition
Animals were slaughtered en masse in the early hours today during the Chhatar Yatra festival in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, despite widespread opposition to the age-old custom. The famous Chhatar Yatra of the presiding deity, Maa Manikeswari, was taken out on the streets of Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters township, traversing a three-kilometre route. Devotees sacrificed numerous animals, mainly goats, along both sides of the road as a mark of fulfilling their wishes. The ritual lasted for several hours, with the cries of the animals filling the air, amidst the frenzied beating of drums. The local administration refrained from intervening to end the practice, allowing hundreds of garlanded animals to be slaughtered. This lack of intervention meant that tradition prevailed over legal objections. Residents defended the practice, stating that the goddess Manikeswari shields the region from natural fury. They view the animal offering as a gesture of reverence to ensure the safety of lives, crops, and livestock. According to locals, the mass sacrifice is performed annually as an age-old ritual followed by worshippers of the Shakti cult. Elaborate security arrangements ensured the annual event concluded peacefully, with no untoward incident reported. The bloody ritual, however, culminated in devotees releasing doves into the air as a traditional mark of peace.
BJP Deploys Massive Force in West Bengal, With Shah at the Helm
With Durga Puja festivities over, West Bengal is shifting into election mode, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun mobilizing an unprecedented force to challenge the ruling Trinamool Congress. According to party sources, more than 1,200 BJP leaders, including members of Parliament from across India, will be stationed in the state in the coming months to oversee campaign operations. The move signals a clear strategy by the central leadership to take direct control of Bengal’s election battle, sidelining much of the state unit. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed chief election observer for Bengal, with former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as his deputy. At the top of the chain of command will be Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is expected to spend seven to 10 days in Bengal every month starting in December. Party insiders said accommodations for Shah are being finalized in the Bidhannagar-New Town area. The deployed leaders will conduct on-the-ground surveys, identify weak spots in BJP’s campaign, and coordinate messaging based on intelligence and survey reports. Each MP will be assigned responsibility for two assembly constituencies, supported by three to four senior leaders and 10–12 local workers. Special automated phone numbers will be generated for each constituency to coordinate outreach and monitor rival propaganda. Once elections are announced, the party plans to appoint “page in-charges” for every page of the voter list. Each will oversee a small team tasked with maintaining direct, personal contact with voters until polling day, even without distributing party materials. Despite the large-scale effort, political observers remain skeptical about the plan’s effectiveness. Some warn that too many leaders in the field could create confusion rather than unity. In the 2021 assembly election, the BJP campaigned aggressively but managed only 77 seats, far short of its goal of toppling Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Still, BJP leaders insist this time will be different. “The central leadership has set its sights firmly on Bengal,” a senior state leader said. “There is no question of compromise. Whatever needs to be done to win power will be done.”
At least 3 killed in clashes in Bangladesh’s Khagrachhari amid protests
At least three people were killed and several others injured Sunday in heavy gunfire and clashes in Khagrachhari, a hill district in southeastern Bangladesh, officials said. The violence erupted in Guimara subdistrict during protests over a reported rape case, despite emergency restrictions imposed under Section 144. The Home Ministry said in a statement that a major and 12 other army personnel, the officer-in-charge of Guimara police station along with two other policemen, and several civilians were wounded in the unrest. Authorities expressed sorrow over the deaths and vowed that those responsible would face legal action. “No perpetrator will be spared,” the ministry said. Following the clashes, images and videos circulated on social media showing fires at shops and buildings in Ramsu Bazaar, a marketplace known to the Marma community. Activists linked to the Jumma Students’ Movement alleged that homes and shops belonging to hill people were torched. Local Bengali groups, however, blamed armed ethnic organizations for the violence. Reports that army personnel had been attacked circulated widely online in the early afternoon, though neither the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) nor district officials confirmed those claims. Khagrachhari’s deputy commissioner, A.B.M. Iftekharul Islam Khondker, told the BBC that he and the superintendent of police had tried to reach Guimara after the violence began, but road blockades by protesters prevented them from arriving by 5 p.m. Later in the evening, regional police chief Ahsan Habib Palash said the situation was “under control.”
Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja amid theme row, police friction
The 90th edition of Santosh Mitra Square’s Durga Puja, themed on “Operation Sindoor,” has drawn massive crowds since its inauguration by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday. The theme commemorates India’s cross-border strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April that killed 26 civilians. BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh, the general secretary of the puja committee, said the theme was meant to awaken patriotism and pay tribute to the armed forces. “Operation Sindoor is the voice of every Indian’s heart, showcasing our armed forces’ strength. Through this pandal, we wanted to pay tribute,” Ghosh said. But the festivities quickly sparked friction with police. Ghosh told reporters Saturday that “non-cooperation” from police may force organizers to close the puja. He alleged that roads had been blocked with barricades, civic volunteers were withheld and restrictions were imposed on sound systems and stalls. “They know there will be agitation and commotion. In such conditions it is not possible for us to continue puja,” Ghosh said, warning that if pressure continued, organizers could switch off the lights and cover the Durga idol’s face with black cloth. He even suggested the idol’s immersion might take place before schedule. The committee claimed it had secured permissions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, PWD and police, and had already installed 30 to 35 of the 60 CCTVs required. But Ghosh alleged that the state government was “targeting” the festival, despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s repeated claim that “Utsav is for all.”
Amit Shah prays for ‘Sonar Bangla’ at Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja pandal inauguration
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal of Santosh Mitra Square in Kolkata today and extended his greetings to the people of West Bengal and the entire country on the occasion of Durga Puja. Addressing the gathering, Shah said he had offered prayers to Maa Durga at the pandal and sought her blessings for a new government in Bengal after the 2026 assembly elections—one that would restore the state’s lost glory of ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal). “I have prayed to Maa Durga that after this assembly election, there is a government which can make the state ‘Sonar Bangla,’” he said. Emphasising the vision of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, he added, “May Bengal once again become safe, prosperous, peaceful, and fertile.” The Home Minister also paid tribute to the late Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the great educationist and social reformer whose contributions to education, women’s empowerment, and Bengali culture remain unparalleled. “On my own behalf, and on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I offer my respectful homage at the feet of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar,” he said. Shah expressed condolences for those who lost their lives during recent heavy rainfall in Bengal. At least 11 people died following torrential rain on September 23. “I pay homage to those who lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Bengal,” he said, extending sympathy to their families. Arriving in Kolkata on Thursday night, Shah was received at the airport by senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha. On Friday, before inaugurating the Santosh Mitra Square pandal, he visited the famous Kalighat temple in south Kolkata to offer prayers to the Goddess. Later, he is scheduled to inaugurate the Durga Puja pandal of the BJP-backed Paschim Banga Sanskriti Mancha at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake. Highlighting the global recognition of Bengali Durga Puja, Shah said, “This festival is not only celebrated in West Bengal or India but is also renowned across the world. For nine days, citizens of Bengal dedicate themselves to the worship of this divine energy, and these days are especially significant for the state.” Concluding his address, he expressed hope that the festival would usher in auspicious beginnings and contribute to Bengal’s development, in line with the broader vision of a thriving India envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union minister & former Tripura CM to head BJP in Bengal for 2026 Bengal poll battle
In a strategic move aimed at reinvigorating its electoral prospects in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav to spearhead the party’s preparations for the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for next year. This appointment underscores the BJP’s intention to revamp and intensify its campaign machinery in the state, which has proven to be a challenging battleground in recent years Bhupender Yadav brings with him a wealth of organisational experience, and party insiders believe his leadership will be instrumental in crafting a more effective and cohesive strategy to counter the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The central leadership also appointed former Tripura chief minister and current Member of Parliament, Biplab Deb as assistant of Yadav. Deb’s experience in state-level politics, particularly in the northeastern region, is expected to add tactical value to the BJP’s efforts in Bengal. This leadership reshuffle comes at a time when the BJP is seeking to regain momentum after facing significant setbacks in the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, where it mounted an aggressive campaign but failed to unseat the TMC. Moreover, the party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections showed a decline compared to its 2019 results, prompting a reassessment of its political strategy in the state. Since 2017, when former BJP president Amit Shah articulated the party’s ambition to establish a stronghold in states like West Bengal, Kerala, and Odisha, the BJP has consistently worked to expand its organisational base in Bengal. This has involved deploying national leaders, restructuring the state unit, and deepening engagement at the grassroots level. With elections approaching, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to increase their presence in the state. Notably, Shah is scheduled to visit Kolkata to inaugurate Durga Puja celebrations, and he recently met with Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, to review the party’s preparedness. Meanwhile, the TMC’s general secretary and a key strategist Abhishek Banerjee has been actively conducting district-level meetings to fine-tune the TMC’s campaign, indicating that a fierce electoral battle lies ahead. In parallel moves, the BJP has also appointed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to oversee election planning in Bihar and senior parliamentarian Baijayant Panda to manage the campaign in Tamil Nadu, reflecting the party’s broader efforts to consolidate power across multiple states.
Chandranath Sinha appears before ED
West Bengal’s Minister of Jails and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Chandranath Sinha, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office this morning in connection with the primary school recruitment scam. Although the ED had sought his custody for questioning, a court rejected their plea on Wednesday. As per the court’s order, while the ED cannot take the minister into custody at this time, they are allowed to question him at their office. Minister Sinha has stated that he is fully cooperating with the investigation. Today morning, Sinha — who is also the Trinamul Congress (TMC) MLA from Bolpur — arrived at the ED’s office located in the CGO Complex. Speaking briefly to reporters before entering, Sinha said he would assist with the probe. He was seen entering the office empty-handed, and sources indicate that the ED has not yet asked him to submit any documents. Sinha had earlier surrendered before the court on September 6 in connection with the alleged corruption in primary teacher recruitment. The ED had then requested custody, but the court granted him bail with conditions. As per those conditions, the minister is barred from leaving Kolkata or his assembly constituency until the hearings in this case is concluded. The court has also instructed him to appear in person before the ED on both Thursday and Friday to assist with the investigation.
