BJP, TMC workers clash at Dum Dum station during AC local train launch
Supporters of the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday clashed at Dum Dum railway station during the launch of a new air-conditioned local train service between Sealdah and Ranaghat, officials said. Union Minister and former state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, along with BJP MPs Shantanu Thakur and Jagannath Sarkar, was travelling on the train from Sealdah when the incident took place. As the train reached Dum Dum, a group of TMC-affiliated INTTUC supporters entered the station premises holding party flags and shouting “Go back” slogans at Majumdar, accusing him of being “anti-Bengali” and alleging that the BJP was behind attempts to harass Bengalis outside the state. BJP supporters present at the station protested against the slogans, leading to a scuffle between the two sides, the officials said. An INTTUC supporter alleged that BJP workers, led by local leader Tamegnya Ghosh, attacked them. Ghosh denied the charge. Speaking to reporters, Majumdar said, “If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has the courage, let her remove all non-Bengali MPs and leaders from her party. TMC is so afraid of the SIR that it sent goons to disrupt a government programme at the station.” He also accused TMC workers of misbehaving with BJP women activists and criticised the state Government Railway Police (GRP) for “remaining mute spectators”. A TMC supporter claimed that several non-Bengali railway officers were executing the BJP’s agenda and working against the interests of Bengalis. Large contingents of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP were deployed at the station to disperse both groups and restore order. No arrests have been reported so far, the officials added.
BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar Accuses West Bengal Government of ‘Jizya Tax’ on Hindu Pilgrims
Amid heightened political tension over issues of migrant safety outside Bengal, BJP MP and former state president Sukanta Majumdar has made a sensational allegation against the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government, accusing it of extorting money from Hindu pilgrims during the month-long Shravani Mela in Tarakeswar. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Majumdar claimed that the state authorities are charging a Rs 10 fee per devotee at the Nimai Tirtha ghat in Baidyabati — a popular spot where pilgrims collect Ganga water before embarking on the journey to offer it at the Shiva temple in Tarakeswar. He referred to the levy as a modern-day “jizya tax” — a term historically associated with a tax imposed on non-Muslims during medieval Islamic rule. “Is this merely a revenue-collection tactic or a veiled message to Bengali Hindus that their religious practices will now come at a cost?” Majumdar questioned in his post. He described the move as a “blatant display of the TMC government’s anti-Hindu and fundamentalist mindset”. The Shravani Mela, which began this week, draws lakhs of devotees from across West Bengal and other states. Pilgrims, known as ‘kanwarias’, walk barefoot for several kilometres carrying holy water from the Ganges to pour over the Shiva lingam in Tarakeswar. The fair is one of the largest religious gatherings in south Bengal. In preparation for the influx of devotees, the Hooghly district administration has deployed additional police forces, installed CCTV surveillance, and coordinated with health departments and civic volunteers to ensure drinking water, food, shelter, and emergency medical services are in place. While the state government and local authorities have not yet responded to Majumdar’s allegations, volunteers and organisers say a nominal fee is often collected at certain ghats for maintenance and sanitation during the mela period — a long-standing practice not unique to West Bengal. However, Majumdar insisted that such collections amount to “extortion under the garb of administration” and are being carried out in the name of public facilities, while “innocent Hindu devotees are being forced to pay to perform their rituals”. The remark comes at a time when TMC leaders have been criticising the BJP-led central government over the safety of Bengali migrant workers in other states. The fresh row is expected to further fuel the polarised political atmosphere in Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
TMC MP Kirti Azad Seeks CBI, ED Probe into ‘Systemic’ Corruption in Eastern Coalfields, BJP ridicules TMC MP
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad has written to Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy demanding a comprehensive investigation by federal agencies into what he described as “pervasive and systemic corruption” within Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited operating in West Bengal and Jharkhand. In the letter dated July 31, Azad expressed “deep concern” over a series of alleged financial and operational irregularities in ECL’s mining zones, including Kunustoria, Kajora, Pandaveswar, and Rajmahal. He urged immediate intervention by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), citing what he called an entrenched “criminal nexus” involving ECL officials and external contractors. The former cricketer-turned-MP, who also heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, said he was approached by whistleblowers and NGOs who flagged large-scale bid rigging, coal pilferage, grade manipulation, and loss-making contracts that have drained public resources. Azad accused a cartel of 14 companies, all allegedly registered at a single address and controlled by two individuals, of monopolizing the tender process through collusion with ECL officials. These firms, he claimed, had formed a “one-man cartel” that dominates procurement, mining, transportation, and coal sales across multiple collieries. The letter further referred to a suspected coal pilferage racket centered in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora mining regions that, according to Azad, caused losses amounting to Rs 1,300 crore. He noted that hawala transactions and the arrest of seven ECL officials, including general managers and security staff, pointed to a wider institutional failure. Citing a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Azad highlighted irregularities in contractor payments due to coal shortages during transportation, resulting in a loss of Rs 17.39 crore. He also alleged that officers were deliberately downgrading high-grade coal to lower grades to benefit private contractors. Azad’s letter also named Ambey Mining Private Limited as a central player in the alleged wrongdoing. He accused the firm’s top executives of bribing officials and manipulating tender norms in violation of Central Vigilance Commission guidelines. “The depth and breadth of these issues point not to sporadic corruption, but to an entrenched criminal nexus,” Azad wrote. He emphasized that only a federal investigation could restore accountability and public faith in ECL’s operations. The letter was also marked to the secretaries of the Coal and Mines Ministry, the ED, the CBI, and the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of ECL. Reacting to the development, BJP MP and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar took a swipe at Azad and the TMC, saying on X (formerly Twitter): “At last TMC MPs have also started demanding investigation by central agencies like CBI & ED. This letter of MP Kirti Azad shows that he has lost faith in West Bengal Police.” He also noted that many of the individuals named in Azad’s complaint were allegedly close to Narendra Nath Chakraborty, the TMC district president of Paschim Burdwan. Eastern Coalfields Limited has not issued an official response. The Coal Ministry has also not commented on whether it will recommend a federal probe.
