Tag: CPM

Mamata Banerjee slams Left for bringing gun culture to the Assembly

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Mamata Banerjee slams Left for bringing gun culture to the Assembly

Piqued by Left Front legislators protesting with toy guns in the House, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday took on the opposition for venting their “political frustration” but conceded the incident was “disgusting and scandalous”.

She said, “What has happened today in the assembly is really unfortunate. It is good that I was not present there when it happened. What took place today reflects the political frustration of these parties.”

Speaker Biman Banerjee dubbed the incident as “shameful” directing the House Marshall to confiscate the guns.

CPM trying to stall growth through bandhs: Trinamool

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on CPM trying to stall growth through bandhs: Trinamool

The ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday asked the people of West Bengal to “foil” the Wednesday’s nation-wide strike called by several central trade unions, including the Leftist trade unions — All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), even as the state government on Monday made it mandatory for all its employees to be present in office on the bandh day.

“The CPM and Left Front during its 34 year-old rule had pushed state backwards with its militant trade unionism. Now, when the state is moving fast on the path of development, they are trying to stop it either by violence or through shutdowns,” Senior TMC leader and state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters.

“We condemn this culture of bandh. It adversely affects the economic condition of the state and country. We would not get into a fight with those who have called a strike, but instead ask members of respective unions to continue with their normal vocation. Those who drive autos, or work at jute mills or mines should continue to do so, without any fear,” he said.

He further alleged that some union leaders have called this bandh for their own political interest.

“The goondaism that they had let loose few days back on the streets of Kolkata by attacking police. They must realise that those who had talked about fights in the past had been rejected by the people in general and that is what will happen to those political parties once again,” he said.

“We believe in peaceful agitation and taking along the masses with us,” he added.

CPI(M) wants to derail development: Subrata Mukherjee

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on CPI(M) wants to derail development: Subrata Mukherjee

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee on Sunday said the CPI(M) will “cease to exist if it continued with goondaism” and the state government will help the people “foil” the September 2 strike called by Left trade unions.

“We are against the bandh…. The administration will work to maintain peace in the state. If someone wants to go to office and faces trouble, the administration will help them,” Mukherjee, also a state Panchayat minister, told reporters.

“I think if they continue to do such things this party (CPI-M) will cease to exist and only few people will remain there,” the TMC leader said.

Mukherjee said the Left parties were “actually trying to derail state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s development works” through this bandh.

Forget 2016, CPI(M) will not come to power even in 3016: Mamata Banerjee

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Forget 2016, CPI(M) will not come to power even in 3016: Mamata Banerjee

Trinamool Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee today slammed the violence in the name of protests by CPI(M) in Kolkata during their Nabanna Abhiyan. She was speaking at the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad Foundation Day rally.

She remarked that CPI(M) will not come to power in Bengal in 3016, let alone 2016.

“Those who were engaged in vandalism and violence yesterday should see today’s rally and learn discipline. Protests do not mean goondagiri. We have also protested when we were in Opposition. We never resorted to violence,” she said.

“The people have rejected the CPM. There is no bigger judge in democracy than the people. We do not support the culture of bandhs. We believe in good governance,” she added.

She praised the police for showing extreme restraint although they were beaten with bricks and sticks. She challenged the CPI(M) to fight politically instead of using violence.

“Challenge us with work, culture and duty, we will accept it. We do not believe in vandalism,” she said.

“Have they forgotten how they used to torture Opposition activists? How many times police fired on Opposition rallies? During Singur, they wanted to ensure lone TMC MP is eliminated. Today we have 46 MPs in Parliament,” Didi said.

She said people have rejected the archaic politics of disruption and terror. “Why did they not create jobs for students and youth for 34 years,” she demanded to know.

Trinamool slams CPI(M)’s politics of violence

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Trinamool slams CPI(M)’s politics of violence

Trinamool Congress blamed CPl(M) for the violence on Thursday. TMC vice-president Subrata Mukherjee said Marxist leaders were carrying stones in their pockets and provoked the police into a lathicharge.

“CPI(M) is trying to regain lost ground by indulging in violence. Their ploy will not be successful,” said Mukherjee.

“We strongly condemn the chaos created by the CPI(M). Common people were severely affected, ambulances with patients were held up due to the demonstration,” he added.

We will administratively & politically stand up against such anarchist activities in the coming days, said Subrata Mukherjee.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in north Bengal, went to the state-run SSKM Hospital straight from the airport on her return to the city to see the injured police personnel.

Still a year left for assembly polls: WB CM

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Still a year left for assembly polls: WB CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Friday said there was still a year left for the assembly polls.

Presenting the budget speech for the home department in the assembly, she slammed the erstwhile Left Front government and stressed on the development initiated by the ruling Trinamool Congress since coming to power in 2011.

“We have done a lot of work in the past four years and still a lot is to be done. We have one more year till the next elections and we will have to continue ushering in growth and development,” she said.

Slamming the erstwhile Left Front government for plunging the state into a debt trap, WB CM enumerated a host of social security schemes initiated by her government and asserted its commitment towards development.

“With the blessings of the people at large we will come to power again and continue doing the good work.

“From setting up new hospitals, police stations, schools, colleges and training institutes, to bring back the youth of left-wing extremism-affected areas into the mainstream, we have done everything.”

She also rubbished the opposition’s charges of violence during the recent civic polls.

“The polls both at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other municipalities were free and peaceful. But the thing due to so many polls, the government is left with little time to work. We had the civic polls, before that we had the panchayat polls and the by elections, so that leaves a government with just two and half years to work (in a five-year tenure),” she added.

We thank people of Bengal for foiling bandh culture: Partha Chatterjee

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on We thank people of Bengal for foiling bandh culture: Partha Chatterjee

Secretary General of All India Trinamool Congress today thanked the people of West Bengal for foining the bandh called by Opposition parties. He said that the joint-production of the Opposition and a few media houses was rejected by the people.

“People stepped out of their homes, went to home. Universities conducted exams. Life was normal today. You cannot win hearts of people by calling bandhs. They are counter-productive, anti-progress,” he said.

Maintaining that the Opposition has no organisational strength, neither do they have the support of people, Partha Chatterjee thanked the administration for maintaining normalcy of life.

#NoToBandh, tweets Mamata Banerjee

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on #NoToBandh, tweets Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee today tweeted “#NoToBandh” – her first tweet which is just a hashtag.

Throughout Wednesday #NoToBandh was among the few frequently-tweeted hashtags with people from all walks of life, not just in Kolkata but across India and the world, using the micro-blogging site to vent their ire against bandh culture.

A spokesperson of the All India Trinamool Congress said, “Other parties trend hashtags on Twitter using paid trolls. This is a first hashtag that has been trended by people.”

Earlier, WB CM appealed to the CPM and BJP to withdraw their bandh for the sake of relief operations in earthquake-ravaged Nepal and north Bengal. She also gave a stern message that the administration would take all steps top ensure normalcy of life.

Here are some noteworthy #NoToBandh tweets:

Where is TMC’s opposition -­ Left parties are gas balloons, BJP plays Draupadi: Sovan Chatterjee

Posted on | by admin2 | Leave a Comment on Where is TMC’s opposition -­ Left parties are gas balloons, BJP plays Draupadi: Sovan Chatterjee

We have reproduced an interview of Sovan Chatterjee with The Times of India as published on April 17, 2015

Trinamool Congress leader Sovan Chatterjee has been heading Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) as the city’s mayor since 2010. Chatterjee, who hasn’t lost an election since 1985, faces another civic poll on April 18. Speaking with The Times of India, the mayor discussed Kolkata’s development, allegations of corruption by opposition ­ and why he thinks BJP prefers playing Draupadi over developing political maturity.

 

Q: Critics often call Kolkata a decrepit city. What’s your view?

Mayor: Well, that used to be the perception about Kolkata once upon a time ­ but no longer.

In the last three to four years, people coming to Kolkata have said the city has changed a lot. It doesn’t look shabby any more. The city is much cleaner, roads are better, streets are well-lit, the riverfront has been developed and looks beautiful. Civic amenities have improved.

When I took over as mayor of Kolkata, my chief Mamata Banerjee said she didn’t want to listen to any excuses about funds or space crunch. In the last five years of our stint, we’ve tried our best to develop the city holistically ­ but Kolkata is a 300-year-old city with problems that come with age. So, more work remains to be done.

 

Q: But isn’t the opposition alleging corruption against the outgoing KMC?

Mayor: Is anybody alleging lack of development in the last five years? No.

The development work we undertook in the last five years is my trump card for this election. In the last 30 years, the Left Front ruled KMC for about 20 years. They did not do anything to increase water supply to the city by even one gallon ­ in the last five years, we ensured drinking water supply to 95% of the city.

Earlier, large swathes of Kolkata would be waterlogged for three to four days during rains. Now, the water’s cleared in two to three hours. Another crucial achievement is removal of garbage dumps and replacing them with compactor garbage disposal machines, possibly a first in Asia. This was done with financial help from the West Bengal government. We aim to make Kolkata free of visible garbage dumps soon.

Mind you, before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, UPA government had approved several projects, including garbage compactors and JNNURM. UPA also sanctioned funds ­ but BJP cancelled all allocations after coming to power.

However, that could not impact Kolkata’s development. People have seen how the city has improved.

Since the opposition can’t find fault with our work, they’re making baseless allegations ­ it’s like give the dog a bad name and hang it.

 

Q: Who’s your main opposition in the civic polls?

Mayor: Where is the opposition? I’m still searching for them. CPM and Left parties need to mould their politics so it appeals to people ­ just being a gas balloon doesn’t help.

BJP’s in a hurry to grab the driver’s seat. Mama ta Banerjee had to wait for years before she got experienced drivers to steer Trinamool Congress to power. Our men were killed in Left Front’s regime ­ but Trinamool workers didn’t run away.

BJP lacks workers and their leadership loves talking ­ it’s easy to be a Draupadi in a political drama but political maturity is difficult to attain.