Under the guise of SIR, there is an attempt to delete genuine voters : Mamata Banerjee

Today, Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a press conference at Nabanna. Here are some excerpts from her address:

Right after the Puja, NRC notices have again started coming from Assam. In Nadia, two of our citizens from Bengal have already received such notices. This raises the question — why has the festival period been chosen to conduct the SIR? At a time when Bengal is facing natural calamities, with Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, and Jagaddhatri Puja around the corner, and many areas submerged under floodwater — how can officers be summoned and threatened? Four officers have reportedly called BLROs and threatened them to prepare documents as per their instructions.

They were able to conduct it in Bihar because Bihar has a BJP/NDA government, and the agencies there helped in it. But Bengal’s community composition is completely different. Here, besides Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, there are also SCs, STs, and other minority communities. NRC notices have already been sent to Rajbongshis, minority groups, and migrant workers.

The SIR process itself is a fraud. It does not involve the public — instead, a few officers are called for meetings and threatened, while the State Government is completely excluded from these discussions.

There are several complaints against the CEO of West Bengal himself, which I will reveal at the right time. But I hope he does not overreact. He has been threatening many officers.

Under the guise of SIR, there is an attempt to delete genuine voters. How can the Assam government send notifications to voters in Bengal? Moreover, before the SIR even began, how could a Union Minister declare that 1.5 crore voters will be removed? Does that mean plans are being made in party offices, and the Election Commission is merely stamping approval? We expect impartiality from the Election Commission. Both the government and the opposition together form the fabric of democracy. Above all, the pillars of democracy are the Constitution and the common people and no one has the right to snatch away a citizen’s right to vote.

During this festive season, many people are engaged in celebrations or have gone on holidays. Others are suffering due to floods. If in this situation the SIR is started and voters’ names are deleted, especially if it targets any particular community, whether Rajbongshi, Nepali, or anyone else, that will never be acceptable.

I have heard that the Home Minister, during a party meeting, mentioned voter deletions. But who gave him that right? Democracy cannot function by excluding people. This is not SIR, this is a backdoor NRC. We strongly condemn the BJP government and Central agencies working under its instructions, who are politicizing and saffronising everything — from education to festivals. There is even a ‘Mir Jafar’ sitting in Delhi. They think they can control everything, but if they continue this way, the truth will come out the cat will be out of the bag. If genuine voters are removed, the people of Bengal will respond in a way no other state can.

If your minister is saying even before the process begins that 1.5 crore voters will be removed, then either remove that minister or admit this is a conspiracy.

Beyond doing politics, manipulating elections, tampering with data, and looting votes, they have done nothing for the people’s development. When citizens are in distress, they refuse to help; but when elections come, they bring out sacks of money. They send the country’s wealth abroad and return wearing gold medals, while the poor in India remain hungry.

They only destroy. Their destructive attitude is precisely why they can never win. How can a proper voter list be prepared in just 15 days? It’s simply impossible.

By what right have they withheld Bengal’s money? : Abhishek Banerjee

Today is the birth anniversary of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. On this occasion, Abhishek Banerjee visited Vidyasagar College and offered floral tributes at the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.After coming out from the college premises, in response to a question from the press, Abhishek Banerjee said:’Amit Shah must come to the place where Vidyasagar’s statue was vandalised and seek an apology’. Here are some important excerpts from Abhishek Banerjee’s remarks at Vidyasagar College premises:

I don’t want to make this a political event. The reason we have come here today is not because of politics. But since you all have asked, we cannot ignore the incident that occurred here in 2019 and at whose behest [BJP]. The broken statue is still kept inside, do pay your respects when you go in

We have all read about and heard from our elders about Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar while growing up. The way he fought uncompromisingly, the forerunner of the Bengal Renaissance, the creator of ‘Borno Porichoy’, the one who eradicated child marriage: Vidyasagar has contributed to Bengal’s cultural progress time and again. We all learned about him. But those who came from outside, forced North Indian culture on us, and broke Vidyasagar’s statue, people of Bengal gave a befitting response to them

I felt deeply saddened that someone [Amit Shah] who came to inaugurate a puja pandal just 10 minutes away was not even aware that today is the 205th birth anniversary of Vidyasagar. He did not have the courtesy to visit Vidyasagar’s house or Vidyasagar College to pay his respects. This is why we call them Bangla-Birodhi. People have seen it before and they will see it again

Our political battles will continue, but the way they insult Bengal’s stalwarts cannot be forgotten. They don’t know where Rabindranath Tagore was born. They mispronounce Panchanan Barma. They are unaware of the contributions of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, or Khudiram Bose. We do not need to learn about Bengal’s culture from them. The person inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal today is the same person who said five years ago that there are no Durga Pujas in Bengal. Today, that very Durga Puja has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage site. No other festival or celebration from BJP-ruled States has received such recognition. Our Kanyashree scheme has also received international acclaim. They should learn from us

Today, the Calcutta High Court has also passed an order that the FRRO deportation of a pregnant woman from Birbhum, Sonali Bibi, along with five others, was invalid. The court has ordered their repatriation within four weeks. They are arresting and detaining people just for speaking in Bengali. On Vidyasagar’s birth anniversary, along with the slap that the High Court has delivered today, they must apologise first

First, they should apologise standing before Vidyasagar’s statue. And the way they are going to Durga and Kali temples, may Maa bless them. But the way they ignored Vidyasagar’s contributions, and at his [Amit Shah] behest the statue was broken, those people are still in the BJP, with no action taken against them

I do not want to talk too much about politics today, but since you asked, I answered. I hope today remains apolitical. I am fortunate that when I undertook the Nabo Jowar Yatra in Birsingha GP, Ghatal, I was able to visit Vidyasagar’s birthplace. After coming to power, our AITC government did not just build a ‘torong’ at Ghatal Chandrakona Road, but spent Rs 2.5 crore renovating the entire property. We built a Shishu Udyan, a memorial temple, and an entrance gate. Even in Kolkata, we have undertaken preservation and renovation of his house. We have tried to ensure that the new generation remembers, and history does not forget these contributions

[Reacting to HM Amit Shah’s comment] You should first ask them: when will they release the Rs 2 lakh crore dues owed to Bengal? Why did they stall these funds? And if they say we are lying, let them choose a channel and a time. I will present myself with documents and evidence, even if the channel is theirs. By what right have they withheld Bengal’s money?

He [Amit Shah] speaks of creating a “Sonar Bangla.” Then why don’t you ask him: two days ago in Patna, a main road caved in and cars collapsed in the void. Why were they not able to make Sonar Bihar? Bridges collapse every other day in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Why not Sonar Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, or Jharkhand? They even use Bengal’s bridges as examples in UP, then why haven’t they built a “Sonar Bridge” in UP in the last seven years? The money they take from Bengal is being used in their own States. Were they able to create a Sonar UP, MP, or Gujarat?

 

Two days ago, Bengal faced incessant rain. Some news outlets highlighted the ‘terrible condition of Bengal’. But when there is 300 mm rain in four hours, naturally there will be difficulties. These disasters should not be politicised. And yet, look at Bengal’s resilience. In 48 hours, we have bounced back. Despite such rainfall, how is Amit Shah moving freely from one place to another? If the city was under water, how is he roaming around? This shows that if the government is determined, it can work, and our government has done so

They promised ‘Annapurna Bhandar’ if they came to power in Bengal. Then why don’t they implement it in Tripura, Assam, or Rajasthan? Why don’t they directly credit Rs 1,000 into women’s bank accounts there, the way CM Mamata Banerjee has done here? We are not in power there, so why not do it in their own States?

My question is, why didn’t he come here from Santosh Mitra Square? It is hardly 10 minutes by car. It is because he is Bangla-Birodhi. They refuse to pay respects to Bengal. The British were defeated by Bengal’s revolutionaries, what is BJP compared to that? They are no match for the people’s determination

This is something only PM Modi or BJP can answer, not me. But let me say this: these are political rhetorics, not welfare schemes. Compare it with Bengal’s model; we launched Lakshmir Bhandar for every woman in the family immediately after elections. We could have waited three years and used it as a political gimmick before 2024, but we did not. For us, governance and welfare are paramount. That is the difference between us. We are with the people 365 days, 24×7, not just before elections

‘Bengal will be run by Bengal, not by Delhi’ : Mamata Banerjee

Today Mamata Banerjee was present at a government service delivery programme in Jalpaiguri.Here are the highlights of her speech:

My respects to Thakur Panchanan Barma. We have established a university in his name, his house has also been revamped. We have given recognition to many languages. Our neighbouring country is facing a problem, I want peace to be restored. I was in Uttarkanya the whole night yesterday so that any untoward incident can be tackled and you all can rest assured

Since 2011, we have given 6.56 lakh pattas – 3.17 lakh Griha Pattas, 1.93 lakh Krishi Pattas, 59,000 Refugee Pattas, 47,000 Forest Pattas, and 39,000 Tea Garden Pattas. On 24 August, we distributed over 7,000 pattas in the districts of North Bengal. Today, we are giving 11,600 pattas. In Alipurduar, two ministers will be present for the distribution

You all know that several houses were destroyed in 2023 due to flash floods. Around 98 families suffered, we have given pattas to them as well today. In Jalpaiguri, projects worth Rs 400 crore have been inaugurated and foundation stones laid. 1.55 lakh people will receive government services from this event today

Under Chaa Sundari, 1,106 families received their papers under the scheme in Alipurduar. In Jalpaiguri, 1,053 families have benefitted and 2,969 houses have already been constructed in Alipurduar. Under the Chaa Sundari extension, over 8,000 and 13,000 families in Alipurduar and 500 families in Uttar Dinajpur have been given financial assistance for house construction

The tea gardens have fixed the bonus rate at 20%. I hope that the Chief Secretary will look into it and monitor it so that no one faces issues in receiving the bonus. Some are trying to play with this, I tell them, please do not play with the wages of the workers

The whole country is marred by floods this year. Even here, both North and South Bengal are suffering. This year there has been incessant rainfall, but the DVC also releases water without control. We have told the Centre that Bengal should be made a member of the Indo-Bhutan River Commission so that we can coordinate. We want our neighbours to stay well but not at the cost of us remaining submerged

We have a universal scheme called Swasthya Sathi where you get coverage of Rs 5 lakh. Delhi tells me why I am not implementing Ayushman Bharat here. I tell them, why should I do it when you will give 40% and I will have to give 60%, and those who have scooters, TVs or pucca houses will not get it. This means out of the 11 crore population here, only 1 crore will benefit leaving out 10 crore people. But ours is universal, we do not discriminate. We do not take a penny from the Centre, we do it all with our own funds

If your crops get destroyed, do not worry as we have crop insurance. We also provide Rs 2 lakh to the families of deceased farmers. Many migrant workers are being tortured for speaking in Bengali. I say speak more in Bengali. I will also see what they can do and to what extent they can go. They are sending notices from Assam to our residents in Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri. They are pushing back our people just because they are speaking in Bengali. They are not even sparing tribal women. We will speak in our mother tongue but we will also learn other languages. We do not disrespect any language. Speak in whichever you prefer. Why should I not speak in Bengali? But you cannot control Bengal. Bengal will be run by Bengal, not Delhi

We have already brought back 24,000 migrant workers and their families. Why go to other States at all? We also have 1.5 crore workers from other States working here. We do not misbehave with them and they receive all kinds of benefits. But why should you assault and chase away our people working in the Double-Engine States? I do not need a Double-Engine government. People are the biggest pilot. The country is steered by the common man. They have even stopped the holiday on 25th December

Desh ka neta wahi ho sakta hai jo desh ko samajhta hai, not someone who divides the nation. Do you know why they hate Bengal? It is because without Bengal there could be no freedom struggle. The British were compelled. Kolkata was the capital then and since they were unable to tackle us, they shifted it to Delhi. We will not submit or bow down

The migrant workers who are coming back will receive all kinds of facilities. Ensure that they do not have to pay anything. They will receive Rs 5,000 monthly for a year. We have given 12 lakh houses and in December 16 lakh people will receive them. The Centre has stopped all our funds. They say Bengal does nothing, but it is you who have stopped our funds. It is our rightful due. You have stopped funds for roads for the past four years. You have no right to question our road quality. We are doing whatever we can. You have no right to question us. We do not need Delhi’s mercy

We are proud of Bengal. They have stopped funds for MGNREGA too. But our women are capable of running their households. We have started the Karmashree scheme. Under this, 73.27 lakh job-card holders have received jobs and Rs 19,777 crore has been spent to create 97.61 crore mandays

We have already ensured that 76% in rural areas and 78% in urban areas have received piped water supply. They only know how to do publicity and promotion. All money is spent on promotion. Everything will be done in their name, why? They must learn how to say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. I have never thought of doing anything in my own name because that would lead to self-disrespect. We must do it in the name of our stalwarts

1.87 crore people will be receiving piped water supply under the Jal Swapna Project at a cost of Rs 65,000 crore. They say that the Centre is giving the money. Let me tell you the truth, we provide 60% whereas they provide 40 percent. Who gives the land and handles maintenance? The state. We bear 90% of the cost while they only spend on their promotion. Despite this, they have stopped all our funds. How can you talk big after this?

Can you stop the floods in UP, Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai or Delhi? Our State is like a boat, if the adjoining areas receive rain, we suffer. We have never seen such floods. You have seen what happened in Punjab and how there was a landslide in Vaishno Devi. Calamities are not in our hands

Even during COVID, I did not take any leave. When I heard about the Nepal issue, I came immediately and was at Uttarkanya all night. I hope that peace will return. For the tourists who have gone there, we have taken this up. Wait for a day or two, we will bring you back. Do not panic or get into any trouble. Allow us to do our work. Let peace be restored first, then we will be happy

We have reduced unemployment by 40 percent. In 2024, 19 crore tourists have come to Bengal. Where else will they go? Many doors are closed. The whole world is burning. We do not like this. We are in favour of humanity and peace. We will make Durga Angan just like Jagannath Dham

North Bengal has 265 tea gardens where 2.70 lakh workers are employed. When elections are around, they say they will open the gardens. This year, we reopened 20 tea gardens and 59 prior to this, all done by the State government

There will be a holiday on Visvakarma Puja as well. Teachers who lost their jobs due to the court’s orders, the recruitment exams have also started along with Group C and Group D notifications. We are consulting the courts, and as soon as the legalities are smoothed out, we will try to support all others too. We have advertised for 35,000 posts but 21,000 are still vacant. We are unable to fill the posts because as soon as we try, someone goes to court and files a PIL. Why are you stopping us in court?

There are many who give money to write all kinds of hateful things on the banners of political parties. They spread hate, disrespect, conspiracy. Crime is a crime. But burning someone in retaliation is not right. I don’t believe in this kind of politics. I don’t take salary from the government either. I am a seven-time MP. If I had taken pension, by now I would be a crorepati, but what need do I have of it?

I am insulted every day because I am from Bengal, but I tolerate it because I know that if I were not here tomorrow, the thieves would steal everything. They will turn Bengal into another Gujarat

BJP is the country’s shame: Mamata Banerjee 

The issues of migrant labourers from Bengal facing atrocities in other states for speaking in Bengali and the BJP-led Union government’s attempts at denying the right of voting to lakhs of people in Bihar, Bengal and other states by making them ineligible on flimsy excuses were taken up strongly by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her speech in the Assembly today. The BJP legislators reacted, first by throwing paper and then by getting into unnecessary physical altercations with Trinamool representatives. These were condemned by the chief minister. She labelled the BJP as “anti-Bengal” and “vote chor, gaddi chorr”.

Here are the highlights of her speech:

They [BJP] have always said destructive things and done contempt of the House and disrupted the proceedings. I have cut short my time for the BJP MLAs to speak. They are anti-Bengali. They do not love Bengal or Bengalis. They don’t want the people to not listen to me. I have asked the ruling dispensation to remain quiet, but that has to be done both ways. You do not have to listen to us, but at least listen to the Speaker

You are throwing paper in the Assembly. This is unparliamentary, undemocratic, and illegal. They are well aware that their masks will come off if people get to hear what I have to say. Vote chor, gaddi chorr! They are the biggest thieves and torture the Bengalis. They mislead and deceive people. BJP is the country’s shame. I condemn them for committing atrocities on the Bengali language

There will come a day when the people of Bengal will no longer want to see a single BJP person here. All of them will lose. You cannot win by torturing our people. Our MLAs and MPs are attacked using BSF and CISF in the Parliament, but we will not do the same here. Remember, Bengal gave its blood during the freedom struggle. This party [BJP] was not even born then

They have no right to be in power at the Centre. It is only a few more days. I have never seen such a shameless and worthless party. When they will speak, I will tell my bench also not to allow them to speak

They torture people all across the nation and in Bengal. They practise discrimination. They do not fulfil their duties in the Assembly. They do not follow any rules and regulations. I condemn them on behalf of the House. They are doing this deliberately to suppress my voice. They were not here in the morning. They came only a few minutes before I arrived. Their names were called, but they did not speak. I requested the Speaker to allow them to speak, and right after they were done, they started creating a ruckus. This is Bengal and a Bengali’s issue. You cannot silence me

This party had no contribution in our freedom. They are the biggest thieves. They are selling off the nation. They try to stoke communalism and discrimination. They should know that Bengal had the biggest contribution in the freedom struggle. They are traitors and do not let people speak

They do not know Bengal and its history. They do not love the stalwarts of Bengal. They are an autocratic force and torture our people. In Andaman Cellular Jail, the maximum people were from Bengal followed by Punjab. Where were they during the freedom struggle? They were not even born. They were doing dalali for the Britishers. They want to make Bengal dependent again. We will not allow this

One, two, three, four….BJP shob theke boro chor! Not a single one of you can win by insulting Bengal, its people, and its language. No one will vote for you. Are you not ashamed? You are using muscle power, money, and misusing the ECI to win the elections. Are you afraid now? They are scared, that is why they are harassing the people of Bengal

You are a group of thieves, and the person who calls himself the biggest leader has changed three different parties, Congress, then some other party, then Trinamool, and now BJP. After making four changes, do not come and lecture us. It is a party full of turncoats. I will make BJP a big zero by giving a push from the people

You are anti-Bengali and your leaders are thieves. When elections are around, you start talking about CAA and NRC. It has been 5 years. In 2019, you brought the CAA saying that everyone will get citizenship. But what happened? It is the biggest corrupt party

BJP is anti-Bengal and anti-people. They are communal. They will not come to power again. And the one who is talking big is a turncoat. By listening to him, you are going in the wrong direction. Even if my throat is cut, I will speak in Bengali. I respect other languages too, but you are trying to disrespect and defame Bengal and Bengali. I gave my time to you so that you can speak. This is democracy. But what are you doing?

Will we listen to a turncoat who switched parties four times and has neither any ethics nor policy? They have only one work, to act in an anti-Bengali manner. But we do not oppose other languages. You try to bring down Bengal. Modi and Amit Shah are the biggest thieves. BJP hatao, desh bachao! All those who were shouting today were once in Trinamool. But today, for accumulating wealth and to save themselves from clutches of the ED-CBI, they have joined BJP. The people of Bengal will avenge this democratically, unlike you who commit atrocities. We respect democracy, that is why you can still try and disrupt my speech

At times, he [PM] is falling at the feet of the US, and sometimes at the feet of Russia, China, and Israel. By doing this, he has sold away the country and its dignity. Unity and diversity, which was the motive of the freedom struggle, has been destroyed by these people. How will they run the nation? They hate people and do politics of hatred and division. They do all sorts of conspiracies

You conspired with the Britishers and divided the nation and changed India’s capital from Kolkata. Do not call ‘Modi Chor’ [referring to the BJP MLAs]. We respect him as the PM and that is why we do not call him Modi Chor. But it is you who are saying it. Let Modi ji and the BJP leaders hear this. Shame on you all. Are you not ashamed to call your PM a thief? I respect him as the PM, not for him being the head of the BJP. I will tell PM Modi to throw these people out of the party. Protect the honour of the Assembly

You do not respect our freedom fighters, shame on you. And today they are calling Bengali a foreign language. Bengali is the second-most spoken language in Asia and 5th in the world. Bengali is not a foreign language. Those who hate Bengal are anti-Bengali and anti-national

You have stalled Rs 1.95 lakh crore owed to Bengal. You do not give our funds. We said that from health insurance to life insurance, there should be exempt from GST. We were the first to say it. I am proud of my party, that today they are bound to follow what we had said. It was an anti-people decision. You imposed it, but we eliminated it. You have increased the tax burden and then entered into an understanding with 3-4 countries

We show courtesy and let them speak, but they are not allowing me to speak. In the Parliament, our MPs are not allowed to speak. This is the difference. Do not be like them [referring to the AITC MLAs]. We must be disciplined. If for that matter my mic is also turned off, I will also sit down

Actually, they have not got any political teaching. They were only taught how to saffronise everything. The way they behaved today, this is a dark day in the history of the Bengal Assembly. I allowed them to speak. If I protect their democratic right, why are they trying to take away my right to speak? They are sometimes using the agencies to silence me and also spreading misinformation. This is not fair

Bengal gave the national anthem and the national song. We feel proud when our jawans say ‘Jai Hind’. We made a replica of the Andaman Cellular Jail in Alipore. This is Bengal’s contribution. Will you make the nation forget everything just because you are in power for a few years? While one section is patiently listening about the glory of Bengal and the nation, the other section [BJP] is creating a ruckus. You are not just anti-Bengali but also anti-national

Remember, we are citizens not at your mercy. We are citizens because of our freedom fighters. Where were you back then? And now will you decide who will stay in the country and who will not? You are calling people anti-national and Bangladeshi just because they are speaking in Bengali? A person went with his son to a hotel in Noida. He was not even a migrant worker. Despite that, he was not allowed inside. Remember, it is the people who will give you an answer one day

We do not attack Modi ji, but you all do not know how to show courtesy. You do not even know the country. You do not know the sacrifices people made. You are keeping Gandhi ji’s photo below and someone else’s photo above. You can abuse me but not Bengal or its people

You do not give importance to Rabindranath Tagore. But we believe in the harmony of all religions preached by Ramakrishna Paramahansa. You have not learnt all of this. You can only create nuisance

We have brought back 24,000 migrant workers. What was their fault? Just speaking in Bengali? I will ask them to speak in Bengali even more! When you do corruption, we do not get to see any agencies. We do not want to be dependent on anyone, that is why we have started the Shramashree schemes. Under this, we will give Rs 5,000 for one year and all other schemes when our workers from Bengal come back

They have forgotten Gandhi ji. They have forgotten everything. They only care about their own days. It is because they are scared of all our freedom fighters. They think they will lose their posts if they remember these people. They do not have any other identity except the fact that they are Nathuram Godse’s party. The nation will never forgive you. No one will forgive the killers of Gandhi ji

Those who are screaming about CAA, what did they do? Did they give any citizenship to anyone? It is all because of the 2026 polls. They are saying that those who came till 2024, barring Muslims, will not face any issues. But it is you who arrested a Rajbanshi in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar! Why did you torture the Matuas in Mumbai? Why did you torture our tribal brothers and sisters?

Nowhere in law is it mentioned about citizenship. Will you give voting rights and ration cards to those who came till 2024? Nothing is mentioned clearly. This is nothing but lies and deception. They said they will give citizenship, but did not give it in 2019 or 2024. Actually, they had a meeting in Bongaon coming up and that is why this has been done now. There was no discussion in the Parliament about this. This was passed unilaterally. No Select, Standing, or Parliamentary Committees’ opinion was taken [for CAA]. Those who have come until 2024, will you even put their names in the voter list? What a shame. Will you now bank on their votes? No one will vote for you
•

 

 

 

 

Insult to the Bengali language is an insult to Bengal: Abhishek Banerjee

In protest against the harassment of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states, All India Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee marched alongside Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 16. The rally started at 1 PM from College Square on Wednesday and concluded at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala.

From Odisha to Jaihind Colony in Delhi, allegations of continuous harassment of Bengalis have been surfacing. People are reportedly being persecuted simply for speaking Bengali. Even electricity and water connections are being cut off. A few days ago, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vented her anger about this on the social media platform X. This time, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee took to the streets to protest against the harassment of Bengalis.

After today’s rally, Abhishek Banerjee expressed on the social media, his humble respect and gratitude to all regardless of caste, creed, or religion, who walked in the grand rally with Jananetri Mamata Banerjee, braving the heavy rain in the struggle to protect the dignity of the Bengali language and the honour of Bengalis. In his post, Abhishek Banerjee he further wrote that, in BJP-ruled states, Bengali-speaking workers are being subjected to inhuman atrocities and are being detained by labelling them as ‘Bangladeshis.’ This is nothing but a planned attack on our democracy.

Abhishek Banerjee wrote that the sacred soil of Bengal is the land of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Swami Vivekananda. This land is also of the brave martyrs who laid down their lives in the country’s freedom struggle. The BJP must remember: ‘An insult to the Bengali language is an insult to Bengal.’

He wrote that Trinamool Congress is determined to fight against the persecution of Bengali-speaking workers. Democracy has been trampled in BJP-ruled states. He said that he firmly believed that the ordinary people of Bengal will oust the monstrous BJP in the coming elections.”

We will not tolerate atrocities against Bengalis: Mamata Banerjee

In protest against the harassment of Bengalis in other states, the Trinamool Congress took to the streets today. The rally was led by Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja, Dola Sen and several other senior leaders.
Here are the highlights of Mamata Banerjee’s speech at the rally in Dharmatala: This time, nearly 27,000 lakh cubic metres of water was released from the DVC and Panchet dams. As a result, people across Bengal—in Birbhum, parts of West Midnapore, Jhargram, parts of Bardhaman, Hooghly, Howrah, parts of Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas—have been flooded. We held a meeting yesterday for them. We will do everything we can. You all must stand by them.

I will not say everything today. You must come on July 21. I am extending an invitation to all of you for the July 21 gathering. There is much less waterlogging in Kolkata now. Only one or two wards get waterlogged. Earlier, even a little rain would cause a lot of waterlogging. Now, 99 per cent of the city does not face waterlogging; the remaining parts will be made waterlogging-free by 2026.

I am deeply ashamed, hurt, saddened and shocked by the behaviour of the government of India and the BJP. The Indian government has issued a notification, which we will challenge. They secretly issued the notification and sent it to BJP-ruled states. It clearly states that if anyone is suspected [of being a Bangladeshi]—simply on the basis of their speaking Bengali—they will be arrested and kept in detention camps. Even if someone visits a relative’s house, this is happening. I respect people of all languages. I respect every Indian. But we will not tolerate atrocities against Bengalis. Has BJP become the landlord of the country? They are sending anyone to jail as they please. If someone speaks in Bengali, they are calling them a Bangladeshi or a Rohingya. But Bangladesh is a separate country. Rohingyas are from Myanmar. How is that our concern? Citizens of West Bengal have Aadhaar cards, PAN cards. There are 22 lakh Bengali migrant workers. They could live much better in Bengal. On the one hand, you will make them work, but if they speak Bengali, you’ll put them in jail, in detention camps? Why? By what right? Is West Bengal not a part of India?

Why do you hate Bengalis? What have they done to you? Rabindranath Tagore celebrated Rakhshabandhan. Both the Indian and Bangladeshi national anthems were written by him. Wasn’t ‘Jana Gana Mana’ written by a Bengali? Back then, the country stood united.

The Union Home Minister controls the CISF and CRPF. Air travel comes under the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. Monitoring infiltration is the job of the Central government.
I’ve heard that in Bihar, 30.5 lakh votes have been deleted. The BJP won in Maharashtra by doing such things. Otherwise, they couldn’t have won. They did the same in Delhi. Now they are planning to do it in Bihar too. The people of Bihar are our brothers and sisters. The BJP is planning the same for Bengal. We will fight against every injustice. We will not give up even one inch without a fight.

People are being suddenly arrested while working. Even after showing documents, they are being taken to jail. Their elderly mothers, wives and children are also being taken. What crime have they committed? Speaking in Bengali? The Centre should remember that our state also has over 1.5 crore migrant workers. We never treat them like this. We give other states’ migrant workers respect, and you insult ours.

In Maharashtra, there have been atrocities against the Matua-speaking people. During elections, you beg for their votes at their homes while at other times, you oppress them. Udayan knows how many Rajbanshis have been pushed back into Bangladesh and kept in jail. People from Nadia have been detained in Chhattisgarh. In Delhi, water and electricity connections of people from West Bengal have been cut off. After getting reports from Chhattisgarh, Mahua Moitra went there to help the Bengali-speaking people of Nadia. In Delhi too, she staged a 48-hour sit-in protest for harassed Bengalis. The Assam government has sent notices to residents of Cooch Behar. What right do they have?

The army is being used for political gains: Mamata Banerjee

While the stage for Trinamool Congress’s protest programme against demonising the Bengali language by the BJP, at the Maidan near Esplanade was being dismantled by the Army today, Chairperson Mamata Banerjee rushed to the site and strongly admonished the BJP for using the Army to try to prevent its protests. Speaking to the media, she said that she had the highest respect for the Army, but using it for political purposes was grossly unjustified. She also said that her party’s protests against the atrocities brought on by several states on migrant workers for speaking in Bengali would continue.

Highlights of her speech:

You all can see that we started the Bhasha Andolan regarding the torture on the Bengali and our language, but they have dismantled the stage. The army has opened the pandal. I have no anger against the army, we are proud of them. But they should know that we do not block any roads. We had our event here only on Saturdays and Sundays. We also have the permission for the same. They could have told the police, then the police would have spoken to the party and we could’ve opened the stage. We do all protests here, under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest leader

Around 200 army men started running on seeing me. I said why are you running, you are my friends? It is not your fault. You did it because of the BJP and the Union Defence Minister. I am blaming the BJP and the Defence Minister. If they misuse the army to dismantle the stage and the decoration, what else can be said

Yesterday there was a programme and today they vacated the spot. They could have contacted the West Bengal Police and the Kolkata CP because this was about law & order and that is a State subject. If there was any objection, we would have opened it in a minute. We do not want to disturb anyone. I am sorry to say that it is not the army, it is the BJP. Behind this, there is the BJP and their ploy. They have done this forcefully. They have misused the army for political purposes. We are not blaming the army, they work for the country

They should not disrespect the army and the Kolkata Police. They should have consulted our Kolkata Police. They could have spoken to our minister Aroop Biswas like they did during the Durand Cup. I attend all their programmes. Why did your army team run when I was coming? I asked them this. They are my friends. Do not run. I will not do any more programme here

We will organise our programme in Rani Rashmoni Road. The BJP does [their programme] here without permission. Will the same rules be applied for them too? I feel this is undemocratic. I had to rush here leaving all my work. Bengalis and Bengali language is being persecuted. We have the democratic right to speak in any language. You could have told the police, but instead you took the law in your hand and dismantled the stage forcefully

Our sestoons and flags have been removed. It is undemocratic and unethical. The BJP wants to misuse the army for their own purposes. This is a sad message. They do not care about the internal or the border security. They only care about fighting AITC in Bengal. The more they do this, the worse the result will be for them

For 30 August and 31 August, we even gave Rs 20,000 as security money for the permission. There was no programme for any other party here and we used to do only on weekends. But we do not take security money from them. I condemn the BJP for what they did today. They are the shame of the country. The Double-Engine government is a shame. They will not get people’s support. They have turned all agencies into lollipops. Where will be the impartiality if even the army is misused?

When elections come, they send agencies to defame us. Tell me one agency which is unbiased. They are autocratic. When the BJP is no longer in power, where will they go? People will answer them. We will continue this fight against linguistic oppression. It will be stronger. I spoke to Abhishek also. I took permission from the police. We do not do anything without permission, not even 21 July event. We will do it [Bhasha Andolan] in Rani Rashmoni Road with permission. The protest stage will be shifted there

Then this means that at the Brigade Parade Ground and Mahatma Gandhi statue we cannot do any event because the army will not give permission? Will we not do anything at Red Road too because of no permission? What is this? Who looks after the road maintenance? Who looks after the law & order? All is done by the KMC and the Kolkata Police. We have the best of relation with our them [army]. You could have informed me also. How can you stop us from coming here at the Gandhi statue? You can keep Gandhi Ji’s photo at the foot but we do not do it. You put Gandhi Ji’s picture down, we saw in the Independence Day. But for us, he is in our hearts

Our dharna will continue. They do not have the strength to stop it. In Odisha, our workers were assaulted with rods yesterday. They have said in Assam that the Bengalis are D = Doubtful. They are torturing Bengalis everywhere. I do not want to torture the non-Bengalis and neither do I appreciate it. This is our culture. Speak more in Bengali. We want to see to what extent you [BJP] want to go

Tomorrow, from 2 PM onwards, protest rallies will happen in all blocks, wards, and districts because of what the BJP did today. From tomorrow the dharna stage at Rani Rashmoni Road will be prepared. It might take a little time because of the rain. This [Bhasha Andolan protest] will now happen every day. Make the stage where it is under the KMC

Did they ask the Kolkata Police or me even once? Did they speak to the party? The stage cannot be removed in a day. I do not need Modi Babu’s permission for programme, I take people’s permission. I will not blame the army, because they work for the nation. Does PM Modi take permission from us when he comes here? We just allow it because that is courtesy

They cannot stop our voices. They cannot take unilateral decisions. If the atrocities and torture are continuing against the Bengalis, we will do it every day. This is an international language. How can you say there is no such language or that Bengalis are doubtful voters?

I respect the uniform, but they are being misused. I appeal to the army, please be neutral because everybody loves you. We express our solidarity. So do not play at the hands of the BJP and involve in a dirty political game

They could have contacted me. I am available. They spoke to me so much during the Durand Cup. The Youth & Sports Ministers are in daily contact. Army’s job is not to dismantle the stage, it is the job of the police. They cannot intervene in political matters without the local police. The BJP gave them direction. The army is not guilty, but the BJP is

I am not the BJP’s mouthpiece. Army’s uniform is priceless. You humiliated the police on Police Day. Who are you to remove our flags and banners? If they disrespect our mother tongue, no one will be worse than me. I will fight them democratically and politically. The journalists are also being tortured and harassed everywhere by them

Won’t let anyone take away people’s voting rights:: Mamata Banerjee

The All India Trinamool Youth Congress celebrated its foundation day today, August 28. The party’s Chairperson Mamata Banerjee was the keynote speaker on the occasion. She spoke about the achievements of her government in the fields of education and jobs, and also on the poor performance of the BJP-led Union government on providing adequate jobs.

She also hit out at the BJP for using law enforcement agencies in states ruled by it to commit atrocities on migrant workers from Bengal for speaking in Bengali. Mamata Banerjee reminded the people in her speech of the rich legacy of the Bengali people, both in literature and in the Freedom Movement. The chairperson denounced the BJP for using agencies like the CBI and ED to conduct a political vendetta on parties opposed to it. She also criticised the ECI for allowing it to be used by the BJP (“act like a lollipop”, as she said) to disenfranchise people through the conducting of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Here are the highlights of her speech:

People’s trust is only in Trinamool Congress. Remember this always. Never forget the stalwarts of Bengal. They are our pride who upheld our culture and heritage. Never forget their words. I convey my best wishes to everyone. May you lead the way in the future. Who is the best in culture? I will say Bengal

I formed the Chhatra Parishad and I was the Founder-President of the Chhatra Parishad of Jogmaya Devi College unit. After that, I won thrice uncontested because no one could field a candidate against me. It was because I used to stand by the students during their tough times. I dissolved DSO in my college through constant struggle and fight

There were no women speakers at that time. There was no TMCP back then a sit was formed later. There was Chhatra Parishad. So, I used to go to colleges across the country and attend party programmes. No one knows the country better than me. I have been to all corners of the country. I know many languages. I understand what they feel and what they want

After 2011, the State’s economy grew 5.5 times despite so much opposition. Poverty eradication is the yardstick of a good government. Under our government between 2013-2023, 1.72 crore people have been brought out of BPL in Bengal. Now that figure might touch 2 crore, which is the highest achievement in India!

I respect all talent. The teachers and the students create talent. But that talent is real talent which shapes human beings, gives proper structure to society, builds the community, and gives birth to humanity

The students should feel proud. Under Taruner Swapna scheme, we spent Rs 5,300 crore to give tablets/smartphones to 53 lakh students. Now they get it in class 11. Apart from this, they get bicycles under the Sabuj Sathi scheme in class 9. This year, 12.5 lakh students have received bicycles. We spent Rs 69,000 crore for education infrastructure

Kanyashree has received global recognition. When no one could think of such a thing, we earned this recognition. This is now a model for the world. Now we have close to 1 crore Kanyashree beneficiaries. 1.38 crore students have received bicycles under the Sabuj Sathi scheme

So far, 92,000 students have already received the Student Credit Card. We had promised this during the last election. 1.25 crore students have received scholarships under Shikshashree scheme. 6.65 lakh students have received Medhashree scholarships. For Medhashree scheme, we did not cut into the general quota, we created a separate fund for this so that general category students do not face any issues

The Centre has stopped the UGC grant but we continue to provide it. I saw this on social media. The Bardhaman University Vice-Chancellor had stopped funds for the researchers. I came to know that he was appointed by the Governor. After I got to know this, I restarted the grant. Remember, not everyone is our own. Some engage in mischief. 36.55 lakh students have received the Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

There are a few people who talk big about students, but they file cases to stop admissions and recruitment. I feel sorry. JEE results have been delayed but it is not our fault. These people file legal cases so that this can be delayed and then they blame us. They create legal hindrances and then they say that we are responsible and demand answers from us. I say, first you give answers about your actions. They cannot fight us in the political arena. You fight through the backdoor. They stop recruitment, admissions, and development through backdoor fighting

I was chased by armed individuals back when I was a student at Ashutosh College during the college election. I was there to deliver a speech. Two boys of the Chhatra Parishad were picked up by CPI(M) goons. But we did not bow down. They attacked me at Hazra More too. I have so many stitches and bones were broken as I was attacked with sticks and rods. They even attacked me on 21 July

We have never learnt to accept defeat. Abhishek has rightly said that everyone is attacking Trinamool Congress and we have to fight against all these forces. When our migrant workers are tortured, they say nothing. Another person died who was under treatment in Habra. He was attacked in Maharashtra. They took 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal because of their skills. Yet, look at what they are doing. We also have 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal who have come here from other States. We treat them like our brothers and sisters. We do not torture them, we love them. This is Bengal

And to those who are torturing our people, you will see that when elections come, the pressure of agencies increases. Earlier the agencies were not aligned to any party. I was an MP seven times. I was the Railway, Coal & Mines, Youth & Sports, and WCD Minister respectively. The NCW and Sports Academy were formed when I was an MP. I have seen many Prime Ministers in my career, so there is no point in teaching me anything. I will write a book about this, about who was how, and this will be released at the next Book Fair

The BJP said that they will give 2 crore jobs. Far from giving any, they have taken away so many jobs. On the contrary, we have given jobs. We generated so much employment that even the Centre’s NITI Aayog acknowledged it. NITI Aayog has said that Bengal performed better in terms of reducing unemployment. In its report, it said that while the national rate of unemployment was 3.2%, the same for Bengal was 2.2% in 2022-23. We reduced unemployment by 40%

Karmadiganta Calcutta Leather Complex is the biggest in Asia, which generates revenues of Rs 35,000 crore and provides employment to 7.5 lakh people. The Bengal Silicon Valley, with Rs 27,000 crore investment, is a hub of 75,000 IT jobs. We are number 1 in MSME and in the Skilled Training sector. Even in terms of women employment and SHGs, we are number 1 in India

There are a few vindictive people. We were number 1 in MGNREGA, Awas Yojana, and Grameen Sadak Yojana. But a few ‘high-loaded viruses’ stopped our funds. These people have Himalayan incompetence. They think they will snatch away voting rights through NRC. We will never allow it

On one hand there is BJP, on the other hand, we have their friend the Left front. I respect the chair of the ECI. It suits children to have a lollipop, but it does not suit the ECI to act like a lollipop. Won’t let anyone take away people’s voting rights.This is Bengal. Kolkata was once the capital of undivided India. The British then changed it because they knew that even if they defeated other States, they could not fight us

Film director Goutam Ghose made a social media post. He said that India was not partitioned, rather, it was Bengal and Punjab that were partitioned. They speak Bengali but that is a separate nation called Bangladesh. There is one Punjab in Pakistan as well

In Andaman Cellular Jail – a replica of which is there in Alipore – 90% were Bengalis and 10% were Punjabis in the freedom struggle. We will not take accountability for this division because we were not even born back then. Why are you talking about what happened in the past? Why are you not talking about the present-day scenario? You were not even born back then, then why are you giving lectures now? Their brains are completely barren

Nowadays, they are making paid films to defame Bengal. They even referred to Khudiram Bose as Singh. I shared the document to point out the flaw. It was Khudiram Bose. Where were you when he was being hanged? Your forefathers did dalali of the British and saved themselves by signing bonds

Who gave the Jai Hind slogan? It was Netaji. It is unfortunate that we do not know his death date. The CPI(M) Government in Kerala is teaching that Netaji ran away out of fear of the British. It is a shame! Who gave us Bande Mataram? It was Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, a Bengali. Who wrote our national anthem? It was Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore. If, as you say, there is nothing called the Bengali language, then how did Jana Gana Mana become the national anthem? How did Bande Mataram become the national song?

No matter how much conspiracy you engage in, it will yield no results. The BJP has brought 500 teams to conduct surveys here ahead of the polls. If someone comes for any survey, do not give any details. They will strike off your names from the electoral roll. Be vigilant and check your names in the list. Keep the Aadhaar Card with you always as it has been made acceptable

This is a ‘Lollipop Sarkar’. They are trying to threaten the BDO, SDO, DM, and Police. They are saying that either they will take away their jobs or put them in jail. The ECI comes and goes, but the State Government remains. The ECI has a lifespan of 3 months only during elections. Just like we have Lakshmir Bhandar, we also know about your ‘Corruption Bhandar’. I will expose everything. They speak of dynasty politics. What about your son Amit Shah who is the ICC President? Is this not dynasty politics? Ask them how many of their family members are holding bureaucratic posts in different States! We do not give lollipops, we ensure democratic rights

Bengal will not tolerate your torture. We will not budge an inch. Trinamool was not formed out of mercy, we were formed with people’s love. Remember, in the coming elections, our seats will only increase. We do development and will continue to do more. But you take away people’s rights and torture the poor by branding them as Bangladeshis. For me, the poor are in my heart. I do not believe in discrimination, I believe in humanity

We gave skilled training to 41 lakh individuals, of which 10 lakh have already got jobs. We conduct job fairs regularly. In real estate, revenue of Rs 45,000 crore has been generated in 2 years. We are the best when it comes to the tourism sector. We have Jagannath Dham and next, we will make Dura Angan. Durga Puja is our pride and we generate business worth Rs 1 crore from this alone

Be proud of your motherland and your mother tongue. You are the future. Do not forget your identity and existence. Always remember that Bengal is our identity. The BJP is shameless and so is the Left. They are following the footsteps of the BJP and saying Netaji ran away. Do they have the right to do politics when they used to call Netaji and Gandhiji bourgeois?

 

বাংলার ইতিহাস ভুলবেন না, আমরা মাথা নত করব না : মমতা বন্দোপাধ্যায়

পূর্ব বর্ধমানে আজ মমতা বন্দোপাধ্যায়ের বক্তব্য:

২০১১ সালের পর থেকে আমরা সারা রাজ্যে ২.২৬ লক্ষ গৃহ পাট্টা, ১.৮০ লক্ষ কৃষি পাট্টা এবং ৪৭ হাজারেরও বেশি বনজমি পাট্টা প্রদান করেছি। শুধুমাত্র পূর্ব বর্ধমানেই ২৮,৮৪০টি পাট্টা দেওয়া হয়েছে , ৮৩২টি শরণার্থী পাট্টা এবং ১,৪৪৩টি বনজমি পাট্টা। আগামী দিনে আরও ২৪,০০০ পাট্টা প্রদান করা হবে। বহু প্রকল্প ইতিমধ্যেই এখানে চালু রয়েছে

আমরা ঘর তৈরি করব। সমস্ত কাঁচা ঘর পাকা করা হবে। কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার MGNREGA, গ্রামীণ সড়ক যোজনা এবং জল স্বপ্ন প্রকল্পে অর্থ দেওয়া বন্ধ করেছে। আমরা আমাদের অংশের অর্থ দিচ্ছি। কেন্দ্র এসএসএম ও বাংলার বাড়ি প্রকল্পের অর্থও বন্ধ করে দিয়েছে। তা সত্ত্বেও আমরা ইতিমধ্যেই ৪৭ লক্ষ ঘর তৈরি করেছি এবং ১২ লক্ষ ঘরকে পাকা ঘরে রূপান্তরিত করার জন্য অর্থ প্রদান করেছি। বাকি ১৬ লক্ষ ঘর ডিসেম্বর মাসে প্রথম কিস্তি এবং জুন মাসে দ্বিতীয় কিস্তি পাবে

এ বছরের বর্ষায় বহু কাঁচা ঘর ভেঙে গেছে বা ভেসে গেছে। উদ্বিগ্ন হওয়ার কিছু নেই। আমি জেলাশাসকদের বলব ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত ঘরগুলির তালিকা তৈরি করে মুখ্যসচিবের কাছে পাঠাবেন। এই জন্য আমরা আলাদা একটি কর্মসূচি শুরু করব। এটি আমাদের নির্মীয়মাণ ২৮ লক্ষ ঘরের বাইরে আরেকটি অতিরিক্ত উদ্যোগ হবে

পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সারা ভারতে ধান উৎপাদনে প্রথম স্থান অর্জন করেছে। আমি সবার প্রতি, বিশেষ করে কৃষকদের অভিনন্দন জানাই। কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার MGNREGA প্রকল্পের অর্থ বন্ধ করে দিয়েছে কিন্তু আমি কর্মশ্রী প্রকল্প শুরু করেছি। এই প্রকল্পে ইতিমধ্যেই ৭৮ লক্ষ মানুষ জব কার্ড পেয়েছেন। আমরা রাজ্য কোষাগার থেকে ১৯,০০০ কোটি টাকা ব্যয় করে ৯১ কোটি কর্মদিবস সৃষ্টি করেছি

দেশের বিভিন্ন রাজ্যে বাংলার প্রায় ২২ লক্ষ পরিযায়ী শ্রমিক কাজ করছেন। তাঁরা কারও দয়ায় নয়, নিজেদের দক্ষতার জোরে কাজ পেয়েছেন। বহু ক্ষেত্রে তাঁদের দক্ষতা অসাধারণ। অথচ আজ তাঁরা নির্যাতন ও আক্রমণের শিকার হচ্ছেন। আমি জানতে পেরেছি, আজ বারাসাতের হাবরায় আমার এক ভাই মারা গেছেন, যাঁকে মুম্বাইয়ে মারধর করা হয়েছিল। এই রকম অসংখ্য ঘটনা ঘটছে

বাংলায় অন্যান্য রাজ্যের প্রায় ১.৫ কোটি পরিযায়ী শ্রমিক বসবাস করেন। আমরা তাঁদের নির্যাতন করি না, ভালোবাসি, আপন করে নিই। তাহলে কেন আমাদের শ্রমিকদের ওড়িশা, মুম্বই, গুরুগ্রাম ও গুজরাটে আক্রমণ করা হচ্ছে? আপনারা কি বাংলার মানুষকে মানুষ বলে মনে করেন না? সারা বিশ্ব আমাদের প্রতিভাকে সম্মান করে। মনে রাখবেন ট্রাম্প গুজরাটিদের হাতকড়া পরিয়ে মার্কিন যুক্তরাষ্ট্র থেকে তাড়িয়ে দিয়েছিল, কিন্তু বাঙালিদের তাড়াতে পারেনি

আমি বাংলার পরিযায়ী শ্রমিকদের বাংলায় ফিরে আসতে বলব। আমি তাঁদের জন্য একটি প্রকল্প তৈরি করেছি। তাঁরা বাংলায় ফিরে এলে যাতায়াত খরচ বাবদ সঙ্গে সঙ্গে ৫,০০০ টাকা পাবেন। রেজিস্ট্রেশন করার জন্য একটি পোর্টাল চালু হয়েছে। এছাড়াও তাঁরা ‘আমাদের পাড়া আমাদের সমাধান’ ক্যাম্পে অথবা বিডিও অফিসে নাম নথিভুক্ত করতে পারেন। সেখান থেকে জেলা শাসক ও পুলিশ সুপারের কাছে নাম যাবে। আইসিরাও এসপির কাছে নাম পাঠাতে পারেন। এই ৫,০০০ টাকার পাশাপাশি তাঁরা প্রতি মাসে আরও ৫,০০০ টাকা এক বছরের জন্য পাবেন, যতদিন না তাঁরা আর্থিকভাবে স্থিতিশীল হবেন। তাঁদের খাদ্য সাথী ও স্বাস্থ্যসাথীর সুবিধা দেওয়া হবে। সন্তানদের শিক্ষার খরচও তাঁদের দিতে হবে না, সেগুলো সব আমরা নিশ্চিত করব। মনে রাখবেন, আমরা মরে যাইনি, আমরা যতদিন বেঁচে আছি, ততদিন তাঁদের ভবিষ্যৎ আমরা নষ্ট হতে দেব না। তাঁদের দক্ষতার প্রশিক্ষণ দিয়ে কর্মশ্রী প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে চাকরির ব্যবস্থা করা হবে। প্রত্যেককে তাঁদের দক্ষতা অনুযায়ী কাজ দেওয়া হবে। ব্যবসার জন্য ঋণও নেওয়া যাবে। কোনো কাজ কিন্তু ছোট নয়। এই প্রকল্পের নাম ‘শ্রমশ্রী’

কন্যাশ্রী আমাদের অন্যতম বৃহৎ প্রকল্প, যা আন্তর্জাতিক স্বীকৃতি পেয়েছে। ওবিসি আসন সংরক্ষণের বিষয়ে আমরা সাধারণ শ্রেণির কোটার ক্ষেত্রেও কোনো কাটছাঁট করিনি। এর জন্য আলাদা তহবিল রয়েছে যাতে সাধারণ শ্রেণির ছাত্রছাত্রীরা কোনো সমস্যার মুখে না পড়ে

আমাদের শাসনকালে গ্রামীণ এলাকায় ৭৬% এবং শহরাঞ্চলে ৭৮% পানীয় জল সরবরাহ নিশ্চিত করা হয়েছে। এর জন্য আমরা ৩৮,০০০ কোটিরও বেশি টাকা ব্যয় করেছি। আমরা জমি বিনামূল্যে দিয়েছি এবং এই পরিষেবার রক্ষণাবেক্ষণও করছি। এখনও আরও ৬৫,০০০ কোটি টাকা প্রয়োজন। কেন্দ্র এখান থেকে কর আদায় করে কিন্তু আমাদের অর্থ ফেরত দেয় না। বর্তমানে জিএসটি ছাড়া আর কোনো কর নেই। পাঁচটি প্রকল্পের অর্থও বন্ধ করে দেওয়া হয়েছে, অথচ আমরা সেগুলোও চালাচ্ছি

আমরা বলেছিলাম যে স্বাস্থ্য বীমার উপর থেকে জিএসটি তুলে দেওয়া উচিত এবং বীমা সংস্থাগুলি যেন তাদের প্রিমিয়াম না বাড়ায়। এর ফলে আমরা ৯০০ কোটি টাকার রাজস্ব ক্ষতির মুখে পড়েছি

আমি প্রধানমন্ত্রীর থেকে এমনটা আশা করি না। আমি তাঁর চেয়ারের সম্মান করি, কিন্তু তাঁকেও আমাদের চেয়ারকে সম্মান করতে হবে। তিনি কেন বলবেন, “বাংলায় চোর আছে তাই আমি টাকা বন্ধ করেছি”? উত্তরপ্রদেশই সবচেয়ে বড় চোর। মহারাষ্ট্র আর বিহার, এই ডবল ইঞ্জিন রাজ্যগুলোও সবচেয়ে বড় চোর। বাংলাকে বদনাম করতে কতগুলো দল পাঠিয়েছে জানেন? ১৮৬টি দল! ভাবা যায়?

– সব গ্রাম পঞ্চায়েত আমাদের দখলে নেই। অনেক দল আছে। পঞ্চায়েতগুলো কখনও একটি দলের হতে পারে না, যেমন লোকসভা আর বিধানসভায় বিভিন্ন দলের প্রতিনিধি থাকে। গণতন্ত্রে বিভিন্ন দল থাকবে। কেন্দ্র কিছু সমস্যার কথা জানিয়ে তারা আমাদের কাছে জবাব চেয়েছিল। আমরা প্রতিটি প্রশ্নের উত্তর দিয়েছি। তবুও যদি একজন ছাত্র সব প্রশ্নের উত্তর দেওয়ার পর শূন্য পায়, সে কি মেনে নেবে? আপনি চোর আর দেশদ্রোহীদের সঙ্গে বৈঠক করছেন আর বাংলাকে দোষারোপ করছেন। এতে কি আপনার লজ্জা হয় না? আসলে তারা নির্লজ্জ

ভোটের আগে আপনি পরিযায়ী পাখির মতো আসছেন। আমি চাই আপনি বছরের ৩৬৫ দিন আসুন, কারণ আপনার ফ্লাইট, খাবার আর থাকার খরচ সম্পূর্ণ বিনামূল্যে। তবে মনে রাখবেন, আমি রাজ্যের তহবিল থেকে কিছু নিই না। আমি সাতবার সাংসদ ছিলাম, গত ১৪ বছরে ২.৫ লক্ষ টাকারও বেশি পেনশন নিতে পারতাম, কিন্তু আমি এক পয়সাও নিইনি। কেউ সেটা মনে রাখে না। মুখ্যসচিব এখানে আছেন, আমি যখন কোনও সার্কিট হাউসে থাকি তার সম্পূর্ণ খরচ নিজে দিই। আমি বই লেখার রয়্যালটি দিয়ে নিজের খরচ চালাই। আমার টাকা চাই না, আমি প্রতিভা আর আত্মসম্মান চাই

বাংলাকে অসম্মান করলে আমি কষ্ট পায়, কারণ সেটা আমায় ব্যথা দেয়। আমায় যত খুশি গালাগালি দিন, বদনাম করুন, কিন্তু মনে রাখবেন আমি লড়তে জানি। আমার সাহস আছে। এটা আমার মাটির শক্তি। আমায় ভয় দেখতে পারবেন না

ভোটের সময় এলেই ওরা এনআরসি নিয়ে আসে, ভোটার তালিকা থেকে নাম কেটে দেওয়ার চেষ্টা করে। আমি নির্বাচন কমিশনকে সম্মান করি, কিন্তু অনুরোধ করব বিজেপির ললিপপ হবেন না। যদি এটা করেন, দেশের মানুষ ক্ষমা করবে না। ওরা বলে বাংলায় বাংলাদেশি আছে। আমি একটা ছোট প্রশ্ন করেছিলাম এবং পরিচালক গৌতম ঘোষের সোশ্যাল মিডিয়া পোস্টে তার উত্তর পেয়েছি। তখন তো আমরা জন্মাইনি, আর এখন আমাদের দোষ দিচ্ছে

১৯৪৭ সালে স্বাধীনতার পর, দেশভাগের সময় আপনারা কী করেছিলেন? ভারতবর্ষকে ভাগ করার সময় বাংলাকে ভাগ করেছেন, পাঞ্জাবকেও ভাগ করেছেন। আন্দামানের সেলুলার জেলে ৭০০-র বেশি বাঙালি বন্দী ছিলেন। স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামে ৯০% বাঙালি, ১০% পাঞ্জাবি ছিলেন। আপনারা জানতেন বাংলাকে দমন করা যাবে না, তাই বাংলাকে আর পাঞ্জাবকে ভাগ করেছিলেন। পাকিস্তানে আজও একটা পাঞ্জাব আছে। বাংলাদেশের অস্তিত্ব আমরা তৈরি করিনি, সেটা আপনারা আর আপনার পূর্বপুরুষেরা করেছেন। ভাষা যদি একই হয়, আমরা কী করতে পারি? বাংলা একটি আন্তর্জাতিক ভাষা

আজ যদি মানুষ বাংলায় কথা বলে, তাদের হোটেলে জায়গা দেওয়া হয় না, কাজ দেওয়া হয় না, পড়াশোনার সুযোগ দেওয়া হয় না। আমরা বাংলায় কথা বলব। আমরা অন্য ভাষাতেও কথা বলব, কারণ আমরা তাদের সম্মান করি। কিন্তু আমি কেন বাংলায় কথা বলব না? আপনাদের মাথা কি পুরোপুরি মরুভূমিতে পরিণত হয়েছে? ওরা বাংলাকে সহ্য করতে পারে না। দুটি জাতীয় সঙ্গীতই বাংলায় লেখা—ভারতেরও, বাংলাদেশেরও। বাংলার ইতিহাস ভুলবেন না

বাংলার মধ্যে একই ভাষায় একাধিক উপভাষা রয়েছে। রাজা রামমোহন রায় সতীদাহ প্রথার কঠোর বিরোধিতা করেছিলেন। বাংলার মতো এমন সংস্কার আর কোথায় হয়েছে? আমরা বজ্রকণ্ঠে জয় বাংলা বলব। এটাই আমাদের স্লোগান। যতই আমাদের ঘৃণা করুন, ভাষার ওপর এই নির্যাতন আমরা মেনে নেব না। আজ ক্ষমতায় আছেন বলে এটা করছেন। কিন্তু যখন আর ক্ষমতায় থাকবেন না, তখন কী করবেন? মনে রাখবেন, নিজের ঘর থেকেই সবকিছু শুরু করতে হয়

আগে তারা বলত, মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় বাংলায় দুর্গাপুজো করতে দেন না। এখন তারাই বলছে “জয় মা দুর্গা”। কেন? কারণ ভোট আসছে, তারা ভোট চায়। তারা নিজেরাই একটা মনগড়া হিন্দু ধর্ম শুরু করেছে এবং তারা এটা মানুষের ওপর চাপিয়ে দিতে চায়। এটা কোনোদিন হবে না, হাজার বছরেও না। আমরা মাথা নত করব না

আমাদের ভাষা নিয়ে কেউ খেলবার চেষ্টা করবেন না : মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়

আজ মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় ঝাড়গ্রাম থেকে পাঁচমাথা মোড় পর্যন্ত মিছিলের নেতৃত্ব দেন। মিছিল শেষে পাঁচমাথা মোড়ে পথসভা করেন তিনি। সেখানে ওনার বক্তব্যের কিছু অংশ:

একসময় মানুষ ঝাড়গ্রামে আসতেন স্বাস্থ্য উদ্ধার করতে। কিন্তু বাম আমলে মানুষ গোয়ালতোড়, বেলপাহাড়ি, ঝাড়গ্রামে মানুষ আসতে ভয় পেতেন। আমি কিন্তু, আসতাম। আমার দল ক্ষমতায় আসার পরই আমি প্রথম এখানে আসি। কারণ আমি চেয়েছিলাম ঝাড়গ্রামে শান্তি ফিরে আসুক

সরকারী কর্মচারীদের ভয় দেখানো হচ্ছে। কালকে আমার ২ অফিসারকে নোটিস পাঠানো হয়েছে। কি না, তাঁদের সাসপেন্ড করা হল। আমরা বলি, তোমার নির্বাচন এখনও ঘোষণা হয়েছে? কোন আইনের বলে তুমি নোটিস পাঠাচ্ছ? সাসপেন্ড করছ। আর বলে দিচ্ছ, এফআইআর করতে হবে। হবে না। আমি কারও পানিশমেন্ট হতে দেব না। এটা মাথায় রাখবেন

আজকে অফিসারদের ভয় দেখাচ্ছ, পুলিশকে ভয় দেখাচ্ছ। শুনুন আপনাদের রক্ষা করার দায়িত্ব আমাদের। জীবন দিয়েও আপনাদের আমরা রক্ষা করব। চিন্তা করবেন না

২ মাসের জন্য নির্বাচনে আসেন। আবার উড়ে চলে যান। বসন্তের কোকিলের মতো। এখন নির্বাচনের অনেক দেরি রয়েছে। এখন থেকে সাসপেন্ড করতে শুরু করেছেন। হরিদাস সব, ক্রীতদাস সব

ওরা জানে আমি ভাঙি তবু মচকাই না। ওরা আমায় জব্দ করতে চাইলে, মানুষ ওদের স্তব্ধ করে দেবে। আমাকে শান্তিতে থাকতে দিন। আমি শান্তিতে থাকলে শান্ত হয়ে যাই। আমার বিরুদ্ধে বজ্জাতি করলে, আমি টর্নেডো হয়ে যাই। আমি সুনামি হয়ে যাই। তখন আমাকে রোখা খুব মুশকিল। জ্যান্ত বাঘের চেয়ে আহত বাঘ খুব ভয়ঙ্কর। আমাদের আহত করার চেষ্টা করবেন না

আজ বাংলা ভাষায় কথা বললে জেলে নিয়ে যাওয়া হচ্ছে। বাংলাদেশি বলা হচ্ছে। কেউ ফোন করলেই জয় বাংলা বলবেন

গায়ের জোরে ভয় দেখিয়ে যদি অত‍্যাচার করেন, তাহলে আমাদের দেহ পেরিয়ে যেতে হবে। আমরা দাঁড়িয়ে থাকব পাহারাদার হিসেবে

আজ এই মিটিং থেকে আওয়াজ উঠুক। রক্ত দেব। কলিজা দেব। কিন্তু বিনা যুদ্ধে এক ইঞ্চি জমি ছাড়ব না। আমাদের শপথ, এনআরসি করতে দিচ্ছি না, দেব না। অসম থেকে বাংলায় নোটিস পাঠাচ্ছ। সাহস তো কম নয়। নোটিস পাঠালে কেউ যাবেন না। গেলেই জেলে পুরে দেবে। আমরা আইনজীবী দিয়ে লড়ে নেব

আমাদের ভাষা নিয়ে কেউ খেলবার চেষ্টা করবেন না। কেউ অসম্মান করার চেষ্টা করবেন না। একবার যা ব্রেনে নিয়েছি, ওটা ড্রেনে যাবে না। আমরা ছোটবেলা থেকে যা শিখেছি, কেউ মেরে ফেললেও তা ভুলব না