Political

20 Jul

Pegasus had hacked Prashant Kishor, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew was also targetted

editor0 CommentsPolitical, West Bengal

In the midst of the heated Assembly elections in West Bengal earlier this year, the phone of poll strategist Prashant Kishor was broken into using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, according to digital forensics conducted by Amnesty International’s Security Lab and shared with The Wire. They were among dozens of Indian politicians, journalists, activists and government critics whose numbers were identified as possible targets for the Israeli company NSO Group’s government clients, a global collaborative investigative project has revealed after examining a leaked database of phone numbers listed by multiple government clients of the surveillance firm. The leaked global database of…

19 Jul

The Political Fix: What can Prashant Kishor bring to the Congress – or the anti-Modi Opposition?

editor0 CommentsIndia, Political

Mamata Banerjee’s big win in the high-prestige and high-octane West Bengal assembly election last winter has triggered the possibility of a new federal front against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Regional parties, party factions, small and big political family firms — all seem to be involved in parleys, political intrigue and even publicity-generating photo-ops. Inciting speculation and working across regions, a ‘coalition’ to take on the behemoth that is the BJP’s election machinery seems to be afoot. Weakened states and regional parties in the Modi-Shah era have made the repeat of a 1990s-style anti-BJP coalition at…

17 Jul

SHARAD PAWAR, PM MODI HOLD A MEETING ON ‘ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST

editor0 CommentsPolitical

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar today met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s residence. During the meeting which lasted for about 50 minutes, the veteran politician raised concerns about the newly-formed Ministry of Cooperation which is headed by Amit Shah, and farmers’ issues, sources in the NCP said. “Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar met PM Narendra Modi,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted, along with a photo of the two leaders meeting. Mr Pawar, who sought an appointment with PM Modi, got one for this morning. Apart from meeting PM Modi, Mr Pawar, 80, also wrote…

15 Jul

Raju Bista appointed as BJYM’s National General Secretary

editor0 CommentsIndia, North Bengal, Political, West Bengal

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has released the list of its new executives. In the new team, special importance has been given to Bengal. A statement issued by BJP on Wednesday said that during a meeting with the party's president JP Nadda, Raju Bista has been appointed as the National General Secretary of the party.Apart from Raju Bista, Anup Saha, MLA of Dubrajpur in Birbhum district, has been appointed as the national vice-president of the BJP's youth wing.

15 Jul

Skill, reskill & upskill: Modi’s mantra for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

editor0 CommentsBusiness, India, Political

Underlining the importance of skills in the Indian culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday exhorted the stakeholders to continuously “skill, reskill and upskill” to achieve ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) goal, and that India providing smart and skilled manpower solutions to the world should be at the core of strategy of skilling our youth. He said skill development of the new generation is a national need and is the foundation of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to take India forward from 75 years to 100 years. Taking note of huge demand for reskilling due to fast changing technology, the Prime Minister emphasised that…

13 Jul

The NHRC on Tuesday submitted a report in High Court related to the West Bengal post-poll violence case.

editor0 CommentsPolitical, West Bengal

Calcutta High Court's five judges bench while hearing a petition in connection with post-poll violence has ordered a DNA test of the body of BJP trade union leader Abhijit Sarkar to be done in Command Hospital. Police on Saturday night arrested two key accused in the murder of Sarkar on May 2 after poll results were declared. The detective department’s late-night arrests were based on a tipoff that the duo — Sufal Das alias Ruidas and Sanjay Das alias Rana — had been holed up in Hooghly’s Hindmotor. Both are residents of Maniktala Main Road The NHRC on Tuesday submitted…

10 Jul

Mukul Roy as appointed PAC chairman by the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, and the BJP conduct a walkout

editor0 CommentsPolitical

House Speaker Biman Banerjee has selected Mukul Roy, who recently moved to the TMC, as the chairman of the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee. Speaker Biman Banerjee nominated Mukul Roy, a senior TMC lawmaker who recently moved to the ruling camp in Bengal after winning the assembly elections on a BJP ticket, as the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the Assembly on Friday. In protest of this decision, BJP MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, staged a walkout in the Assembly. "The PAC chairman is chosen from the opposition party, according to convention. The speaker, on…

09 Jul

Saddened: PM Modi offers condolences to Haiti over assassination of President Jovenel Moise

editor0 Commentsinternational, Political

The assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moise came as a shock for the world. The President and his wife, Martine Moise were attacked at their private residence by a group of unknown gunmen. The information was shared by the interim Prime minister of Haiti, Claude Joseph. Saddened by the grave incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered condolences to the family of President Moise, his family, and the people of Haiti."Saddened by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise and the attack on First Lady Martine Moise of Haiti. My Condolences to the family of President Moise and the people of…

08 Jul

Suvendu Adhikari, a BJP leader has asks not to attack Mamata Banerjee

editor0 CommentsPolitical

Staff Reporter: According to the recently concluded assembly election, TMC ministers Rajib Banerjee and Adhikari left the party and joined the BJP. BJP leader Rajib Banerjee on Wednesday (July 7) urged party colleague and West Bengal assembly Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari to stand by people affected by rising petroleum prices rather than targeting Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has the people's mandate to rule the state. Before the recent assembly election, Rajib Banerjee and Adhikari, both ministers in the TMC government, left the party and joined the BJP. Adhikari won the election, although Banerjee ran unsuccessfully. "Instead…

07 Jul

Modi cabinet 2.0: 12 ministers including the health minister and education minister resigned

editor0 CommentsBreaking News, Political

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Health Ashwini Chaube both resigned today, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet reshuffle. Along with Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, these are the biggest casualties of the mega government reset. The resignation of both Health Ministers comes as the government battles criticism of its handling of the second wave of Covid in April-May, which ambushed India's health infrastructure and left tens of thousands desperate for oxygen, hospital beds and vaccine. As cases dip, the government's next priority is to stave off a third wave of the virus. This hinges…