Source: Internet
Kolkata 15 Jan: With the municipal elections for 110 municipalities likely to be held in second week of April in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress has already decided to start their campaign against the CAA , NRC and NPR issues for the upcoming election. The draft meeting of Trinamool Congress for the reserved seats for 92 municipalities will be held on Friday.
The municipal election will be an acid test before the Assembly election for both the BJP and the TMC . While the BJP will try to bring more wards under its fold, the TMC will fight tooth and nail not to give any wards to the BJP. On the other hand, the CPI(M) and the Congress have teamed up to fight in the upcoming municipal elections.
It may be mentioned that in the recently concluded by-election of Karimpur in Nadia, Kharagpur Sadar in West Midnapore and Kaliagunj in Uttar Dinajpur both CPI(M) and Congress have teamed up to fight the by-election. Trinamool Congress won all three seats and the results indicated that BJP failed to retain their seat in Kharagpur Sadar.
Adhir Chowdhury, Congress leader said: “Our main aim is to highlight the bonhomie between Modi and Mamata and highlight how although Mamata is claiming that the BJP is her enemy, she is helping the BJP to rise in Bengal and in return the BJP is with regards to Saradha chit fund scam. and Narada sting operation so that the accused won’t be punished.”
Significantly on Thursday , CBI transferred four officers , three deputy superintendents of police and one inspector who were investigating the Saradha ,Narada sting operation and Rose Valley chit fund scam. The officers who were transferred includes CBI deputy director Ranjit Kumar, DSP Tathagata Bardhan and DSP Chojom Sherpa. This has created flutter among the Opposition parties including CPIM, Congress claiming that Mamata ‘s meeting with Prime Minister at Raj Bhavan has resulted in such a transfer and it was deliberately created so that the investigation process is stalled .
Md Selim CPI(M) leader said “The bonhomie between Didi and Modi once again ace into the forefront after the transfer orders were issued. This proves that CBI is no longer eager to probe the case and intentionally wanted it to delay.”
It is to be noted that many TMC leaders have been accused of doing frauds in the Saradha chit fund scam. The Narada sting operation had also exposed TMC leaders accepting bribes.
Mukul Roy, who has now defected to the BJP, is also one of the accused. The Opposition parties have often accused the Mamata Banerjee government of working in tandem with the BJP, to get the the names of the accused TMC leaders cleared.
It may be mentioned that Mamata Banerjee had staged a sit-in protesting the arrest of Rajeev Kumar former CP of Kolkata Police after CBI went to interrogate him with regards to Saradha scam.
While the BJP will campaign for the CAA, NRC and NPR and try to erase the confusions that has been created due to miscommunication created by political parties against the Act, the Trinamool Congress has urged its workers to visit each household and talk to people about the CAA, NRC and NPR .
Dilip Ghosh, state BJP president, said: “The BJP has emerged as an alternative political force in Bengal and despite Banerjee’s attempt to divide our unity based on her anti CAA campaign, we are confident that the people will support CAA and we will campaign for CAA intensively in Bengal.”
Recently an internal meeting was held with the TMC municipal workers of every ward and they have been instructed to campaign against theCAA, NRC , NPR in each ward and also convince them how BJP is trying to segregate between Hindus and Muslims by passing the Act. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the meeting and she has also instructed the workers to intensify the protest on the CAA, NRC and NPR in each district.
Partha Chatterjee, state parliamentary affairs minister, said: “We are against CAA, NRC and NPR and we have already intensified our campaign against this issue. Our chief minister has already convened several rallies protesting the Act . People are with us and we are confident of winning as people are already aware of the atrocities being perpetrated by the BJP. Unemployment is at its highest during the BJP regime and we have already demanded that the CAA be rolled back.”
Rohan Sen, a resident of Kasba ward number 91 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said: “The way people are protesting against the CAA including the student community it is difficult for the BJP to increase their votes in the upcoming municipal elections.There is lack of proper communication about CAA and there is a need to clear the air.”
On the other hand, Subimal Sen, a resident of Jadavpur ward number 102 said: “If the BJP leaders will be sensible in understanding the issue of CAA withot any miscommunication then there are chances that the BJP might increase their vote share in the upcoming municipal elections.”
Banerjee is not participating in the meeting called by Centre on 17 Jan on NPR
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that she is not going to participate in the meeting called by Center on 17 January on NPR.
At the Dharna Mancha of TMCP organised against the CAA, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday declared that she is not going to attend the meeting called by the Center on 17 January at Delhi regarding NPR.
Banerjee said that for applying for NRC there is a need to provide birth cerificates of the parents, but for Aadhar card there is no need to show any documents of the parents of an individual .
Meanwhile although Congress leaders claimed that they are against NPR , but in all five Congress ruled states, the process for NPR has begun. The process of data collection has been started and so Opposition parties are puzzled about what is Congress stand on NPR apart from NRC and CAA.
It may be mentioned that Kerala and West Bengal has already issued orders to stop work for NPR.
“So you ( people) can clearly understand the motive behind implementation of CAA, NRC. It is clear that the BJP has rolled out two types of Aadhar card in India. One where identity of parents is required and the other where it is not. Don’t you find it suspicious?” she questioned.
Sources in the state government said that although Banerjee is against NPR, the Center has already sent letter to the state government urging them to provide enumerator in the districts for conducting the work of the NPR.
While Banerjee said that they are against NPR, CAA and NRC, and that is why they are not joining the meeting called by the Center, Left Front and Congress claimed that if Banerjee does not support NPR then why has she issued a notification earlier on NPR and later cancelled it Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said: “If Banerjee is against NPR , then why has she issued a notification on NPR earlier in the state and later withdrew it? Why the chief secretary and five senior state government officers went to Delhi on Thursday? We have all seen how she uses BJP for her own political gains as the bonhomie between Modi and Didi clearly mentions that while she portrays that she is the strongest critic of BJP, she has made an understanding with the BJP.”
At Kamarhati muncipality in North 24-Parganas, Dhuliyan municipality at Jangipur in Murshidabad , state government has first issued the order for the work of NPR, but later it was cancelled. Both Congress an CPI(M) has called a protest at Dhuliyan after the state government first issued order on NPR.