Latest news with #BJP-ruled
Mint
25 minutes ago
- Politics
- Mint
West Bengal: BJP leader arrested for allegedly stealing gold from jewellery shop; TMC shares his pics with major leaders
Somnath Sahoo, a BJP leader from West Bengal, has been arrested for allegedly stealing 100 grams of gold from a jewellery shop. The incident has caused a stir in West Midnapore's political circle. Trinamool Congress (TMC) shared a clip of the alleged incident on social media. 'Locals caught him while he was trying to flee and handed him over to the police,' it wrote on Twitter (now X). 'The party that claims to be the guardian of law and order is busy sheltering criminals!' Mamata Banerjee's party added. TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed on social media that the BJP Yuva Morcha leader from Habibpur had been caught by Odisha Police while stealing jewellery worth ₹ 25 lakh. 'CCTV footage exposes him. Locals caught him while he was trying to flee and handed him over to the police,' Ghosh wrote while sharing the accused's photo with BJP State President, Sukanta Majumdar, also Minister of State for Education of India. He also shared Sahoo's photo with actor-turned-politician Hiran Chatterjee, a BJP MLA. 'What link does the BJP State President have with a thief? Has he got a share? Clarify please. Whether these are facts or not,' Ghosh added. Sujoy Hazra, West Midnapore district TMC president, has mocked the BJP. 'BJP leaders are involved in human trafficking, drugs, and gold smuggling. This man says he's not with the BJP, but in this district, the BJP hardly exists. If you check, you'll find many BJP workers with similar shady records,' he said. BJP has claimed that Somnath Sahoo was once associated with the party but holds no post now. It added that Odisha, a BJP-ruled state, had arrested him without bias. That should be a lesson for Bengal's ruling party about good governance, it added. According to Anandabazar Patrika sources, Somnath was caught while trying to flee after stealing from a jewellery store in Jaleswar, Odisha. TMC claims he still holds the post of district youth wing secretary in the BJP. BJP's district spokesperson Arup Das denied any current link with Somnath. However, he claims Somnath's name may still appear on the party list because a new committee has yet to be formed. 'He was once connected to the BJP, but there's been no contact for over a year and a half,' the publication quoted Das as saying. 'TMC has no right to speak about such issues. They shelter murderers and rapists.' Arup added. MLA Hiran Chattopadhyay has said he doesn't feel awkward. 'Odisha BJP government and its police acted without bias and arrested a criminal. I praise them. The photo seems to be from the 2021 election campaign. Hundreds took photos with me. I can't know who among them is a thief or not,' he said.
India Today
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- India Today
BJP's bypoll reality check: Central ambitions need stronger local groundwork
The June 23 verdict of the assembly bypolls has come as a warning bell for the BJP, signalling how the party's state machineries are grappling to keep pace with the central leadership's four corners of the country—Punjab, Gujarat, West Bengal and Kerala—the bypolls offered the BJP a chance to test its mettle, and offered valuable lessons, albeit learnt the hard way. The results show the BJP will need to quickly strengthen its base in Punjab, Bengal and Kerala—the latter two states going to assembly polls next Punjab's Ludhiana West seat, the bypoll defeat was a lesson in timing and focus. Jiwan Gupta, whose candidature was announced rather late, was launched into a campaign already defined by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) versus Congress agenda. Gupta failed to carve out space for himself. The contest quickly turned into a direct clash between the ruling AAP's Sanjeev Arora and Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, shaped as much by ideology as local hamstrung by a delayed announcement and a slowofftheblocks campaign, could neither break into that agenda nor benefit from the massive factionalism consuming the Congress in the state. It's a lost opportunity for the BJP, and the party has its own mismanagement to blame. The victorious AAP, with its sharply-defined messaging and wellentrenched ground campaign, turned BJP's disarray to its BJP-ruled Gujarat offered its own paradox. The party retained its grip on Kadi, with candidate Rajendra Chavda relying on deep ground connections and a long record of delivery. Yet, just a few hundred kilometres away, in Visavadar, the BJP was punished for complacency. Its candidate, Kirit Patel, failed to rally the Patidar against AAP's Gopal Italia, a candidate adept at converting caste pride into a rallying point, the BJP discovered that caste loyalty can no longer be taken for granted, especially when combined with an energetic campaign. Visavadar showed Gujarat's electoral terrain may well be shifting a bit: the BJP can still win with trusted names and its strong ground game, but the decades of statewide dominance could be tested at every step from here Kaliganj seat revealed the limits of identitycentric campaigns. Candidate Ashish Ghosh had framed the race as a test of religious assertion, trying to rally Hindu voters in a state long accustomed to the BJP's polarising tactics. However, Alifa Ahmed and her Trinamool Congress (TMC) presented a counternarrative rooted in inclusion and deep local connections. The margin of defeat, combined with a noticeable erosion of the BJP's vote-share, reflected how communal lines can harden core bases while failing to win over sceptical or fence-sitting Nilambur seat told its own story. The BJP experimented with Mohan George, an attempt to connect with the Christian community. The campaign was cautious, lowkey, relying more on quiet overtures than overt displays of strength. The result was instructive: breakthroughs in such terrain require deep, sustained groundwork, not tactical gestures confined to a single election in all, these results are more than a set of individual defeats and victories. They signal shifts in the ground that the BJP is fighting upon. In state after state, the party discovered that its central narratives—nationalism, identity, promise of bigticket development—can only carry it so far if the local campaign fails to adapt. The Punjab result, in particular, is a lesson in candidate choices and campaign timing, a reminder that discontent with an incumbent government may not always be a recipe for electoral the BJP, the bypoll verdict was a dipstick test of its organisational discipline and ability to read the mood on the ground in four states. The results show the party can no longer win by assuming that its state units can coast on the momentum generated by Delhi. In an era where every seat is contested like a minigeneral election, the BJP must rediscover the precision, urgency and resonance that brought it to national dominance in the first to India Today Magazine- Ends
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Such incidents are happening again and again...govt has a significant role in this": Father of RG Kar Medical College victim on gang rape in law college
North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], June 28 (ANI): Nearly a year after the horrific RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case that jolted Kolkata, another gang rape of a student at a law college in South Kolkata has once again raised concern over safety of women in the City of Joy. The father of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder victim spoke out against the alleged gangrape case in Kolkata's law college, expressing his frustration and disappointment with the recurring incidents of violence. He accused the government of having a significant role to play in preventing such incidents and that the accused should be severely punished. He said, 'Such incidents are happening again and again. After what happened with my daughter, many people came out on the streets in protest. Even after that, such incidents continue to occur. People inside the college are committing such incidents. The government has a significant role in this, which is why all these incidents are happening. All three people arrested are from the TMC, so this political party should ensure that such incidents do not happen again. The accused should be severely punished.' BJP West Bengal in a post on X alleged that the full form of TMC was Terror, Molester and Corruption. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shashi Panja on Friday expressed her distress over the gang rape of the student. Addressing a press conference, Shashi Panja said, 'There was an immediate postmortem and dissection to look at the names and the religion. You have to condemn the incident. You are now trying to show photographs. Trinamool Congress Student wing is not teaching the students to rape. The police took immediate action, and within 12 hours of the complaint, three people were caught. They are in custody, and the investigation is on. Their mobile phones have been seized, and the victim's statement has been taken. She has named the accused. It has been taken seriously. The BJP cannot even think the way Kolkata police swung into action. They started maligning since such swift action is missing in the BJP-ruled states. If they want to be in Bengal as a responsible Opposition, then they have to behave responsibly.' A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday evening. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J.M. of Alipore, South 24 Parganas, with a prayer to remand them to Police Custody for the purpose of a proper investigation into the case. The alleged sexual assault took place between 7:30 pm and 10:50 pm on Wednesday within the law college premises. According to the official, one of the accused allegedly committed sexual assault, while the others were involved in the crime. The victim's family filed a police complaint against the accused, and the police have taken swift action in the matter. Two of the accused, Monojit Mishra and Zaib Ahmed, were arrested on Thursday, near Siddhartha Shankar Roy Sishu Udyan, close to Talbagan Crossing in Kolkata. Pramit Mukhopadhyay was arrested later the same night at his residence. The police have seized the mobile phones of all three accused. The official had visited the site and kept it under protection till they had done a forensic examination. They requested custody remand for further investigation. (ANI)
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Govt has a significant role': RG Kar victim's father speaks out; slams TMC for Kolkata law student gangrape
NEW DELHI: Nearly a year after the shocking rape and murder of a student at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, city witnessed another disturbing case. Speaking on the incident, the RG Kar victim's father expressed anger over the repeated crimes, blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led state government, and demanded strict punishment for the accused. A female law student was allegedly gang-raped inside her college in South Kolkata's Kasba area on Wednesday evening, raising fresh concerns about women's safety in the city. ANI news agency quoted him saying, "Such incidents are happening again and again. After what happened with my daughter, many people came out on the streets in protest. Even after that, such incidents continue to occur. People inside the college are committing such incidents. The government has a significant role in this, which is why all these incidents are happening. All three people arrested are from the TMC , so this political party should ensure that such incidents do not happen again. The accused should be severely punished." The BJP also reacted strongly. In a post on X, the party said TMC stands for "Terror, Molester, and Corruption." TMC leader Shashi Panja responded by saying she was deeply disturbed by the incident. She defended the police action and criticised the BJP for politicising the issue. She said, "There was an immediate postmortem and dissection to look at the names and the religion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like eToro IPO Goes Live on Nasdaq – Discover the IPO Buzz Today eToro Click Here Undo You have to condemn the incident. You are now trying to show photographs. Trinamool Congress Student wing is not teaching the students to rape. The police took immediate action, and within 12 hours of the complaint, three people were caught. They are in custody, and the investigation is on. Their mobile phones have been seized, and the victim's statement has been taken. She has named the accused. It has been taken seriously. The BJP cannot even think the way Kolkata police swung into action. They started maligning since such swift action is missing in the BJP-ruled states. If they want to be in Bengal as a responsible Opposition, then they have to behave responsibly." According to the police, the assault happened between 7:30pm and 10:50pm on Wednesday inside the law college building. One of the accused allegedly raped the student, while the others helped in the crime. The three accused are Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20). All are former students or staff of the college. The victim's family filed a police complaint, and officers arrested Monojit and Zaib on Thursday near Talbagan Crossing. Pramit was arrested later that night at his home. The police seized the mobile phones of the accused and have kept the crime scene under protection for forensic tests. The accused are being taken to court for police custody as the investigation continues.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Father of RG Kar victim reacts to Kolkata law student gangrape: ‘Govt role in this'
The father of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim has spoken out on the gangrape of a law student inside South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area, expressing anger over repeated crimes against women in the city under All India Trinmool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal. In this combo of three pictures, the accused who were arrested in connection with the alleged 'gang-rape' of a first-year student of a law college in south Kolkata, being produced at a city court, in Kolkata, Friday, June 27, 2025.(PTI) 'Such incidents are happening again and again. After what happened with my daughter, many people came out on the streets in protest. Even after that, such incidents continue to occur,' he told ANI news agency. The father of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital last year blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led state government for the recurring crimes against women. 'People inside the college are committing such incidents. The government has a significant role in this, which is why all these incidents are happening. All three people arrested are from the TMC, so this political party should ensure that such incidents do not happen again. The accused should be severely punished,' he added. Also Read | FIR details horror of Kolkata law student's gangrape: 'I touched his feet, he didn't let go' The government-run law college's case came to light on Friday, when the Kolkata police said they have arrested the accused after the first-year student's FIR. According to police, she was allegedly gangraped inside her law college between 7:30 pm and 10:50 pm. All three accused — Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20) — are either former students or staffers of the same college. Police said Mishra and Ahmed were arrested from near Talbagan Crossing in Kolkata on Thursday, while Mukhopadhyay was picked up from his home later that night. Their mobile phones have also been seized. The accused were produced before a court with a request for police custody to continue the investigation. Political firestorm in West Bengal The incident has sparked political tension, with the BJP saying that 'TMC stands for Terror, Molester and Corruption.' In response, TMC leader Shashi Panja, said, 'The BJP cannot even think the way Kolkata police swung into action. They started maligning since such swift action is missing in the BJP-ruled states. If they want to be in Bengal as a responsible Opposition, then they have to behave responsibly.' He added, 'There was an immediate postmortem and dissection to look at the names and the religion. You have to condemn the incident. You are now trying to show photographs. Trinamool Congress Student wing is not teaching the students to rape. The police took immediate action, and within 12 hours of the complaint, three people were caught. They are in custody, and the investigation is on.'
