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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
TMC seeks timeline for talks on SIR, Sindoor
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Friday sought a fixed timeline from the Centre for discussions on Bihar's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Operation Sindoor. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, the party's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, made the demand during an all-party meeting convened by Speaker Om Birla where Union ministers Arjun Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju were present. Dastidar said the Speaker informed her that discussion on Operation Sindoor would begin Monday but did not commit to a timeframe to discuss SIR. According to her, the Speaker cited a UPA-era rule that stated: "EC, being an autonomous body, its functions cannot be discussed on the floor of the House." "Discussions on Operation Sindoor are important. We too want to know where the perpetrators went. But the discussions must include SIR. The UPA logic doesn't hold because EC has now become a BJP party office," Dastidar told reporters outside Parliament. "SIR is a dark shadow on our democracy. Overnight, eligible voters are being struck off voter rolls. This hits (at) the core of our democracy," she added. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Trinamool MPs were part of continuing protests in Parliament on Friday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search and Discover search Search Now Undo The party's leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, said, "The SIR issue is TMC's top priority. EC has a mandate to conduct elections as a constitutional body, but we cannot allow genuine citizens who are voters to be removed." "We will talk to like-minded parties. We should also gherao the EC. It is operating like a BJP branch office. They are depriving people of their rights. This is not just about Bihar. It's a dangerous ploy nationally. We want Parliament to run; every opposition party wants Parliament to run. We want discussion under any rule on SIR. If the govt does not allow that, it means they want to disrupt the House," O'Brien said. Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, who had moved the SC on this issue, told ANI: "Such a thing has never happened in the history of India. The EC, which is a constitutional body, is working as a branch of the BJP. CEC speaks like a spokesperson of the BJP... In 24 hours, the number of untraceable voters went from over 11,000 to more than 1 lakh... If the home ministry is trying to say that there are 56 lakh illegal voters in Bihar, where did they come from?"
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kolkata director brings Bangladesh July uprising to the screen
Kolkata: A Kolkata filmmaker, Soumitra Dastidar, has made a documentary on Bangladesh's July uprising. The 44-minute-long film has pieced together interviews of various stakeholders, including the daughter of Bangladesh's wartime leader and first prime minister, Tajuddin Ahmad, and Dhaka University student leader, Meghmallar Basu. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Director Dastidar, who has close ties with Bangladesh, told TOI that he felt a 'compelling need' to make this documentary titled '36 July'. "Bangladesh is such a colourful country. Over the years, I could feel a simmering discontent but I never expected that there would be a downfall of the Hasina government. Since I am a student of social science, I was naturally drawn to this subject. I felt that there is a narrative about Bangladesh that is still not publicized well. I wanted to know that narrative. This documentary is my search for understanding that narrative." When Dastidar went to Dhaka in Aug last year, he spotted many wall graffiti sporting the phrase "36 July". That became the title of his documentary. "It was a populist coinage meant to signify the number of days taken for the movement to finally overthrow the Hasina regime," Dastidar explained. The documentary has interviews of activist Badruddin Umar, journalist Tasneem Khalil, actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, Tajuddin Ahmad's daughter Sharmin Ahmad, Basu and student activist Umama Fatema. Filming these was a tough task, especially when travelling wasn't that easy. "My documentary also has interviews of people from all strata," the director added. While the script and research was done by Sahed Suvo, the camera work was done by Lutfur Rahaman. Yet, he understands that there is a risk of documenting views of people who have supported the movement since it might also mean having to face allegations of compromising on objectivity. "Historical events across the globe are now being viewed from other perspectives. I want that to happen in the case of Bangladesh too. Research should start," he concluded.
