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Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP will say ‘Joy Bangla' after 2026 assembly polls: Abhishek
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said he would ensure that after 'Joy Ma Kali' and 'Joy Ma Durga', BJP would also say 'Joy Bangla' after the 2026 assembly polls. Speaking at the Martyrs' Day rally at Esplanade, Banerjee said: "BJP used to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' earlier but now are saying 'Joy Ma Kali' and 'Joy Ma Durga'. Mark my words and write this down, I will make them say 'Joy Bangla' after the 2026 elections. " "This is a victory for Trinamool Congress, this is a victory for the people of Bengal. BJP now has to bow before the very people it wanted to starve (by blocking central funds) and say 'Joy Ma Kali' and 'Joy Ma Durga'. This is a victory for 12 crore farmers, labourers, youth, tapashilis, Adivasis, and a victory for the culture and heritage of Bengal," he said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "They used the income tax department to disturb Durga Puja committees and stop Durga Puja. They insulted Durga Puja, and now they have to say 'Joy Ma Durga'," he said. "We will proudly speak Bengali. We should make a rule that in this session, we will speak Bengali in Parliament. Let me see who stops us. We are the children of Bengal, and we will not surrender," the MP added. Banerjee said: "Before 2021, we said 'Khela Hobe'. This time we are saying 'Poddo Phool Upre Fela Hobe (we will uproot the lotus)'." "Why is BJP so irritated if someone speaks Bengali? Is it because they could not win in Bengal?" the Trinamool neta said. "Last month, I said that BJP would not cross 50 seats in Bengal. I do not make political predictions, but when I do, I do so after proper thought and with faith in the people." "I can responsibly say that the way these people have humiliated, oppressed, tortured, insulted and exploited the people of Bengal day after day, just for their arrogance, ego, and pride, the few handfuls of Bangla-birodhi who are left — we have to oust them and throw them into the Bay of Bengal," he said. Referring to the special intensive revision (SIR) by EC in Bihar, Banerjee said: "Thrity-two years ago on July 21, in demand of photo-based identification, 13 people sacrificed their lives to return democratic rights to the people of the country. On July 21, 2025, if we, the Trinamool workers, have to sacrifice our lives on the roads to stop the scam by Election Commission, we will do it. We will not let them it on Bengal's voter list. If required, Trinamool will organise a greater movement in Delhi with the permission of CM Mamata Banerjee." Banerjee also slammed Assam govt for trying to slap NRC notices on people from Bengal. "This time, they are using the Assam Foreign Tribunal, which does not hold any power in the land of Bengal, to send letters to our Rajbanshi brothers and label them Bangladeshi. Is it a crime to speak in Bengali? We will speak in Bengali. The more we do, the more they get irritated. Be proud to speak in Bengali," he said.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
We will make BJP chant ‘Joy Bangla' after 2026: Abhishek Banerjee at Trinamool Martyr's Day rally
Kolkata Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee gave a call from the party's annual Shahid Dibas (Martyr's Day) celebration on July 21 and said that he will force the Bharatiya Janta Party to chant 'Joy Bangla' after the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections. Speaking to a massive crowd at the heart of Kolkata, party second-in-command, Mr Banerjee said that the BJP will not cross 50 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections. Setting the election strategy and narrative tone of the party for the upcoming elections, the TMC leader said that if BJP is trying to put Bengali people speaking people in detention camps, they will go a step further and democratically put BJP in a detention camp by making them lose the elections. 'BJP used to say Jay Shri Ram earlier but now they are saying Joy Maa Kali, Joy Maa Durga. Mark my words today—in just 10 months, I will make them say Joy Bangla after 2026 elections,' Mr Banerjee said. He also added that in the 2021 elections they had said 'Khela hobe' (Game on) but for the 2026 elections they are saying 'Poddo phool upre fela hobe' [Will rip out the lotus flower – referring to the BJP party symbol]. Putting emphasis on his party's inclusive ideology, Mr Banerjee said, 'We don't do politics of religion or hatred. We maintain our religion at home, but in politics we have only one religion—humanity, to serve the people.' He accused that the Assam's BJP-led Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has labelled Bengali-speaking people as Bangladeshis, however, the BJP government has not taken any action against his 'discriminatory comments'. 'Chant Joy Bangla so loudly that the echoes of the slogans reach up to Delhi,' Mr Banerjee said as supporters at the Martyr's Day rally cheered on. Mr Banerjee also accused that the Union Government is using the State machinery under its power to strip the voters and opposition of their basic rights. 'On one hand, BJP uses ED to suppress the Opposition leaders and on the other, they use EC to snatch away the voting rights of the people. There are two Es — Election Commission and Enforcement Directorate. They are using these two Es to put Opposition leaders behind bars and take away the voting rights of Opposition voters and normal voters of the country,' Mr Banerjee said.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Martyrs' Day Rally: Abhishek sets poll tone: ‘BJP forced to chant Joy Bangla, now lotus will be uprooted from Bengal'
In a scathing attack on the BJP, TMC leader and No. 2 in the party, Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said the BJP will be sent to detention camps after next year's Assembly polls in the state and their leaders will be forced to chant 'Joy Bangla' in the next 10 months. Addressing the TMC's mega annual Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata's Dharamtala area, Abhishek said the decision to call the BJP a 'Banglar Birodhi' (anti-Bengal) party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was to 'expose' its true character. 'Jonotar Gorjon, Bangla-Birodhider Bishorjon (the cry of people, immersion of anti-Bengal party) wasn't just a political slogan but the exposure of BJP's real character,' he said. Taking forward party supremo and aunt Mamata Banerjee's offensive against the main Opposition party in the state over the harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, the Diamond Harbour MP said: 'The BJP wants to take Bengalis to detention camps for speaking their language. I want to tell them clearly — after the 2026 elections, it is you whom we will send to the detention camps after defeating you democratically.' Without taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name, he said BJP leaders who used to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan are now saying 'Jai Ma Durga', 'Jai Ma Kali' under pressure. Last week, PM Modi at a BJP rally in Durgapur began his speech by invoking Goddesses Durga and Kali. 'This is the victory of the Trinamool Congress. This is the victory of the people of Bengal. The very people of Bengal whom they wanted to starve, the BJP leaders are now bowing before them and chanting Joy Maa Kali and Joy Maa Durga. This is the victory of 12 crore farmers, labourers, youth, adivasis and the victory of the culture and heritage of Bengal.' 'They (the BJP government at the Centre) used Income Tax to target Durga Puja committees and stop Durga Puja. They insulted Durga Puja, and now in this very land of Bengal, they have to stand and say Joy Maa Durga, instead of Jay Shri Ram. Mark my words, in 10 months, they will have to chant 'Joy Bangla',' the 37-year-old MP from Diamond Harbour said. He also accused the BJP of insulting the Bangla language and Bengal, 'which showed the way to the country during the freedom struggle and the renaissance'. 'Our poets and legends, Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, gave a face to the soul of the country through their works. The freedom fighters of Bengal like Rash Behari Bose, Bagha Jatin, and Khudiram Bose set an example with their fight not only in Bengal but across the Indian subcontinent. But the BJP insults the language they spoke,' Abhishek said to huge applause. He also lashed out against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly targeting Bengali-speaking citizens in his state and calling them Bangladeshis. 'A fortnight has passed since the Assam CM, sitting on an elected Constitutional chair, spoke against Bengalis. I want to know what disciplinary steps the BJP central leaders have taken against him. I appeal to our MPs to speak in Bengali in the current Parliament session, if required, and dare them to silence us,' he said. 'Why is the BJP so irritated if someone speaks Bengali? Is it because they couldn't win in Bengal? Bengalis take immense pride in their mother tongue and should enhance the frequency of speaking in Bangla manifold… You (BJP) think you can bend the TMC and people of Bengal according to your will? We were born in Bengal, not in Gujarat or UP, and we will neither bow before you nor sell our spines or surrender,' he added. Maintaining that Bengal doesn't discriminate among citizens of this country on the grounds of religion, language, food habits or customs, the TMC leader warned that if the divisive powers wanted to play with fire, then they would be the first to get smouldered by the flames. 'Do not suffer from the complacency that Trinamool will win no matter what because we have Mamata Banerjee to lead us. Of course, she will guide us. But you have to fight the battle on the ground and ensure that you do not concede an inch of land to those who have continuously hurt our self-respect,' Banerjee told party workers. Asserting that the TMC will come to power in West Bengal for the fourth consecutive term, the TMC leader, referring to BJP's poll symbol, the lotus, said: 'Before 2021 (Assembly polls), we used the slogan of 'Khela Hobe' (the game is on). This time we are saying, 'Poddo Phool Upre Fela Hobe' (the lotus flower will be uprooted).' (With PTI Inputs)
News18
06-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Bangladesh Political Killings: Delhi Think Tank To Petition International Criminal Court Against Yunus
RRAG will file a formal complaint, comparing the situation in Bangladesh under Yunus with crimes against humanity committed in Kenya in 2007 and 2008, which were probed by ICC Troubles for Muhammad Yunus may escalate in the coming days as a Delhi-based think tank, The Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), prepares to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government. The think tank claims to have built a case alleging a series of political assassinations targeting members of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, the now-banned Awami League. The think tank asserts that 'at least" 123 Awami League members have been murdered under Dr Yunus's regime. This includes 41 individuals allegedly hacked to death in a manner reminiscent of Taliban-style killings, the RRAG claims. The think tank has compiled a comprehensive report, reviewed by News18, which it intends to present as evidence at the ICC. The report states that the victims, besides their affiliation with the Awami League, also belonged to associated groups such as the Swechasebak League, Chhatra League, Juba League, Matsojibi League, and Krishak League. They were killed between August 5, 2024, and April 30, 2025, according to the report. The same report alleges 21 custodial deaths of Awami League activists during this period, attributed to torture. 'These murders of the Awami League members are just the tip of the iceberg, as not all the murders of the Awami League members were reported in the local media, and further, the RRAG was not able to monitor all local media. It is, however, clear that even children, women, the mentally unstable, and the seriously injured were not spared," said Suhas Chakma, director of RRAG. The slogan 'Joy Bangla" (Bengali for 'Victory to Bengal" or 'Hail Bengal") was the national slogan of Bangladesh. However, after Hasina's exit, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh ruled in December 2024 that it would no longer be the national slogan. On December 17 last year, a class five student, Mohd Masud Rian, was allegedly murdered by pro-Yunus supporters for a five-month-old Facebook post that read 'Joy Bangla", claims the RRAG. This shocking alleged incident took place in Nachol, Chapaiganj, in Bangladesh. The report meticulously details specific incidents, such as the alleged murder of Awami League worker Babar Ali on August 13, 2024. He was allegedly killed by having his throat slit after being abducted from the front of his house in Bogura district. Another incident highlighted is the alleged murder of Tofazzal, the Kathaltoli Union Chhatra League leader in Patharghata Upazila, a mentally disturbed individual, on September 19, 2024. He was allegedly brutally killed on the Dhaka University campus by a student mob despite his condition. The RRAG insists that among the 1,400 people potentially killed between July 15 and August 5 were Awami League members whose relatives were unable to testify before the inquiry conducted by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights due to fear of reprisal. At the ICC, the think tank will invoke Article 7 and Article 28 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in its case against Md Yunus. In essence, the RRAG will file a formal complaint with the International Criminal Court, drawing parallels between the situation in Bangladesh under Yunus's interim government and the crimes against humanity committed in the context of post-election violence in Kenya in 2007 and 2008, which was investigated by the ICC. First Published: June 06, 2025, 19:37 IST
News18
02-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
From Textbooks To Banknotes, How Mujibur Rahman's Legacy Has Been Targeted Under Yunus Admin
Last Updated: On Sunday, Bangladesh issued new banknotes that no longer feature the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh has recently issued new banknotes that no longer feature the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation's founding president and father of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had led Bangladesh to independence from Pakistan in 1971 and was assassinated along with most of his family in a 1975 coup. The new banknotes will now feature traditional landmarks of the country, marking a significant departure from the past designs. This move is seen as another attempt to diminish Mujib's legacy under the regime of Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a pivotal figure in Bangladesh's independence movement, has faced both symbolic and institutional challenges, especially during periods of intense political tension involving Muhammad Yunus, the country's chief adviser. Mujib's symbolic significance has faced several direct attacks. One of the most notable incidents occurred in December 2020 when a sculpture of Mujibur Rahman was vandalised in Kushtia. This act was widely condemned across the political spectrum and perceived as an insult to the nation's founding values. Joy Bangla The use of the 'Joy Bangla" slogan has also been a contentious issue. In March 2020, the High Court declared 'Joy Bangla" as the official national slogan, underscoring its deep connection to the Liberation War. However, some political and civil society figures, often linked to non-partisan or oppositional circles, have refrained from using it in official forums and public speeches. The government criticized this reluctance as an intentional effort to erase Mujib's legacy. Although Yunus did not speak against the slogan, his broader circle—often depicted as 'elitist" or 'detached from 1971 values"—was accused of enabling this cultural disengagement from the Liberation War's ideological core. Legacy Wiped Off From Textbooks Controversy has also surrounded textbook revisions, with critics alleging efforts to minimize or omit references to Mujib's role in Bangladesh's history. The interim government has revised textbooks on the 1971 Liberation War to state that Ziaur Rahman declared the country's independence, replacing the previous text that credited Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh has made revisions to 441 textbooks used by primary, secondary, and higher secondary students. Over 40 crore textbooks are being produced for the 2025 academic year, as reported by The Daily Star. The new textbooks, with several changes, have been distributed among primary and secondary students since January 1. Mujibur's House Vandalised In early February 2025, Bangladesh witnessed a significant act of political unrest when protesters vandalized and set fire to the historic residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This residence at 32 Dhanmondi in Dhaka is where Mujibur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence in 1971 and where he was assassinated in The house had been converted into a museum by his daughter, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On February 5, 2025, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Dhanmondi residence in response to a social media campaign called the 'Bulldozer Procession." The protest coincided with a virtual address by Sheikh Hasina, who is in exile in India following her ousting in August 2024. As Hasina began her speech, demonstrators stormed the property, dismantled parts of the building, and set it ablaze. Heavy machinery, including cranes and excavators, was brought in to aid in the demolition. Currency Revamped On Sunday, Bangladesh issued new banknotes that no longer feature the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Instead, the new notes will showcase natural landscapes and traditional landmarks of the country. 'Under the new series and design, the notes will not feature any human portraits but will instead showcase natural landscapes and traditional landmarks," said Arif Hossain Khan, a spokesman for Bangladesh Bank, to AFP. The notes for three of the nine different denominations were released on Sunday. 'The new notes will be issued from the central bank's headquarters and later from its other offices across the country," Khan stated. Among the designs set to feature in Bangladesh's new banknotes are images of Hindu and Buddhist temples and historical palaces. They will also include artwork by the late painter Zainul Abedin, depicting the Bengal famine during British colonial rule. Another note will show the national martyrs' memorial to honor those who died in the independence war against Pakistan. The other denominations of the notes will be released in phases. What Next The conflict is likely to intensify as multiple legal cases against Yunus progress through the courts. Allegations include violations of labor laws, improper handling of employee benefits at Grameen Telecom, and ongoing investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into alleged financial misconduct. In 2023, a group of employees filed formal complaints against Yunus and his associates, accusing them of withholding mandatory worker benefits. The Labor Court took cognizance of the charges, and the case is moving forward. Separately, the ACC has launched inquiries into potential misuse of donor funds, increasing legal pressure on the Nobel Laureate. If the courts rule against Yunus, it may not only affect his personal reputation but also reinforce the government's narrative about protecting national ideology. Meanwhile, with elections overdue, Bangladesh is facing political uncertainty. Sources have told CNN-News18 that Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman is determined to explore all options to remove Yunus from power. Sources say Zaman is considering various avenues, including exploiting constitutional ambiguities, to challenge Yunus's interim government. Intelligence sources highlight that the interim government's legal basis is fragile, as Bangladesh's constitution mandates elections within 90 days of a government's dissolution. Zaman plans to unite the parties of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to contest elections for the country, according to sources. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : bangladesh Muhammad Yunus Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 02, 2025, 11:48 IST News explainers From Textbooks To Banknotes, How Mujibur Rahman's Legacy Has Been Targeted Under Yunus Admin
