Mamata Banerjee's Call for UN Peacekeepers in Bangladesh Sparks BJP Fury 2
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stirred political controversy by urging the Centre to involve the United Nations in deploying peacekeepers to Bangladesh, citing the persecution of Hindu minorities. The BJP, however, dismissed her plea as “crocodile tears” and accused her of failing to take concrete action.
Speaking in the state assembly, Banerjee criticized the Centre for its “inaction” over the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh, where attacks on Hindu minorities have intensified. She proposed the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to restore normalcy and urged the Union government to clarify its position in Parliament.
Banerjee said, “We can rehabilitate the persecuted Indians from Bangladesh. Sharing one roti is not a problem if the need arises. There will be no shortage of food for them.” She also called for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to address the issue with Bangladesh’s interim government or escalate it to the UN.
On the other hand, BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari joined protests organized at the Petrapole international border. He threatened an “indefinite export embargo” against Bangladesh if attacks on Hindus and their institutions continue. “If these atrocities don’t stop, we will impose a complete export ban. Let’s see how they survive without our potatoes and onions,” Adhikari warned.
BJP Questions Mamata’s Intentions
While welcoming the suggestion of UN peacekeepers, Adhikari claimed he had raised this demand earlier and accused Banerjee of merely posturing. He criticized her government for allegedly barricading protests last week against the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.
“Mamata Banerjee should stop shedding crocodile tears. This is an existential crisis for Bengali-speaking Hindus, not a political gimmick,” Adhikari said.
BJP leader Amit Malviya echoed similar sentiments, accusing Banerjee of hypocrisy and inaction. He emphasized that Banerjee’s MPs should raise the issue in Parliament if she truly cares about protecting Hindus in Bangladesh.
Banerjee also took a dig at the BJP, asking why its central leadership wasn’t proactively addressing the Bangladesh crisis. “The BJP’s leaders are demanding trade closures, but such actions are governed by international agreements, not state decisions,” she clarified.
As protests intensify along the border and political blame games escalate, the situation in Bangladesh continues to fuel debates within India. While the BJP demands stronger action against the persecution of Hindus, Banerjee’s call for UN intervention adds a new layer of complexity to the diplomatic crisis.
Maharashtra Legislature Party to Pick CM on Wednesday; Sitharaman, Rupani Named Observers 4
The name of the Maharashtra chief minister will be announced on Wednesday, a day ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government, after the BJP elects its legislature party leader, a senior functionary said on Monday.
The BJP on Monday named Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as central observers for its Maharashtra legislature party’s meeting, where the MLAs will elect their leader.
“Rupani and Sitharaman would meet the BJP’s elected representatives in Mumbai on Wednesday. Following this meeting, the chosen candidate’s name will be relayed to senior leaders in Delhi. These observers will then announce the elected leader of the BJP, who is set to be the next chief minister,” the BJP functionary told PTI.
The BJP has already announced that the new chief minister will take oath on December 5 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders.
Though the party has not made any formal announcement, a senior BJP leader on Sunday claimed Devendra Fadnavis’ name has been finalised for the CM’s post.
The BJP’s two main allies in the Mahayuti colation, the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, are each tipped to be given deputy CM positions in the new government.
Eknath Shinde, who is the caretaker chief minister, has already made it clear that he will not come in the way of BJP getting the chief minister’s post.
In the recently concluded state polls, the Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41 seats.
Massive Jams at Delhi-Noida Border as Police Set Up Barricades to Stop Farmers' March 6
Massive traffic snarls caused inconvenience to commuters crossing the Delhi-Noida border on Monday as police set up multiple barricades and deployed heavy security in view of a farmers’ protest march towards the national capital.
Farmers gathered at the Mahamaya flyover on the Dadri-Noida link road and began their march around 11.30 am to press their demands for land allocation and increased compensation for their lands acquired by the government, among other things. The protest call was given by the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP).
According to the BKP, farmers from 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh and Agra, took part in the march.
Carrying banners and flags of various farmer groups, hundreds of protesters crossed the initial barricades erected by Noida Police. While some climbed over the barricades, others pushed them.
They were finally stopped by police near Dalit Prerna Sthal on Noida Link Road, around 1 km from the Chilla border, an entry point to Delhi. Senior police officers tried to pacify the protesting farmers.
Due to the farmers protest and checking by police, commuters travelling via Chilla border, DND flyway, Delhi Gate and Kalindi Kunj faced heavy traffic for hours.
Aprajita Singh, a resident of Greater Noida, said the barricades put up at the Chilla border were causing major inconvenience to commuters.
“It took me about an hour to get through that stretch. Police have set up barricades on both sides of the Delhi-Noida border, causing significant traffic congestion, especially on the carriageway from Noida to Delhi,” she said.
Another commuter, Amit Thakur of Noida, said due to the heavy traffic, he ditched his car and took the metro to get to work.
“When I checked the traffic situation before leaving for my office in central Delhi, it showed heavy congestion near the Chilla border, adding an hour to the travel time. So, I decided to take the metro instead,” he said.
On Sunday, Noida Police issued a traffic advisory informing commuters about route closures and diversions.
Delhi Police also put up multiple barricades and deployed security personnel at the Chilla border on Noida link road, DND flyway and Kalindi Kunj border.
A senior Delhi Police officer said checking was underway at border points and drones were being used for surveillance.
Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Sagar Singh Kalsi said, “We have made adequate arrangements at east Delhi borders and have taken all precautionary measures, including anti-riot equipment. We are using drones for vigilance and are also coordinating with traffic police for smooth vehicular movement in the area.” Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) S K Jain said police are also coordinating with their Noida counterparts.
“We have two key borders in southeast district — DND border and Kalindi Kunj. Since Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is imposed in the New Delhi area and Parliament is in session, protests without permission are strictly prohibited.
“To manage this, we have increased security at both borders. Proper barricades, jersey barriers and hydra cranes have been deployed. We will stop those who will try to forcibly enter the city,” he stated.
Currently, the situation at the border is normal, Jain said.
A group of farmers from Punjab, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), has called for a march towards Delhi on December 6. The group has been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13.
Joe Biden Pardons His Son Hunter, Says Charges Politically Motivated 8
Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued “a full and unconditional pardon” to Hunter Biden arguing that he was singled out only because he was his son.
“For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said in a statement Sunday night.
Hunter Biden was convicted early this year on federal gun and tax charges and was set to appear soon in Delon, California, where he faced the potential of lengthy prison sentences.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Joe Biden said.
“Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently,” said the president.
Biden said the charges in his cases came about only after several of his political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose his election.
“Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases,” he said.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong,” he said.
“There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough,” Joe Biden said.
UPSC Coaching Teacher Avadh Ojha Joins AAP in Presence of Arvind Kejriwal 10
Civil services coaching teacher and motivational speaker Avadh Ojha joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday in the presence of party chief Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Manish Sisodia.
Ojha said he is aligned with the party’s ideology focused on the future of children and the termed the development of education his biggest ambition.
“I want to thank Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia to give me a chance to work in the field of education in politics,” Ojha said after joining the party.
AAP is doing work in the field of education and Ojha’s joining the party will strengthen efforts to strengthen education and “ultimately, our nation will be strengthened,” Kejriwal said.
Sisodia added that it was a special day and Ojha had been doing good work in education for which he too has dedicated his whole life.
The Delhi assembly elections are slated for February next year. AAP, which won 62 of 70 seats in 2020, is eyeing a third consecutive term.
Fadnavis' Name Approved as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Claims Senior BJP Leader 12
The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra who will be elected as the legislature party leader in a meeting to be held either on December 2 or 3, a senior BJP leader said on Sunday night.
Earlier in the day, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would support the BJP’s decision to pick the new chief minister.
“The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. The meeting to elect the new BJP legislature party meeting will be held on either December 2 or 3,” a senior BJP leader told PTI.
Amid speculation that his son Shrikant Shinde might get the deputy CM’s post and Shiv Sena is keen on the Home portfolio, Eknath Shinde said the Mahayuti allies- BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena- will decide the government formation through consensus after sitting together.
More than a week after the Mahayuti clinched a massive victory in Maharashtra polls with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in.
The oath-taking ceremony of the new Mahayuti government is scheduled for December 5 evening at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it.
The BJP is moving cautiously as aspirations of its allies, especially Shiv Sena, grew after the massive poll victory.
Despite Shinde’s insistence on Mahayuti unity, some leaders of allies spoke in different voices.
Former Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve said if the undivided Sena and BJP had contested the elections together, they would have won more seats.
Separately, Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil claimed that the Eknath Shinde-led party would have won 90-100 seats in polls had Ajit Pawar’s NCP not been part of the alliance, drawing a sharp reaction from the Ajit Pawar-led party.
The BJP legislature party meeting to elect the leader, who will be the party’s chief ministerial pick, is yet to be held even though Shiv Sena and NCP have elected Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as their legislature party leaders, respectively.
A senior Mahayuti leader said the allies will jointly decide whether only the chief minister and deputy CMs will take oath on December 5 or ministers will also be sworn in.
Shinde had left for his native village in Satara district on Friday amid speculation that he was not happy with the way the new government was shaping up. He developed a high fever in his village.
Talking to reporters in his village on Sunday before leaving for Mumbai, Shinde said, “I have already said the decision on CM’s post taken by the BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and Shiv Sena and will have my full backing”.
On speculation that Shrikant Shinde will be made a Deputy CM in the new government and whether Shiv Sena has staked the claim for the home portfolio, Shinde replied, “Talks were on”.
“A meeting took place in Delhi last week with (Union home minister) Amit Shah, and now we three alliance partners will discuss the nitty-gritty of government formation after sitting together,” he said.
Responding to a query on his health, the Shiv Sena leader said he was fine now and had come to his native village to get some rest.
Shinde reiterated that there are no differences among Mahayuti allies and pointed out that the BJP is yet to announce its legislature party leader.
“There are no ifs and buts. My health is fine now. The work of our government will be written in golden words in the history,” he said.
Shinde landed in Thane on the late Sunday afternoon.
Though the oath-taking ceremony of the new government just four days away, there seems no clarity on the schedule of the much-awaited BJP legislature party meeting.
A BJP leader claimed the party’s MLAs have not been informed yet regarding the timing of the legislature party meeting. A day earlier, BJP leaders confirmed that the meeting will be held on December 2.
Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said,”We will sit together and decide whether only chief minister and deputy chief ministers will take oath or ministers will also be sworn in”.
Differences among Mahayuti allies, meanwhile, came out in the open on Sunday.
“Had Shiv Sena not split into two, and contested assembly elections with the BJP, our victory would have been bigger than what we achieved today. We had also won comfortably in the 2019 assembly elections,” Raosaheb Danve said.
He claimed the Shiv Sena split because of Sanjay Raut, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray.
“You wait for six months, and Raut will cause a rift between Uddhav and his son Aaditya as well,” he added.
Separately, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Gaikwad, who won the Buldana constituency by a wafer-thin margin against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Jayashree Shelke, levelled serious allegations.
“Local MP and Union minister Prataprao Jadhav of Shiv Sena called Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and confidante of Uddhav Thackeray to field Jayashree Shelke. BJP’s Sanjay Kute passed on the same message to Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab to field Shelke against me,” he claimed.
The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP led with 132 seats, while the Shiv Sena got 57 and NCP 41.
“We contested only 85 seats. Without Ajitdada, we could have won 90-100 seats. Shinde never asked why Ajit Pawar-led NCP was inducted in his government,” Gulabrao Patil, a minister in the outgoing government, told a regional news channel.
NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari hit back, asking Patil to not shoot off his “loose tongue”.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said if the petition over a Mughal-era mosque at Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh had prayed for the right to access, then why a court there ordered a survey of the structure.
Targeting the ruling BJP, Owaisi said such issues weaken the country, which is facing inflation, unemployment, farmer suicides and other issues.
On November 19, a court of civil judge (senior division) of Sambhal passed an ex-parte order for a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid by an advocate commissioner, after taking note of a plea of the Hindu side claiming the mosque was built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526 after demolishing a temple.
On November 24, violence gripped the area during the court-ordered survey of the mosque, killing four persons and injuring many others.
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a Sambhal trial court to halt proceedings in the case over the Shahi Jama Masjid and its survey at Chandausi while directing the UP government to maintain peace and harmony in the violence-hit town.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday over the Sambhal incident, Owaisi said, “If we read the petition, we find the prayer in it is right to access. If this is so, why did the court order the survey, which is wrong. If they need access, who stops them from going and sitting in the mosque?” “If according to the Places of Worship Act, the character and nature (of a religious place) can’t be changed, then why still the survey was ordered?” the Hyderabad MP asked.
Notably, a court recently also admitted a petition seeking to declare the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan as a temple.
Several opposition leaders have raised serious concerns over the controversy on the Ajmer Dargah, which comes close on the heels of similar claims made regarding the Sambhal mosque in UP.
Asked about claims over the shrine in Ajmer, Owaisi said the dargah exists for 800 years and (Sufi poet) Amir Khusro had also mentioned about it dargah in his book.
“Now they say that it is not a dargah. If this is so, where is this going to stop? Even prime ministers send ‘chadar’ to this dargah during ‘Urs’. What will the Modi government say when they send the chadar every year?” he sought to know.
“If the Buddha and Jain community people go to court (in such a manner), they will also claim (some) places. So, an Act was brought in 1991 that the nature of a religious place will not be changed and it will remain as it was on August 15, 1947,” he said.
Owaisi said such issues weaken the country and BJP leaders should stop going this.
“There are problems like inflation, unemployment, farmer suicides, China becoming powerful. But they put the people at work for this (survey of religious places). I earlier said after the judgement in the Babri case that more such incidents may pop up now,” he said.
Notably, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday expressed concern over the declining population growth and said India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime, should be at least 3, well above the present one of 2.1.
To a query on it, Owaisi said, “Now those in the RSS should start marrying. Their (BJP) MPs say that no one having more than two children should be given the benefit of government schemes. They should stick to one policy.”
Mahayuti 2.0 to Take Oath on December 5 in PM Modi's Presence at Azad Maidan 15
The newly elected Mahayuti government in Maharashtra will officially take charge with a grand oath-taking ceremony on December 5 at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the event, adding significant stature to the occasion.
Grand Ceremony at Azad Maidan
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed the event, announcing: “The oath-taking ceremony of the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra will be held in the presence of Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5 PM at Azad Maidan, Mumbai.”
राज्यातील महायुती सरकारचा शपथविधी
विश्वगौरव माननीय पंतप्रधान श्री. @narendramodi जी यांच्या उपस्थितीत गुरुवार, दि. ५ डिसेंबर २०२४ रोजी संध्याकाळी ५ वाजता आझाद मैदान, मुंबई येथे संपन्न होणार आहे.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, is set to showcase its unity and strength at the high-profile event.
This marks the beginning of Mahayuti 2.0’s governance, following their resounding victory in the state elections. The new leadership’s plans and vision for Maharashtra now take center stage.
17 Terrorists Killed in Helicopter Gunship Strikes in Northwest Pakistan 17
Seventeen terrorists were killed on Friday in two separate operations when Pakistani security forces’ helicopter gunships targeted their hideouts in the country’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The intelligence-based operations were conducted in the Bannu and the North Waziristan districts, according to security sources.
In the Baka Khel area of the Bannu district, 12 terrorists affiliated with the Hafiz Gulbahadur group were eliminated as choppers struck their compound.
The second operation was carried out in the Hasso Khel area of Mir Ali, North Waziristan, where five militants were killed.
A large cache of weapons and ammunition was seized from the militants, sources said. Security forces also released images of the killed terrorists.
The operation is ongoing, with reinforcements arriving for the security forces.
The security forces launched a massive operation against terrorists in response to the fresh wave of attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s southern districts.
A Kerala court has convicted and sentenced a man to a cumulative 141 years imprisonment for repeatedly raping his minor stepdaughter for several years when her mother was not at home.
Manjeri Fast Track Special Court Judge Ashraf A M sentenced the man to varying durations of imprisonment under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the IPC and the Juvenile Justice Act for a total of 141 years.
However, the man will serve 40 years in prison as that was the highest of jail terms given to the man and the varying sentences are to be served concurrently, according to the court’s order of November 29.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 7.85 lakh on the convict.
It also ordered that the victim be provided compensation.
The convict and the victim are Tamil Nadu natives and the stepfather had been sexually assaulting the girl since 2017, a police officer associated with the case said.
The girl, on a friend’s advice, finally told her mother who in turn informed the police, the officer said.
