Mamata Banerjee To Protest In New Delhi Against FDI

After parting ways with the UPA, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will for the first time lead a demonstration in New Delhi on Monday against "anti-people" decisions of the Centre.

"It is an unprecedented decision by Banerjee to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar in the national capital to press the Centre to review its decisions on FDI in retail, cap on subsidised LPG and diesel price hike," Trinamool Congress MP KD Singh said on Sunday.

He said the demonstration was part of the party's resolve to show solidarity with the 'aam admi' who has been hurt the most by such decisions.

Century Fox Reports: CWC endorses economic reforms undertaken by the govt.

"Withdrawing from the UPA was the first step. A series of protests have been planned in the coming days till the decisions are withdrawn," he said. When asked whether Trinamool Congress would support a resolution in Parliament against FDI if it is brought by BJP, former railway minister Mukul Roy evaded a direct reply.

"Who brings what is not the issue. The actual issue is the decision of the government which is anti-people...the then finance minister (Pranab Mukherjee) had assured Parliament that any decision on FDI will be taken after consulting all stakeholders and after evolving a consensus. That has not happened," he rued.

In her Facebook post, Banerjee had recently said: "Let us fight the battle boldly and unitedly. In a democracy, people are supreme. Our voice is the voice of the people. We must raise our voice, so that the government must reconsider."

"Looting is on in the name of aam aadmi and reforms," Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hit out on Saturday.

Trinamool Congress leaders were busy brushing up their Hindi recently as party chief Mamata Banerjee plans to take her fight against FDI in multi-brand retail to Delhi and various other states later. Hindi speakers are expected to get priority in the party's agitations outside Bengal.

"Our leader herself can speak in Hindi. It is the medium of communication for a pan-India audience. Therefore, it is natural that Hindi speakers will get priority (to speak at protest rallies). We want more Hindi speakers," said a senior MP close to Banerjee.

"Our senior leaders, most of who are Bengalis, are also brushing up their Hindi-speaking skills. This will help them reach out to the people," the MP added.

Banerjee is to lead an agitation at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the Centre's decision to allow FDI in retail, the diesel price hike and putting a limit on households using subsidised LPG.

She recently withdrew from UPA-2 in protest and announced that the Trinamool would organise agitations to demand a rollback of the government's "anti-people" decisions.

Banerjee is expected to address the rally at Jantar Mantar in Hindi and some of the other speakers are likely to follow suit.

The party has a few Hindi-speaking leaders such as KD Singh from Haryana, Sultan Ahmed and Dinesh Trivedi. Besides, Mukul Roy, Sudip Bandopadhyay and Subrata Bakshi can manage to speak in Hindi.

EXPLORE:  World News     India    Manmohan Singh   Sonia Gandhi   CWC   Coalgate Scams            2G Scam      Chidambaram         Bal Thackeray     True Depth Of Coalgate Scam        51% FDI               Mamata Banerjee     L.K Advani      Wal Mart   

Read More

Edited By Cen Fox Post Team

Follow @centuryfoxpost

Congress Walks Out, Mamata Banerjee Loses Voice In WB Assembly

Twenty-four hours after six Trinamool ministers marched into the Prime Minister's office in New Delhi and put in their papers signalling the end of the alliance, a similar scene was enacted in Kolkata on Saturday. In the afternoon, six Congress ministers walked into chief minister Mamata  Banerjee's office in Writers' and submitted their resignations.

Later, the group met the Governor, withdrawing support to the Trinamool government.

Wasting no time, the Congress, that had a rocky relationship with the Trinamool even while being a partner of the ruling alliance, geared up to play the role of an Opposition party. Congress leaders picked on issues like the deteriorating law and order situation and vowed to launch agitations against the government.

Century Fox Report: Cabinet Reshuffle Likely, Congress may keep Railways

Earlier in the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while speaking at a function, threatened to continue her tirade against the Congress. "We're poor, but we have some respect. We have the right to retaliate. Please don't threaten us," she said at a function in Kolkata, hinting that she is ready to take on the Congress, both in the state and in Delhi.

"Now, we'll hit the streets against the government and highlight various issues, such as the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. We'll also reach out to the people and explain the policies of the Centre and the double standards of Mamata Banerjee," Pradip Bhattacharya, president of Pradesh Congress Committee, retaliated. He added that leaders in Kolkata were waiting for the high command's decision. After that, the state Congress will place its bid for the main opposition party in the state assembly.

State Congress leaders huddled in the afternoon at Bidhan Bhavan, the party's headquarters in the state. Senior leaders discussed the roadmap for anti-TMC agitation programmes throughout the state, apart from panchayat polls preparations. The Congress will have to take on the CPI(M), as well as the Trinamool Congress, in the coming rural polls.

By 5pm, Congress ministers of Bengal led by Manas Bhuniya reached Writers' Buildings and met the chief minister. Trinamool Congress leaders, such as Partha Chatterjee, Amit Mitra and Subrata Mukherjee, were also present. The rising rate of crimes against women and the deteriorating law and order situation, were given as reasons for their resignation. However, Congress ministers avoided the media at Writers'.

"For the sake of the people, we'll fight against this government," said Manas Bhuniya.

EXPLORE:  World News     India    Manmohan Singh   Coalgate Scams       Mamata Banerjee   2G Scam      Chidambaram         Bal Thackeray     True Depth Of Coalgate Scam        Aseem Trivedi            Odisha Bandh        Mining Companies      Narendra Modi         Kudankulam         Suresh Kalmadi        IOA       51% FDI              

Read More

Edited By Cen Fox Post Team

Follow @centuryfoxpost

Mamata Banerjee Is A Winner Anyways

KOLKATA: Heads she wins, tails she doesn't lose. Mamata Banerjee's take-it-or-I-leave-UPA -II posturing appears to be based on calculated strategy that has more to do with West Bengal politics than national politics. Her apparent madness has a method.

On several occasions during the UPA II's battered three-year existence, Mamata had acted as a one-woman opposition squad, stalling various reform measures on land acquisition, retail and divestment. She has also forced changes in the Lokpal Bill. On every occasion, she had forced Manmohan Singh to either backtrack or go on the backfoot.

Mamata believes that this time, too, the tail will wag the dog - that she will again force the government to buckle under. She has an estimate of her real worth and feels she is indispensable for the regime. That's why she has given the government time till Friday to mull over her conditions.

Mamata believes she has nothing to lose if, in the worst case scenario, she has to withdraw her support. In the eventuality of an early election, she is confident of improving her tally in Bengal. This means her importance would only increase in Delhi's hurly-burly of post-election politics, giving her a more meaningful role in national politics.

Mamata's calculated brinkmanship stands in sharp contrast to her similar actions in the past. In 2001, when she quit the Vajpayee government over the Tehelka expose, her decision was whimsical and unilateral. In those days that was Mamata's hallmark. She had thrust her decision upon the party that eventually proved suicidal and pushed her to oblivion.

This time round, she has heeded the overwhelming advice of her party colleagues - that if push comes to shove, quit UPA II. In the three-hour-long meeting on Tuesday, Mamata, contrary to her characteristic style, chose not to force her decision upon the party. Instead, she allowed a dozen of her party colleagues to speak their mind.

Only three colleagues - Saugata Roy, Sisir Adhikari and a new Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP -- advocated caution. Roy spoke in favour of withdrawing the ministers but mutedly opposed severance from UPA II. All other speakers, including Somen Mitra, Subrata Mukherjee and Mukul Roy spoke in favour of immediate withdrawal in the larger interest of the party in West Bengal. All of them said: "Aligning with the Congress may prove catastrophic as the party has become a liability."

Mamata was in for a surprise when former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi echoed the sentiment of the majority and exhorted the leadership to part with the Congress - the same Trivedi who had placed the "nation above the party" while raising railway passenger fares and had gone against the wishes of his party supremo.

So, where does Mamata go from here? Over the past 17 months, she has pulled out all stops to woo the minorities - a vote bank that remains intact for TMC. By now, Didi has realised that after Pranab Mukherjee's elevation as President, there are few takers for her demand for moratorium on state loans. So she has re-focussed her attention on West Bengal politics.

She is not ready to give an inch to the Left, which was eyeing a resurgence by staging a stir against the reforms-friendly measures. On Tuesday under the national spotlight, Mamata hijacked the Left agenda. In her bid to thwart a Left comeback, Mamata has turned more Left than Left.


EXPLORE:  World News     India    Manmohan Singh   Coalgate Scams         Pak     Indian President     Mumbai     Assam     26/11 Riots   2G Scam      Chidambaram         Bal Thackeray     True Depth Of Coalgate Scam        Aseem Trivedi            Odisha Bandh        Mining Companies
Narendra Modi         Kudankulam         Suresh Kalmadi        IOA       51% FDI    

Read More

Edited By Cen Fox Post Team

Follow @centuryfoxpost