On Friday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy congratulated Mamata Banerjee for changing the chairman of the Tarakeshwar Temple Board in West Bengal.
On Friday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy congratulated Mamata Banerjee for 'changing the chairman of the Tarakeshwar Temple Board in West Bengal'.
He wrote that Dr Ratna De Nag, an ex-MP had assumed office after Urban Development Minister Firhad ‘Bobby’ Hakim resigned.
He praised her, calling her of ‘outstanding character’.
Read: Why Swamy wants to add majdoor to his name
He wrote: “Tarakeshwar Temple Board in Bengal gets new Chairman.Dr Ratna De Nag,Ex MP,assumed office afterUrbn.Devpl.Minister Firhad Hakim resigned. CM @MamataOfficial outstanding character is she keeps her word. On my arguments made to make this change for the sake of Hindus she assured me. CM @MamataOfficial did the change at Tarkeshwar Temple. Now without I having to remind her about what she had assured me 8 months ago!”
Banerjee had caused some consternation when she had appointed her close aide Firhad Hakim as the chairman of the Tarakeshwar Development Board. The Opposition had accused the CM of appeasement politics by appointing a Muslim leader as the head of the board that also looked after Tarakeshwar Temple.
Swamy had warned her of legal ramifications.
Read: How Swamy dealt with FM snub
The bonhomie from Swamy comes at a time when the West Bengal government and the Centre are at constant loggerheads.
1. Dr Anirban Ganguly disagrees with Swamy
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However, Dr Anirban Ganguly appeared to disagree with Swamy’s remark and wrote on Twitter that the appointment of Ratna De Nag as head of Tarakeshwar Temple Board was because of people’s pressure. He wrote: “The appointment of Smt Ratna De Nag as head of Tarakeshwar Temple board, replacing Firhad Hakim is not because of someone's advise or because @MamataOfficial has 'outstanding character of keeping her word.' It is because of peoples' pressure & the failure of appeasement politics.”
Incidentally, Dr Ganguly is director of the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF), a New Delhi based think-thank affiliated to the BJP, a member of BJP’s Policy Research Department and the National Co-Convener of BJP’s Library and Documentation Department.
The appointment of Smt Ratna De Nag as head of Tarakeshwar Temple board, replacing Firhad Hakim is not because of someone's advise or because @MamataOfficial has 'outstanding character of keeping her word.' It is because of peoples' pressure & the failure of appeasement politics
— Dr. Anirban Ganguly (@anirbanganguly) June 21, 2019
2. WB govt to boycott meetings called by Centre
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TMC member Saugata Roy Friday said the West Bengal government will continue to boycott meetings called by the Centre till the Union Home Ministry stops sending advisory to the state under Article 355.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Roy said while the Centre seeks cooperation from states, it sends advisories to them under Article 355 twice a week.
Article 355 of Constitution pertains to duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance.
"My party (TMC) boycotted the meeting called by Centre on 'one nation, one election'... As long as the Home Ministry does not stop sending notices, we will not attend meetings called by the Centre," he asserted.
In the wake of violence in West Bengal post the general election results in May, the Home Ministry earlier this month issued an advisory to the state government seeking to know the measures taken by it to maintain law and order.
3. Won't keep thieves in my party: Mamata
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Friday warned party leaders that those involved in taking "cut money" from government schemes and other corrupt practices would be put behind bars.
The warning from the West Bengal chief minister came at an organisational meeting of Nadia district, where the TMC lost one of the two Lok Sabha seats to the BJP.
"Our party supremo has warned us against getting involved in corruption and told us to return cut money, if we had taken any from people. She has told us if anyone is found seeking cut money to provide benefits from government schemes, he or she will be arrested," a senior TMC leader from Nadia district said.
Banerjee's instructions to party leaders came in the wake of statewide protests outside residences of a number of TMC leaders by people, who sought the return of cut money taken by them in the area.
Mostly, elected representatives at the municipal and panchayat levels faced the public ire in the districts of Birbhum, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Burdwan, Malda, Purulia, Nadia, West Midnapore and Bankura.
At a recent meeting, Banerjee had said, "I do not want to keep thieves in my party. If I take action they will join some other party. Some leaders are claiming 25 per cent commission for providing housing grants to the poor. This should stop immediately. Return the money if any of you have taken it."
4. BJP leaders protest in Bhatpara
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The BJP organised marches and gheraoed the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate on Friday in protest against the killings of two persons in Bhatpara, even as both the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP blamed each other for fomenting trouble in the area.
The BJP also named a three-member delegation, led by former union minister and MP S S Ahluwalia, to visit to the trouble-torn Bhatpara on Saturday and submit a report to party president and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Clashes have been reported between the members of the saffron party and the police Friday in Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district after BJP MP Arjun Singh took out a procession with the bodies of two persons killed there Thursday.
Stepping up protests over the incident, the saffron party organised marches in several parts of West Bengal during the day.
Expressing concern over Friday's incident, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh wondered whether the TMC government was at all interested in bringing back peace in the area.
