The villagers of Bhangar in Bengal woke up on Wednesday morning to find police uniforms strewn over the village&#39;s fields.&nbsp;

Bengal Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Combat Force uniforms were found in the fields, as were helmets and bullet-proof jackets.&nbsp;

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<h5>Helmets and bullet-proof jackets were found along with the uniforms</h5>
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According to the villagers, &quot;outsiders&quot; dressed as Bengal Police officers had opened fire at&nbsp;protestors and attacked their homes.&nbsp;

Police and villagers had clashed on Tuesday over the acquistion of village land for the setting up of a power substation at Bhangar.&nbsp;

As many as two villagers were left dead in the clashes. Both of them had suffered bullet injuries.&nbsp;

A section of the villagers allege the abandoned uniforms are linked to a local strongman from the Trinamool Congress. &ldquo;In the name of police, his men attacked us and our houses. They opened fire and hurled bombs at us,&rdquo; said Safikul, a villager.&nbsp;

The Trinamool Congress is the ruling party in the state.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the villagers have put up makeshift road blockades using uprooted trees and bricks at almost every entry point into the village to prevent police from getting in.

On Wednesday, the villagers said their protest and agitation would continue till Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee herself announces the closure of the project. They added that only then will believe the project has been scrapped.&nbsp;

On the other hand, Banerjee reached Bengal Police headquarters to chair a high-level meeting with the director general of police and additional director general (Law and Order) over the prevailing situation at Bhangar.&nbsp;

(WION)

Villagers wonder whether ?outsiders? dressed as policemen had attacked them

The villagers of Bhangar in Bengal woke up on Wednesday morning to find police uniforms strewn over the village's fields. Bengal Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Combat Force uniforms were found in the fields, as were helmets and bullet-proof jackets. Helmets and bullet-proof jackets were found along with the uniforms × According to the villagers, "outsiders" dressed as Bengal Police officers had opened fire at protestors and attacked their homes. Police and villagers had clashed on Tuesday over the acquistion of village land for the setting up of a power substation at Bhangar. As many as two villagers were left dead in the clashes. Both of them had suffered bullet injuries. A section of the villagers allege the abandoned uniforms are linked to a local strongman from the Trinamool Congress. “In the name of police, his men attacked us and our houses. They opened fire and hurled bombs at us,” said Safikul, a villager. The Trinamool Congress is the ruling party in the state. Meanwhile, the villagers have put up makeshift road blockades using uprooted trees and bricks at almost every entry point into the village to prevent police from getting in. On Wednesday, the villagers said their protest and agitation would continue till Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee herself announces the closure of the project. They added that only then will believe the project has been scrapped. On the other hand, Banerjee reached Bengal Police headquarters to chair a high-level meeting with the director general of police and additional director general (Law and Order) over the prevailing situation at Bhangar. (WION)

Bengal anti-land grab agitation: Day after clashes, police uniforms found abandoned in fields

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee&#39;s office retracted its statement over relocating the power station if the people did not want to give their land away.&nbsp;

Trinamool Congress&rsquo; official Twitter handle had in an earlier tweet said, &ldquo;No land will be acquired if people don&#39;t want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated if required.&quot;

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The tweet was deleted minutes after it was posted and media houses were also asked to &#39;ignore the earlier mail&#39; regarding the previous statement. (Twitter)
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However, minutes later it was deleted.&nbsp;Media Houses were also asked to &quot;ignore the earlier mail&quot;.

The statement came in the wake of clashes between the villagers and the police. While the villagers earlier demand had been that work be suspended at Power Grid Corporation Limited&rsquo;s Bhangar substation, their latest demand is that the land, which was acquired by the state government be returned to them. &nbsp;

Political parties alleged that&nbsp;Trinamool Congress succumbed under&nbsp;pressure and made the announcement.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, rumors are rife that this is a major turnaround by Trinamool Congress.&nbsp;

Some even say, that the relocation of the power grid at this substation or suspension of work unit permanently, might be given a second thought.&nbsp;

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

The earlier tweet said, 'No land will be acquired if people don't want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated if required'

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's office retracted its statement over relocating the power station if the people did not want to give their land away. Trinamool Congress’ official Twitter handle had in an earlier tweet said, “No land will be acquired if people don't want to give away land. Proposed power grid will be relocated if required." The tweet was deleted minutes after it was posted and media houses were also asked to 'ignore the earlier mail' regarding the previous statement. (Twitter) × However, minutes later it was deleted. Media Houses were also asked to "ignore the earlier mail". The statement came in the wake of clashes between the villagers and the police. While the villagers earlier demand had been that work be suspended at Power Grid Corporation Limited’s Bhangar substation, their latest demand is that the land, which was acquired by the state government be returned to them. Political parties alleged that Trinamool Congress succumbed under pressure and made the announcement. Meanwhile, rumors are rife that this is a major turnaround by Trinamool Congress. Some even say, that the relocation of the power grid at this substation or suspension of work unit permanently, might be given a second thought. (WION)

Bengal anti-land grab agitation: Mamata retracts relocation statement

Continuing the fight against demonetisation the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday asserted that the currency swap has adversely affected the nation, asserting that the ruling party has been carrying out a &#39;political vendetta&#39; against all parties opposing demonetisation.

Taking their agitation against banning of high denomination notes forward, TMC leader Derek O` Brien said that 45 MP&#39;s of West Bengal along with &nbsp;chief minister Mamata Banerjee will meet President Pranab Mukherjee later today to discuss the ill effect of demonetisation on the nation.

&quot;The Trinamool Congress has been holding protests across the country, in fact in nine states, today is the third day in Delhi. The state of the nation is not good. Our 45 MP&#39;s will go and talk to the President today and we are very thankful for him to give us time at 2 pm today. We will also give him a memorandum&quot; said Brien.

The TMC MP also slammed the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) for launching a&nbsp;political vendetta against their movement opposing demonetisation and said, &quot;The political vendetta launched by BJP on our party or any other opposing its demonetisation move is not right.&quot;

The TMC earlier this week launched countrywide protest demanding the&nbsp;removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to &quot;save the country&quot;.

Terming as &quot;flop show&quot; Prime Minister Modi&#39;s 8 November decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister Banerjee said the party will hold demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura,&nbsp; 
Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

TMC leader Derek O` Brien said that they will meet the President today to discuss the ill effect of demonetisation on the nation

Continuing the fight against demonetisation the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday asserted that the currency swap has adversely affected the nation, asserting that the ruling party has been carrying out a 'political vendetta' against all parties opposing demonetisation. Taking their agitation against banning of high denomination notes forward, TMC leader Derek O` Brien said that 45 MP's of West Bengal along with chief minister Mamata Banerjee will meet President Pranab Mukherjee later today to discuss the ill effect of demonetisation on the nation. "The Trinamool Congress has been holding protests across the country, in fact in nine states, today is the third day in Delhi. The state of the nation is not good. Our 45 MP's will go and talk to the President today and we are very thankful for him to give us time at 2 pm today. We will also give him a memorandum" said Brien. The TMC MP also slammed the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) for launching a political vendetta against their movement opposing demonetisation and said, "The political vendetta launched by BJP on our party or any other opposing its demonetisation move is not right." The TMC earlier this week launched countrywide protest demanding the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "save the country". Terming as "flop show" Prime Minister Modi's 8 November decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister Banerjee said the party will hold demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital. (ANI)

Demonetisation: TMC targets BJP for 'political vendetta' on opposing parties

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee demanded the arrest of BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while reacting to the arrest of party Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay by CBI in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam on Tuesday.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Amit Shah to Narendra Modi, all should be arrested. Modi is a &lsquo;dangabaaz&rsquo; (initiator of riots). He tries to silence his opponents with fear tactics. BJP netas are chor (thief), dakait (dacoit) and gunda (goon). Like note bandi this is an 
attempt of &lsquo;Trinamool-Bandi&rsquo;,&rdquo; Banerjee said at Nabanna state secretariat while addressing a press conference.&nbsp;

She further claimed that Sudip Bandyopadhyay&rsquo;s arrest had been made under pressure from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. &ldquo;This arrest has been made under pressure from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office. Chitfunds mushroomed under CPI(M) rule. Central minister Babul Supriyo and CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty must be arrested next,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;

The party supremo, Banerjee announced a nationwide movement protesting the arrest of two of its party MPs. &ldquo;From tomorrow onwards, Trinamool will launch protests and dharnas. From 12noon to 3pm, we will hit the streets in the city to register our protests against the arrests as a part of political vendetta,&rdquo; she announced.&nbsp;

On the other hand, opposition parties welcomed the arrest of Bandyopadhyay.

&ldquo;Investigators must reach the doorstep of Mamata Banerjee,&rdquo; CPI(M) leader, Md.Salim wrote on Twitter. &ldquo;Supreme Court sponsored investigation cannot be termed as political vendetta. This is a huge scam,&rdquo; said West Bengal 
Pradesh Congress President, Adhir Chowdhury.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, TMC MP Tapas Pal, who was remanded to CBI custody for three days on December 31 for his alleged involvement in the scam, was produced before a CBI court today. His CBI remand was extended for three more days.

The CBI will produce Bandyapadhyay before a court in Bhuwaneshwar.&nbsp;

Sources in the agency reveal that the officers will cross examine both the MPs together.&nbsp; 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Mamata Banerjee claimed Sudip Bandyopadhyay arrest came under pressure from the Prime Minister's Office

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee demanded the arrest of BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while reacting to the arrest of party Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay by CBI in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam on Tuesday. “Amit Shah to Narendra Modi, all should be arrested. Modi is a ‘dangabaaz’ (initiator of riots). He tries to silence his opponents with fear tactics. BJP netas are chor (thief), dakait (dacoit) and gunda (goon). Like note bandi this is an attempt of ‘Trinamool-Bandi’,” Banerjee said at Nabanna state secretariat while addressing a press conference. She further claimed that Sudip Bandyopadhyay’s arrest had been made under pressure from the Prime Minister's Office. “This arrest has been made under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office. Chitfunds mushroomed under CPI(M) rule. Central minister Babul Supriyo and CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty must be arrested next,” she added. The party supremo, Banerjee announced a nationwide movement protesting the arrest of two of its party MPs. “From tomorrow onwards, Trinamool will launch protests and dharnas. From 12noon to 3pm, we will hit the streets in the city to register our protests against the arrests as a part of political vendetta,” she announced. On the other hand, opposition parties welcomed the arrest of Bandyopadhyay. “Investigators must reach the doorstep of Mamata Banerjee,” CPI(M) leader, Md.Salim wrote on Twitter. “Supreme Court sponsored investigation cannot be termed as political vendetta. This is a huge scam,” said West Bengal Pradesh Congress President, Adhir Chowdhury. Meanwhile, TMC MP Tapas Pal, who was remanded to CBI custody for three days on December 31 for his alleged involvement in the scam, was produced before a CBI court today. His CBI remand was extended for three more days. The CBI will produce Bandyapadhyay before a court in Bhuwaneshwar. Sources in the agency reveal that the officers will cross examine both the MPs together. (WION)

Bengal chit fund scam: After her party legislator's arrest, Mamata calls for PM Modi's arrest

Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam on Tuesday.&nbsp;

This comes as a major blow to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee with the party&rsquo;s second MP being arrested within a week.&nbsp;

Earlier, the&nbsp;CBI&nbsp;had arrested Tapas Pal in connection with the same chit fund scam.&nbsp;

Bandyopadhyay was arrested after three and a half hours of interrogation by three officers of the CBI. Sources in the investigating agency reveal that he had been arrested after several inconsistencies surfaced in his statements.&nbsp;

He was summoned twice in December last year by the agency, however, he had skipped the meeting stating prior engagements.

Earlier in the day, while arriving at the CBI&rsquo;s office, Bandyapadhyay had said, &ldquo;I will come to face CBI interrogation to know what is against me. This is a political vendetta against me and the Trinamool Congress party by the NDA-ruled Central government.&rdquo;

On the other hand, Pal will be produced before a court by CBI.&nbsp;

(WION)

Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested by CBI in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam

Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam on Tuesday. This comes as a major blow to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee with the party’s second MP being arrested within a week. Earlier, the CBI had arrested Tapas Pal in connection with the same chit fund scam. Bandyopadhyay was arrested after three and a half hours of interrogation by three officers of the CBI. Sources in the investigating agency reveal that he had been arrested after several inconsistencies surfaced in his statements. He was summoned twice in December last year by the agency, however, he had skipped the meeting stating prior engagements. Earlier in the day, while arriving at the CBI’s office, Bandyapadhyay had said, “I will come to face CBI interrogation to know what is against me. This is a political vendetta against me and the Trinamool Congress party by the NDA-ruled Central government.” On the other hand, Pal will be produced before a court by CBI. (WION)

Bengal: Another Trinamool Congress legislator arrested over Chit Fund scam

India&#39;s Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee slammed prime minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, saying it had failed to reduce corruption and arrest the laundering of black money.

The Congress vice-president slammed the Modi government for failing to tackle the problem of cash crunch following demonetisation and said the measure had only made things more miserable for the poor and had increased unemployment in the country. Calling demonetisation a &quot;mega scam,&quot; Mamata Banerjee said the Modi government had lost its credibility and become &quot;baseless&quot; and &quot;faceless&quot; in the name of cashlessness.

Here are the key points from their joint press conference:

<ul>
	<li>December 30 is about to come and the situation is the same. The motive of demonetisation has failed completely: Rahul Gandhi 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>PM should answer the nation, that was the real motive of demonetisation and what will he do for those affected by it: Rahul Gandhi 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Demonetisation had no impact on corruption and black money. A new black market has emerged to convert black money into white: Rahul Gandhi 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Modi had said good days (acche din) will come, is this his idea of good days : Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>All opposition parties will make a common minimum agenda programme: Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The Modi government has become baseless and faceless in the name of cashlessness: Mamata Banerjee&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Demonetisation is a mega scam and the biggest one after independence: Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>They do whatever they feel like, federal structure has been totally destroyed. It is not an emergency, it is a super emergency: Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>This is a fearless government, they do not care about anything: Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If things remain unresolved even after 50 days, will PM Modi take responsibility to resign as PM of the country?: Mamata Banerjee 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>This has sent the country 20 years back in time: Mamata Banerjee&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

 
(WION)

Rahul Gandhi alleged demonetisation had no impact on corruption and black money

India's Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee slammed prime minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, saying it had failed to reduce corruption and arrest the laundering of black money. The Congress vice-president slammed the Modi government for failing to tackle the problem of cash crunch following demonetisation and said the measure had only made things more miserable for the poor and had increased unemployment in the country. Calling demonetisation a "mega scam," Mamata Banerjee said the Modi government had lost its credibility and become "baseless" and "faceless" in the name of cashlessness. Here are the key points from their joint press conference: December 30 is about to come and the situation is the same. The motive of demonetisation has failed completely: Rahul Gandhi PM should answer the nation, that was the real motive of demonetisation and what will he do for those affected by it: Rahul Gandhi Demonetisation had no impact on corruption and black money. A new black market has emerged to convert black money into white: Rahul Gandhi Modi had said good days (acche din) will come, is this his idea of good days : Mamata Banerjee All opposition parties will make a common minimum agenda programme: Mamata Banerjee The Modi government has become baseless and faceless in the name of cashlessness: Mamata Banerjee Demonetisation is a mega scam and the biggest one after independence: Mamata Banerjee They do whatever they feel like, federal structure has been totally destroyed. It is not an emergency, it is a super emergency: Mamata Banerjee This is a fearless government, they do not care about anything: Mamata Banerjee If things remain unresolved even after 50 days, will PM Modi take responsibility to resign as PM of the country?: Mamata Banerjee This has sent the country 20 years back in time: Mamata Banerjee (WION)

Demonetisation has failed: Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee slam PM Modi's initiative

The deployment of India&#39;s federal police force&nbsp;to provide security to&nbsp;taxmen while conducting raids in India&#39;s eastern state of West Bengal has been condemned by the state&#39;s chief minister Mamata Banerjee as unconstitutional and illegal.

This comes after the federal government, which is based out of India&#39;s capital New Delhi, decided to install 15 central police personnel -- the CRPF -- to protect taxmen during raids in the state.

In a terse letter sent by CM Banerjee to India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh on December 23, she said: &quot;It has come to our notice that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to make available 15 personnel of the CRPF for apparently providing &lsquo;security&rsquo; to&nbsp;Income Tax officials and staff deputed for operations&nbsp;in West Bengal. No communication&nbsp;in this regard has been received by the state government. The State Government objects strongly to this decision, which&nbsp;is blatantly unconstitutional,&nbsp;illegal and against all principles of cooperative federalism.&quot;

But an advisory sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Central Board of Direct Taxes on December 20 had mentioned that the central police would be deployed in the state.

&ldquo;The matter has been considered&nbsp;in this Ministry and&nbsp;it has been decided that CRPF shall make available 15 personnel to&nbsp;Income Tax Department, Kolkata for providing security to officers and staff deputed for search and seizure operations to be carried out by the&nbsp;Income Tax Directorate,&quot; the advisory had said.

However, when contacted, CRPF officials remained tight-lipped when asked if the deployment plan was shared with the state government.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

The West Bengal chief minister said her administration was not intimated about installation of CRPF personnel to protect taxmen during raids

The deployment of India's federal police force to provide security to taxmen while conducting raids in India's eastern state of West Bengal has been condemned by the state's chief minister Mamata Banerjee as unconstitutional and illegal. This comes after the federal government, which is based out of India's capital New Delhi, decided to install 15 central police personnel -- the CRPF -- to protect taxmen during raids in the state. In a terse letter sent by CM Banerjee to India's home minister Rajnath Singh on December 23, she said: "It has come to our notice that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to make available 15 personnel of the CRPF for apparently providing ‘security’ to Income Tax officials and staff deputed for operations in West Bengal. No communication in this regard has been received by the state government. The State Government objects strongly to this decision, which is blatantly unconstitutional, illegal and against all principles of cooperative federalism." But an advisory sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Central Board of Direct Taxes on December 20 had mentioned that the central police would be deployed in the state. “The matter has been considered in this Ministry and it has been decided that CRPF shall make available 15 personnel to Income Tax Department, Kolkata for providing security to officers and staff deputed for search and seizure operations to be carried out by the Income Tax Directorate," the advisory had said. However, when contacted, CRPF officials remained tight-lipped when asked if the deployment plan was shared with the state government. (WION)

Bengal tax raids: CM Mamata Banerjee flays central police deployment

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee criticised India&#39;s defence minister Manohar Parrikar for saying her opposition to the deployment of the army at the state&#39;s toll plazas would &quot;adversely&quot; impact the morale of the armed forces.

In a strongly-worded letter today, Mamata said her complaint was not against the army but against the federal government under whose directions the army had acted. She also maintained that the defence ministry had not taken the permission of the state government for &quot;large deployment of army personnel in civilian areas&quot;.

&quot;My complaint was not against the army. It was against your government and the government policy, as they act under your directions. We have great respect for their nationalism and professionalism,&quot; Mamata said in her letter to Parrikar.

&quot;On earlier occasions, such exercise was done in joint coordination with the state government and we used to provide full cooperation. But this time unfortunately, the ministry of defence had made a departure...You will appreciate that toll plaza data is readily available with the National Highway Authority of India and other agencies and exercise could have been avoided,&quot; Banerjee said.

Parrikar had earlier written to Banerjee expressing his pain over dragging the army into a controversy.

In his letter, Parrikar asserted that the army authorities were forced to put the record straight in the matter, by presenting evidence of their communication with the concerned state agencies, including rescheduling of the data collection operation, on their request.

He also stated that while political parties and politicians had the luxury of making &quot;wild and unsubstantiated allegations&quot; against each other, one needed to be extremely careful while referring to the armed forces.

The chief minister hit back, stating this&nbsp;applied to his party, and not hers.

&quot;I take strong exception to your wild assertion that my articulation of the rights of the state government vis-a-vis army deployment without clearance has impacted the morale of the armed forces. Your general observations about political parties and politicians to have the luxury of making wild and unsubstantiated allegations may be apt for your party, but we do not belong to that group,&quot; she said.

She said that in her long political and administrative life, she had &quot;never seen such political vendetta by misusing the role of an esteemed organisation&quot;.

The chief minister also claimed that Parrikar in his letter &quot;chose to convey the laughable idea that you are the sole spokesperson on behalf of the people at large&quot;.

&quot;I don&#39;t think that it behoves a minister of the union government to pass near defamatory remarks on a chief minister of any state and I trust that you will rectify this attitude,&quot; she said.

She also expressed surprise on how the defence minister&#39;s letter was flashed on the electronic media hours before it reached her.

The chief minister also said the central government did not pay heed to the Kolkata Police&#39;s objection to any exercise within 200 metres of the State Secretariat, which is a high-security zone.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Mamata maintained the defence ministry had not taken the state government's permission for deployment of the army in the state's toll plazas

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee criticised India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar for saying her opposition to the deployment of the army at the state's toll plazas would "adversely" impact the morale of the armed forces. In a strongly-worded letter today, Mamata said her complaint was not against the army but against the federal government under whose directions the army had acted. She also maintained that the defence ministry had not taken the permission of the state government for "large deployment of army personnel in civilian areas". "My complaint was not against the army. It was against your government and the government policy, as they act under your directions. We have great respect for their nationalism and professionalism," Mamata said in her letter to Parrikar. "On earlier occasions, such exercise was done in joint coordination with the state government and we used to provide full cooperation. But this time unfortunately, the ministry of defence had made a departure...You will appreciate that toll plaza data is readily available with the National Highway Authority of India and other agencies and exercise could have been avoided," Banerjee said. Parrikar had earlier written to Banerjee expressing his pain over dragging the army into a controversy. In his letter, Parrikar asserted that the army authorities were forced to put the record straight in the matter, by presenting evidence of their communication with the concerned state agencies, including rescheduling of the data collection operation, on their request. He also stated that while political parties and politicians had the luxury of making "wild and unsubstantiated allegations" against each other, one needed to be extremely careful while referring to the armed forces. The chief minister hit back, stating this applied to his party, and not hers. "I take strong exception to your wild assertion that my articulation of the rights of the state government vis-a-vis army deployment without clearance has impacted the morale of the armed forces. Your general observations about political parties and politicians to have the luxury of making wild and unsubstantiated allegations may be apt for your party, but we do not belong to that group," she said. She said that in her long political and administrative life, she had "never seen such political vendetta by misusing the role of an esteemed organisation". The chief minister also claimed that Parrikar in his letter "chose to convey the laughable idea that you are the sole spokesperson on behalf of the people at large". "I don't think that it behoves a minister of the union government to pass near defamatory remarks on a chief minister of any state and I trust that you will rectify this attitude," she said. She also expressed surprise on how the defence minister's letter was flashed on the electronic media hours before it reached her. The chief minister also said the central government did not pay heed to the Kolkata Police's objection to any exercise within 200 metres of the State Secretariat, which is a high-security zone. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Complaint against government not Indian Army: Mamata's word war with defence minister

The governor of the Indian state of West Bengal today virtually disapproved of chief minister Mamata Banerjee&#39;s protest on the deployment of army at toll plazas in the state, saying &quot;one should be careful while making allegations against a responsible organisation like the army&quot;.

Keshri Nath Tripathi said, &quot;Don&#39;t let down the Army. Don&#39;t defame the Army,&quot; commenting on Trinamool Congress legislators action.&nbsp;

The party had staged a protest outside the state secretariat, saying the exercise was not in coordination with the state police as claimed by the Army.&nbsp;

In response to the governor&#39;s statement, Mamata Banerjee said he was speaking in the &quot;voice of the central government&quot;.

&quot;The Governor is speaking in the voice of Central Government! He was not in the city for about 8 days,&quot; she said in a statement.

&quot;Before making statements, all details should have been checked. It is very unfortunate&quot;, she said.

The presence of army personnel at toll plazas had triggered a row with Banerjee questioning if it was an &quot;army coup&quot;, drawing a stinging condemnation from the government which said the remark showed her &quot;political frustration&quot;.

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Mamata dubbed his statement that one should 'not defame the army' as 'unfortunate' & that he was 'speaking in the government's voice'

The governor of the Indian state of West Bengal today virtually disapproved of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's protest on the deployment of army at toll plazas in the state, saying "one should be careful while making allegations against a responsible organisation like the army". Keshri Nath Tripathi said, "Don't let down the Army. Don't defame the Army," commenting on Trinamool Congress legislators action. The party had staged a protest outside the state secretariat, saying the exercise was not in coordination with the state police as claimed by the Army. In response to the governor's statement, Mamata Banerjee said he was speaking in the "voice of the central government". "The Governor is speaking in the voice of Central Government! He was not in the city for about 8 days," she said in a statement. "Before making statements, all details should have been checked. It is very unfortunate", she said. The presence of army personnel at toll plazas had triggered a row with Banerjee questioning if it was an "army coup", drawing a stinging condemnation from the government which said the remark showed her "political frustration". (WION with inputs from PTI)

Don't let down Indian Army: Bengal governor tells chief minister

Yoga guru Ramdev today stepped forward in defence of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. He said Banerjee is not against the move to demonetise Rupees&nbsp;500 and Rupees 1,000 notes, but is protesting against the way it is being implemented.

&quot;I praise Mamata Banerjee because she is very simple and stays in a cottage and wears hawai (rubber) chappals. I think she is not opposed to the demonetisation move as such. But I feel she is not happy about the way it is implemented,&quot; Ramdev said at the Infocom seminar in Kolkata.

Banerjee has been the most vocal critic of the demonetisation move among opposition leaders and held protest meetings in Delhi, Patna and Lucknow.

The Yoga guru-cum-entrepreneur said, &quot;I had planted the seeds of demonetisation. I continued the movement from 2009 to 2014 and asked the government to withdraw Rupees 500 and Rupees 1,000 notes as it was the root cause of corruption, black money, terror and militant funding&quot;.

He claimed that the black money generation, corruption and terror funding has stopped totally after demonetisation.

&quot;The common people are getting inconvenienced due to cash crisis. But none is complaining against this,&quot; he said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the move, Ramdev said former PM Manmohan Singh, who had never spoken a word on any issue, had actually spoken now on the issue.

&quot;This is the effect of demonetisation you see,&quot; he remarked.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The Bengal chief minister has been the most vocal among opposition leaders against the government's recent demonetisation move

Yoga guru Ramdev today stepped forward in defence of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. He said Banerjee is not against the move to demonetise Rupees 500 and Rupees 1,000 notes, but is protesting against the way it is being implemented. "I praise Mamata Banerjee because she is very simple and stays in a cottage and wears hawai (rubber) chappals. I think she is not opposed to the demonetisation move as such. But I feel she is not happy about the way it is implemented," Ramdev said at the Infocom seminar in Kolkata. Banerjee has been the most vocal critic of the demonetisation move among opposition leaders and held protest meetings in Delhi, Patna and Lucknow. The Yoga guru-cum-entrepreneur said, "I had planted the seeds of demonetisation. I continued the movement from 2009 to 2014 and asked the government to withdraw Rupees 500 and Rupees 1,000 notes as it was the root cause of corruption, black money, terror and militant funding". He claimed that the black money generation, corruption and terror funding has stopped totally after demonetisation. "The common people are getting inconvenienced due to cash crisis. But none is complaining against this," he said. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the move, Ramdev said former PM Manmohan Singh, who had never spoken a word on any issue, had actually spoken now on the issue. "This is the effect of demonetisation you see," he remarked. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: Bengal minister Mamata not against note ban, but its way of implementation, says Yoga guru Ramdev

The Indian Army withdrew&nbsp;today from Bengal toll plazas after its 72-hour exercise came to an end.

&quot;As 72-hour exercise got over, we withdrew deployment from Palhit toll plaza and other areas yesterday night,&quot; chief public relations officer (defence) SS Birdi said.

West Bengal&nbsp;chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the army deployment at two toll plazas was made without any prior information to the state government. She also called it a &#39;black day&#39;&nbsp;and said that such a deployment takes place only during disasters.

The army, however, clarified on the issue by releasing a series of letters and said it informed state capital Kolkata&#39;s police. It was a routine exercise that is carried out every few years.

&quot;This is an exercise carried out for operational purposes. They are only collecting data of heavy vehicles&nbsp;which is an annual exercise being carried out every year. Similar exercises are also being carried out in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar from September 26 to October 1 this year,&quot; said Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), (Headquarters), Bengal Area, Major General Sunil Yadav.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress legislators staged a&nbsp;protest outside Raj Bhavan in Bengal, demanding the&nbsp;withdrawal of the army deployed at toll plazas.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is in power&nbsp;at the Centre lashed out at Banerjee for dragging the army into politics and sought an apology from her and her party. BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said, &quot;It&#39;s very unfortunate, the kind of politics Mamata Banerjee has been doing after demonetisation. BJP is of the opinion that the issue of army deployment in Bengal has been politicised.&quot;

(WION with inputs from ANI)

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said army was deployed without informing the state which was 'unprecedented and a serious matter'

The Indian Army withdrew today from Bengal toll plazas after its 72-hour exercise came to an end. "As 72-hour exercise got over, we withdrew deployment from Palhit toll plaza and other areas yesterday night," chief public relations officer (defence) SS Birdi said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the army deployment at two toll plazas was made without any prior information to the state government. She also called it a 'black day' and said that such a deployment takes place only during disasters. The army, however, clarified on the issue by releasing a series of letters and said it informed state capital Kolkata's police. It was a routine exercise that is carried out every few years. "This is an exercise carried out for operational purposes. They are only collecting data of heavy vehicles which is an annual exercise being carried out every year. Similar exercises are also being carried out in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar from September 26 to October 1 this year," said Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), (Headquarters), Bengal Area, Major General Sunil Yadav. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress legislators staged a protest outside Raj Bhavan in Bengal, demanding the withdrawal of the army deployed at toll plazas. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is in power at the Centre lashed out at Banerjee for dragging the army into politics and sought an apology from her and her party. BJP spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said, "It's very unfortunate, the kind of politics Mamata Banerjee has been doing after demonetisation. BJP is of the opinion that the issue of army deployment in Bengal has been politicised." (WION with inputs from ANI)

India: Army withdrawn from Bengal toll plazas after 72-hour exercise

Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has alleged that the Indian Army that its personnel were deployed at toll plazas without informing the state government and were collecting money from vehicles.

&quot;This is unprecedented and a very serious matter,&quot;&nbsp;she said.

The army strongly rebutted to this comment saying that the exercise was being carried out in coordination with the Kolkata police.

&quot;The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata police due to Bharat Bandh called on&nbsp;November 28,&quot; said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Major Gen Sunil Yadav.

However, the TMC in the Rajya Sabha accused that it was being misled by MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre and says that no conclusive answer was being given by the Centre on army deployment.

The officiating GOC Bengal Area reacted to Chief Minister&#39;s allegations by saying, &quot;We deny all charges with all contempt. Allegations of collection of money by Army personnel are also totally baseless.&quot;

Maj Gen Yadav said a similar exercise in Eastern Command was carried out in November 2015 at the same places. The Major Gen also said that a recce was conducted with two inspectors of the Kolkata Police at toll plaza on November 27.

He said, &quot;The issues raised by the police were addressed and were telephonically informed to the police.&quot;

He further added that the exercise will continue as planned earlier and will end tonight.

The army also released letters written to the state government on the exercise. &quot;It is happening in nine states now across 80 locations. We have our specific targets for data collection. After doing the work for 36 hours our work was done and&nbsp; 
we had left the toll plaza near Nabanna,&quot; he said.

Yesterday a defence spokesperson had said that the army conducts biennial exercise throughout the country with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the army in case of a contingency.&nbsp;

Wing Commander SS Birdi of the Indian Air Force said, &quot;There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders.&quot;

He also said that&nbsp;the exercise gives an estimate about the number of vehicles passing through a certain area that could be tapped during operations.

(WION&nbsp;inputs from DNA)

Mamata had yesterday alleged that the army had been deployed without informing the state government

Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has alleged that the Indian Army that its personnel were deployed at toll plazas without informing the state government and were collecting money from vehicles. "This is unprecedented and a very serious matter," she said. The army strongly rebutted to this comment saying that the exercise was being carried out in coordination with the Kolkata police. "The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata police due to Bharat Bandh called on November 28," said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Major Gen Sunil Yadav. However, the TMC in the Rajya Sabha accused that it was being misled by MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre and says that no conclusive answer was being given by the Centre on army deployment. The officiating GOC Bengal Area reacted to Chief Minister's allegations by saying, "We deny all charges with all contempt. Allegations of collection of money by Army personnel are also totally baseless." Maj Gen Yadav said a similar exercise in Eastern Command was carried out in November 2015 at the same places. The Major Gen also said that a recce was conducted with two inspectors of the Kolkata Police at toll plaza on November 27. He said, "The issues raised by the police were addressed and were telephonically informed to the police." He further added that the exercise will continue as planned earlier and will end tonight. The army also released letters written to the state government on the exercise. "It is happening in nine states now across 80 locations. We have our specific targets for data collection. After doing the work for 36 hours our work was done and we had left the toll plaza near Nabanna," he said. Yesterday a defence spokesperson had said that the army conducts biennial exercise throughout the country with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the army in case of a contingency. Wing Commander SS Birdi of the Indian Air Force said, "There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders." He also said that the exercise gives an estimate about the number of vehicles passing through a certain area that could be tapped during operations. (WION inputs from DNA)

Indian Army refutes Mamata Banerjee's charges, says exercise done with Bengal police

Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal, finally left the secretariat office after 36 hours, threatening to take legal action against the government if army deployment was not removed from certain areas across the state.

Her comments that the Narendra Modi-led government was &quot;using force to stifle her voice and was hatching a conspiracy&quot; has further fuelled the controversy.&nbsp;

She had accused the central government of &quot;deploying the Army&quot; along a highway toll plaza at the second Hooghly Bridge, about 500 metres from the secretariat.&nbsp;

Responding to Mamata Banerjee&#39;s ultimatum, wing commander S S Birdi of the eastern command CPRO said &quot;the Army deployment in the state won&#39;t be called off as it is a routine exercise and will continue till midnight today.&quot;

Earlier in the day, the army had rebutted her claims, saying the exercise was being carried out in coordination with the Kolkata police.&nbsp;

&quot;This is being done in coordination with local police authorities. The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata Police due to Bharat Bandh called on November 28,&quot; said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Maj Gen Sunil Yadav.

Leaving after an overnight stay at the state secretariat protesting against the presence of army personnel, Mamata accused the government of making a &quot;wrong and concoted&quot; statement in Parliament.&nbsp;

Her party, Trinamool Congress, asserted that there was no such document proving that her government gave the green signal for the Army deployment.&nbsp;

Banerjee said only Bengal was targetted for raising voice against demonetisation and such an exercise was not done in any other state.

&quot;They are doing whatever they like by force. The people are suffering. They cannot even withdraw their salary. The people&#39;s fight will continue. It cannot be stopped by hatching conspiracy and showing force&quot;, she said.

&quot;Two more persons died today facing hardship to withdraw money&quot;, she said.

Banerjee said that Modi government has failed to bring Rs 50 lakh crore black money stashed abroad.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Leaving secretariat after 36 hours, Banerjee said they will 'legally fight' the government if it did not withdraw the army from the state

Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal, finally left the secretariat office after 36 hours, threatening to take legal action against the government if army deployment was not removed from certain areas across the state. Her comments that the Narendra Modi-led government was "using force to stifle her voice and was hatching a conspiracy" has further fuelled the controversy. She had accused the central government of "deploying the Army" along a highway toll plaza at the second Hooghly Bridge, about 500 metres from the secretariat. Responding to Mamata Banerjee's ultimatum, wing commander S S Birdi of the eastern command CPRO said "the Army deployment in the state won't be called off as it is a routine exercise and will continue till midnight today." Earlier in the day, the army had rebutted her claims, saying the exercise was being carried out in coordination with the Kolkata police. "This is being done in coordination with local police authorities. The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata Police due to Bharat Bandh called on November 28," said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Maj Gen Sunil Yadav. Leaving after an overnight stay at the state secretariat protesting against the presence of army personnel, Mamata accused the government of making a "wrong and concoted" statement in Parliament. Her party, Trinamool Congress, asserted that there was no such document proving that her government gave the green signal for the Army deployment. Banerjee said only Bengal was targetted for raising voice against demonetisation and such an exercise was not done in any other state. "They are doing whatever they like by force. The people are suffering. They cannot even withdraw their salary. The people's fight will continue. It cannot be stopped by hatching conspiracy and showing force", she said. "Two more persons died today facing hardship to withdraw money", she said. Banerjee said that Modi government has failed to bring Rs 50 lakh crore black money stashed abroad. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Bengal chief minister warns 'legal action' over army deployment at toll plazas

Parliament erupted in protests over the deployment of the Indian Army at toll plazas across&nbsp;West Bengal with the state&#39;s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), &nbsp;accusing the federal government of &quot;sinister designs&quot; and the government maintaining that it was a routine exercise conducted in full knowledge of the local authorities.

The row started after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged yesterday that the Army was deployed at the behest of the federal government at 19 toll plazas in the state without taking her government into confidence.&nbsp;

Mamata Banerjee, who is camped at the state secretariat, has refused to budge from there until the army retreats across the West Bengal plazas.&nbsp;&quot;What happened that central government did not deem it necessary to discuss with state government before deploying Army. Army, which is there for the protection of people, is now being used for political purpose. They are now doing political work,&quot; the West Bengal chief minister alleged.

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The ruling party in the state of West Bengal has accused India&#39;s central government of deploying the army in various parts of the state. Calling it similar to a military coup. (WION)
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TMC leaders in both Houses alleged that neither the state government, nor local administration including police were taken into confidence nor was their permission sought before the exercise.

The main opposition Congress also asked the federal government how such an &quot;unprecedented move&quot; to carry out an army exercise was done without taking state government into confidence.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati called the military deployment a deliberate move by the federal government to humiliate Mamata Banerje for protesting the government&#39;s demonetisation policy.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar defended the government in the Lower House, Lok Sabha, terming the deployment a &quot;routine exercise not unique to West Bengal.&quot;&nbsp;

The minister said that a similar exercise was also being conducted in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, &nbsp;Meghlaya and Mizoram and similar operations had already been conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand last month.

The purpose of these exercises was to collect information on heavy vehicle movement that could be used during national emergencies, Parrikar said.

&quot;It is shocking that a Chief Minister is saying this. The Army&#39;s deployment was part of routine exercise which has been going on for several years, which has been going on for last 15-20 years. Even last year it was held on 
November 19 to 21,&quot; Parrikar said.

&quot;It was very unfortunate that army has been dragged into an unnecessary controversy,&quot; he added. &quot;It was political frustration rather than projection of correct situation.&quot;

Parrikar also said that originally the exercise was planned for November 28-30 but was shifted to December 1 and 2 at the request of Kolkata Police as those dates were clashing with the protests against demonetisation.

&quot;Concerned officials were informed in West Bengal. The original date was fixed for November 28 to 30 but due to Bharat Bandh (all-India strike),&nbsp;the local police had advised the army to shift it to December 1 and 2,&quot; he said. &quot;Due to traffic congestion, the exercise is being done with the help of local police.&quot;

Trinamool Congress MLAs also staged protests outside the Governor&#39;s House in Kolkata demanding withdrawal of army from toll plazas.

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Trinamool Congress MLAs stage dharna outside Raj Bhavan demanding withdrawal of army from toll plazas. <a href="https://t.co/3raSWtfiSm">pic.twitter.com/3raSWtfiSm</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/804612603909586949">December 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from agencies) 
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged yesterday that the Army was deployed without taking her government into confidence

Parliament erupted in protests over the deployment of the Indian Army at toll plazas across West Bengal with the state's ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing the federal government of "sinister designs" and the government maintaining that it was a routine exercise conducted in full knowledge of the local authorities. The row started after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged yesterday that the Army was deployed at the behest of the federal government at 19 toll plazas in the state without taking her government into confidence. Mamata Banerjee, who is camped at the state secretariat, has refused to budge from there until the army retreats across the West Bengal plazas. "What happened that central government did not deem it necessary to discuss with state government before deploying Army. Army, which is there for the protection of people, is now being used for political purpose. They are now doing political work," the West Bengal chief minister alleged. The ruling party in the state of West Bengal has accused India's central government of deploying the army in various parts of the state. Calling it similar to a military coup. (WION) × TMC leaders in both Houses alleged that neither the state government, nor local administration including police were taken into confidence nor was their permission sought before the exercise. The main opposition Congress also asked the federal government how such an "unprecedented move" to carry out an army exercise was done without taking state government into confidence. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati called the military deployment a deliberate move by the federal government to humiliate Mamata Banerje for protesting the government's demonetisation policy. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar defended the government in the Lower House, Lok Sabha, terming the deployment a "routine exercise not unique to West Bengal." The minister said that a similar exercise was also being conducted in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghlaya and Mizoram and similar operations had already been conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand last month. The purpose of these exercises was to collect information on heavy vehicle movement that could be used during national emergencies, Parrikar said. "It is shocking that a Chief Minister is saying this. The Army's deployment was part of routine exercise which has been going on for several years, which has been going on for last 15-20 years. Even last year it was held on November 19 to 21," Parrikar said. "It was very unfortunate that army has been dragged into an unnecessary controversy," he added. "It was political frustration rather than projection of correct situation." Parrikar also said that originally the exercise was planned for November 28-30 but was shifted to December 1 and 2 at the request of Kolkata Police as those dates were clashing with the protests against demonetisation. "Concerned officials were informed in West Bengal. The original date was fixed for November 28 to 30 but due to Bharat Bandh (all-India strike), the local police had advised the army to shift it to December 1 and 2," he said. "Due to traffic congestion, the exercise is being done with the help of local police." Trinamool Congress MLAs also staged protests outside the Governor's House in Kolkata demanding withdrawal of army from toll plazas. Trinamool Congress MLAs stage dharna outside Raj Bhavan demanding withdrawal of army from toll plazas. pic.twitter.com/3raSWtfiSm — ANI (@ANI_news) December 2, 2016 × (WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian Parliament adjourned till December 5 after protests over army deployment at toll plazas

Amid allegations that its aircraft carrying Mamata Banerjee was made to hover over Kolkata airport putting at risk passengers&#39; safety, IndiGo today said the plane was delayed due to congestion before making a normal landing yesterday and had adequate fuel.

In a detailed statement, IndiGo said the flight 6E 342 with 174 passengers onboard made a &quot;normal landing&quot; at Kolkata airport and that its captain did not declare a fuel priority or an emergency, though there was some misunderstanding between the Air Traffic Controller and the pilot.

A political row has erupted over Banerjee&#39;s IndiGo flight from Patna to Kolkata being made to wait despite the fact that the plane was reportedly low on fuel with TMC members raising the issue in Parliament today. The party has demanded a probe to find out if there was any conspiracy against the West Bengal Chief Minister.

IndiGo, in the statement, said the fuel on arrival was more than the minimum diversion fuel and there has been no violation of regulatory requirements.

&quot;The flight was kept on hold for landing due to air traffic congestion at Kolkata. The pilot operating 6E 342 had advised the ATC that he has eight minutes of extra holding fuel over Kolkata (destination) before commencing diversion to the planned alternate.

&quot;However, this information was misunderstood by the Air Traffic Controller who assumed that the aircraft had only eight minutes of total fuel left,&quot; it said.

According to IndiGo, the misinterpretation of information by ATC controller, led the ATC to instruct fire engines and ambulances to be stationed at the airport.

&quot;We would like to clarify&quot; - IndiGo captain at no stage declared a fuel priority or an emergency. Subsequently, the airplane made a normal landing at Kolkata airport at 840 PM (delayed by an hour due to congestion).

&quot;The fuel on arrival was more than the minimum diversion fuel. There has been no violation or breech of any regulatory requirement in the above mentioned scenario,&quot; it said.

The government today informed Parliament that aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry into as many as three flights, including the one carrying Banerjee, reporting low fuel at the same time, after TMC and other opposition parties alleged conspiracy and threat to her life.

TMC raised the issue in both Houses of Parliament, alleging that Banerjee&#39;s flight was made to hover over Kolkata airport last evening for about half an hour despite the pilot reporting that the plane was low on fuel.

The government vehemently denied any design saying just when the West Bengal chief minister&#39;s Patna-Kolkata IndiGo flight reported low on fuel, two other flights of Air India and SpiceJet also called in with the same problem.

Banerjee&#39;s flight hovered over Kolkata airport for only 13 minutes and it was ensured that the aircraft landed in a safe and orderly manner, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were informed by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and MoS Jayant Sinha respectively.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry to find out how three flights at the same time could fly low on fuel into Kolkata when the norms mandate them to carry enough fuel to enable hovering for 30-40 minutes as well as to carry it to the nearest diversion airport, which in this case was Bhubaneshwar, they said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said in Lok Sabha the DGCA report will be tabled in the House.

IndiGo, in its statement, said it has responded to the queries made by the regulator. 
 
(PTI)

Mamata Banerjee's party has demanded a probe to find out if there was any conspiracy against her

Amid allegations that its aircraft carrying Mamata Banerjee was made to hover over Kolkata airport putting at risk passengers' safety, IndiGo today said the plane was delayed due to congestion before making a normal landing yesterday and had adequate fuel. In a detailed statement, IndiGo said the flight 6E 342 with 174 passengers onboard made a "normal landing" at Kolkata airport and that its captain did not declare a fuel priority or an emergency, though there was some misunderstanding between the Air Traffic Controller and the pilot. A political row has erupted over Banerjee's IndiGo flight from Patna to Kolkata being made to wait despite the fact that the plane was reportedly low on fuel with TMC members raising the issue in Parliament today. The party has demanded a probe to find out if there was any conspiracy against the West Bengal Chief Minister. IndiGo, in the statement, said the fuel on arrival was more than the minimum diversion fuel and there has been no violation of regulatory requirements. "The flight was kept on hold for landing due to air traffic congestion at Kolkata. The pilot operating 6E 342 had advised the ATC that he has eight minutes of extra holding fuel over Kolkata (destination) before commencing diversion to the planned alternate. "However, this information was misunderstood by the Air Traffic Controller who assumed that the aircraft had only eight minutes of total fuel left," it said. According to IndiGo, the misinterpretation of information by ATC controller, led the ATC to instruct fire engines and ambulances to be stationed at the airport. "We would like to clarify" - IndiGo captain at no stage declared a fuel priority or an emergency. Subsequently, the airplane made a normal landing at Kolkata airport at 840 PM (delayed by an hour due to congestion). "The fuel on arrival was more than the minimum diversion fuel. There has been no violation or breech of any regulatory requirement in the above mentioned scenario," it said. The government today informed Parliament that aviation regulator DGCA has ordered an inquiry into as many as three flights, including the one carrying Banerjee, reporting low fuel at the same time, after TMC and other opposition parties alleged conspiracy and threat to her life. TMC raised the issue in both Houses of Parliament, alleging that Banerjee's flight was made to hover over Kolkata airport last evening for about half an hour despite the pilot reporting that the plane was low on fuel. The government vehemently denied any design saying just when the West Bengal chief minister's Patna-Kolkata IndiGo flight reported low on fuel, two other flights of Air India and SpiceJet also called in with the same problem. Banerjee's flight hovered over Kolkata airport for only 13 minutes and it was ensured that the aircraft landed in a safe and orderly manner, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were informed by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and MoS Jayant Sinha respectively. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry to find out how three flights at the same time could fly low on fuel into Kolkata when the norms mandate them to carry enough fuel to enable hovering for 30-40 minutes as well as to carry it to the nearest diversion airport, which in this case was Bhubaneshwar, they said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said in Lok Sabha the DGCA report will be tabled in the House. IndiGo, in its statement, said it has responded to the queries made by the regulator. (PTI)

Bengal chief minister flight landing row: IndiGo clarifies plane had adequate fuel

The chief minister of India&#39;s eastern state of West Bengal has announced that she will stay at the Nabanna building which houses the state secretariat until the army withdraws from the two toll plazas in the state.

On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee said that in an &quot;unprecedented and a serious matter&quot; the army had been deployed at two toll plazas on the national highway at Palsit and Dankuni towns without informing the state government.

&quot;This is a very serious situation worse than Emergency,&quot; she told reporters at the state secretariat.

&quot;Very unfortunate. Army stationed in front of Nabanna, the Bengal State Secretariat in a high security zone, inspite of police objection. I am waiting here at the Secretariat and watching, to guard our democracy,&quot; she further announced at a media briefing held at 10 pm local time on Thursday.

&quot;Is this a military coup? I gathered information whether such exercises were held in Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala. I was told that no such exercises have taken place in their states,&quot; added Banerjee.

The Army Eastern Command Headquarters have, however, issued a statement saying that it a routine process aimed at getting statistical data about load carriers.

&ldquo;The army conducts annual exercise throughout the county with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the Army in case of a contingency. For this purpose vehicles are spotted to get basic parameters like make load capacity. The vehicle is then marked so that the next checkpoint knows that the vehicle had already been checked for the parameters. There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders,&rdquo; read the statement, adding, &ldquo;This gives an estimate about the number of vehicles that are passing a certain area that could be tapped during operations.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Sources in the Army informed that today was the second day of the three-day long annual exercise. Some more figures of the load carriers will be noted across different toll plazas tomorrow.&nbsp;

Army officials are now stationed at the Vidyasagar Setu Toll Plaza, which is adjacent to the state secretariat, gathering data on load carriers.

&ldquo;This is not a deployment. This exercise is taking place under the laid down rules of the Central Government. The police and the administration are kept in the loop. There is nothing to get alarmed about,&rdquo; said wing commander SS Birdi.

Banerjee claimed that the people were panicking due to military presence at toll plazas.

&quot;It is an attack on the federal structure. We want to know the details. The Chief Secretary is writing to the Centre. Given an opportunity I will talk to the President on the issue. Has Emergency been imposed in the country without declaration?&quot; she said.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Army has issued a statement that the process is part of a routine exercise aimed at getting data about load carriers

The chief minister of India's eastern state of West Bengal has announced that she will stay at the Nabanna building which houses the state secretariat until the army withdraws from the two toll plazas in the state. On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee said that in an "unprecedented and a serious matter" the army had been deployed at two toll plazas on the national highway at Palsit and Dankuni towns without informing the state government. "This is a very serious situation worse than Emergency," she told reporters at the state secretariat. "Very unfortunate. Army stationed in front of Nabanna, the Bengal State Secretariat in a high security zone, inspite of police objection. I am waiting here at the Secretariat and watching, to guard our democracy," she further announced at a media briefing held at 10 pm local time on Thursday. "Is this a military coup? I gathered information whether such exercises were held in Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala. I was told that no such exercises have taken place in their states," added Banerjee. The Army Eastern Command Headquarters have, however, issued a statement saying that it a routine process aimed at getting statistical data about load carriers. “The army conducts annual exercise throughout the county with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the Army in case of a contingency. For this purpose vehicles are spotted to get basic parameters like make load capacity. The vehicle is then marked so that the next checkpoint knows that the vehicle had already been checked for the parameters. There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders,” read the statement, adding, “This gives an estimate about the number of vehicles that are passing a certain area that could be tapped during operations.” Sources in the Army informed that today was the second day of the three-day long annual exercise. Some more figures of the load carriers will be noted across different toll plazas tomorrow. Army officials are now stationed at the Vidyasagar Setu Toll Plaza, which is adjacent to the state secretariat, gathering data on load carriers. “This is not a deployment. This exercise is taking place under the laid down rules of the Central Government. The police and the administration are kept in the loop. There is nothing to get alarmed about,” said wing commander SS Birdi. Banerjee claimed that the people were panicking due to military presence at toll plazas. "It is an attack on the federal structure. We want to know the details. The Chief Secretary is writing to the Centre. Given an opportunity I will talk to the President on the issue. Has Emergency been imposed in the country without declaration?" she said. (With inputs from PTI)

India: Mamata Banerjee refuses to leave office until army clears off toll booths

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today threatened to demonstrate outside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s residence against demonetisation, vowing to dislodge him from the seat of power if the scrapping of high-value currency notes is not withdrawn.

&quot;The entire country is suffering. There is no money in banks, ATMS. So far 80 people have died due to the hardships caused by demonetisation. But Narendra Modi is having a sound sleep and giving lectures on taking the country towards cashless economy,&quot; she told a rally in Kolkata.

&quot;Most of the people in rural areas do not have bank accounts. How will they cope up with this situation?&quot; Banerjee said after her protest march from College Square to Esplanade.

Continuing her tirade against Modi, Banerjee said she would fight till the end against the &quot;anti-people&quot; decision which has imposed an &quot;undeclared financial emergency&quot; in the country.

&quot;I will not stop until and unless this decision is rolled back. I had also given solutions on how to cope with this situation. But they (Centre) did not accept it.

&quot;Whoever opposes him, he will send CBI, ED, Income Tax after them to muzzle their voices. But he can&#39;t muzzle my voice. I will again go to Delhi and raise my voice, take out protest march and if needed I will demonstrate in front of Modi&#39;s house...I will not stop until and unless he is out of power,&quot; Banerjee said.

The TMC supremo along with Trinamool Congress leaders and activists led a massive rally in the heart of Kolkata.

She lauded intellectuals for playing a vital role in protesting against the &quot;anti-people&quot; decision.

Banerjee herself raised slogans like &quot;Modi sarkar hai hai&quot; and &quot;Tanashahi nahi chalegi&quot;.&nbsp;

She is also scheduled to address a meeting in Lucknow on November 29 and in Patna the next day.

&quot;Although I don&#39;t have enough strength in Lucknow but I believe common people are with me,&quot; Banerjee&nbsp;said.

&quot;The Prime Minister is threatening other parties who are raising their voice on demonetisation. What more can you do apart from throwing us in jails? There should be a plan of action on demonetisation.&quot;

&quot;What will people eat if they don&#39;t have money? Will they eat debit cards or mobiles?&quot; the TMC chief said.

Banerjee also advised the Left parties, who have called a 12-hour statewide strike on the issue, to refrain from calling strikes as it creates an adverse impact on the economy.

&quot;Why are you calling strikes? If you want to protest why don&#39;t you hit the streets and give slogans against the Modi government? Strikes and bandhs don&#39;t serve any purpose,&quot; she added.

(PTI)

'I will not stop until and unless this decision is rolled back,' Banerjee said at a massive rally in the heart of Kolkata

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today threatened to demonstrate outside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence against demonetisation, vowing to dislodge him from the seat of power if the scrapping of high-value currency notes is not withdrawn. "The entire country is suffering. There is no money in banks, ATMS. So far 80 people have died due to the hardships caused by demonetisation. But Narendra Modi is having a sound sleep and giving lectures on taking the country towards cashless economy," she told a rally in Kolkata. "Most of the people in rural areas do not have bank accounts. How will they cope up with this situation?" Banerjee said after her protest march from College Square to Esplanade. Continuing her tirade against Modi, Banerjee said she would fight till the end against the "anti-people" decision which has imposed an "undeclared financial emergency" in the country. "I will not stop until and unless this decision is rolled back. I had also given solutions on how to cope with this situation. But they (Centre) did not accept it. "Whoever opposes him, he will send CBI, ED, Income Tax after them to muzzle their voices. But he can't muzzle my voice. I will again go to Delhi and raise my voice, take out protest march and if needed I will demonstrate in front of Modi's house...I will not stop until and unless he is out of power," Banerjee said. The TMC supremo along with Trinamool Congress leaders and activists led a massive rally in the heart of Kolkata. She lauded intellectuals for playing a vital role in protesting against the "anti-people" decision. Banerjee herself raised slogans like "Modi sarkar hai hai" and "Tanashahi nahi chalegi". She is also scheduled to address a meeting in Lucknow on November 29 and in Patna the next day. "Although I don't have enough strength in Lucknow but I believe common people are with me," Banerjee said. "The Prime Minister is threatening other parties who are raising their voice on demonetisation. What more can you do apart from throwing us in jails? There should be a plan of action on demonetisation." "What will people eat if they don't have money? Will they eat debit cards or mobiles?" the TMC chief said. Banerjee also advised the Left parties, who have called a 12-hour statewide strike on the issue, to refrain from calling strikes as it creates an adverse impact on the economy. "Why are you calling strikes? If you want to protest why don't you hit the streets and give slogans against the Modi government? Strikes and bandhs don't serve any purpose," she added. (PTI)

Demonetisation: Mamata Banerjee threatens to demonstrate outside PM Modi's residence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said political leaders behind multi-crore chit fund scams were attacking him after being hit hard by demonetisation. His&nbsp;remarks were seen as a&nbsp;sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee&nbsp;who had been rallying political leaders against the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes.&nbsp;

Mamata Banerjee retorted on Twitter that the PM was accusing those who opposed his policies of corruption.

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Pradhan Mantri ji, you are equating corruption with anyone who opposes your policy. Are you the only magician? (1/2)
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/800333920243884033">November 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Listen to the voice of the people . Feel their pain. People will not forgive you for this. They are suffering (2/2)
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/800333995032489985">November 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In barbs aimed apparently at Banerjee, Modi had said, &quot;I know what sort of people are raising their voice against me? Does the country not know whose money was invested in chit fund business? Lakhs and crores of poor people invested money in chit funds. But with the blessings of politicians, crores and crores of rupees have vanished.

&quot;Due to chit fund loss, hundreds of head of families were forced to commit suicide. Look at history and they are questioning me,&quot; he added.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been implicated in chit fund scams in West Bengal.&nbsp;

He also hit out at the Congress saying governments in the past 70 years kept quiet on blackmoney because they were worried about losing power.

Modi said people would be inconvenienced only for 50 days by the government&#39;s decision&nbsp;following which the situation would normalise. &quot;I assure you your sacrifices will not go in vain,&quot; the Indian PM said.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Modi's remarks are thought to be directed at West Best Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee whose party was reportedly involved in the scam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said political leaders behind multi-crore chit fund scams were attacking him after being hit hard by demonetisation. His remarks were seen as a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had been rallying political leaders against the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes. Mamata Banerjee retorted on Twitter that the PM was accusing those who opposed his policies of corruption. Pradhan Mantri ji, you are equating corruption with anyone who opposes your policy. Are you the only magician? (1/2) — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2016 × Listen to the voice of the people . Feel their pain. People will not forgive you for this. They are suffering (2/2) — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2016 × In barbs aimed apparently at Banerjee, Modi had said, "I know what sort of people are raising their voice against me? Does the country not know whose money was invested in chit fund business? Lakhs and crores of poor people invested money in chit funds. But with the blessings of politicians, crores and crores of rupees have vanished. "Due to chit fund loss, hundreds of head of families were forced to commit suicide. Look at history and they are questioning me," he added. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been implicated in chit fund scams in West Bengal. He also hit out at the Congress saying governments in the past 70 years kept quiet on blackmoney because they were worried about losing power. Modi said people would be inconvenienced only for 50 days by the government's decision following which the situation would normalise. "I assure you your sacrifices will not go in vain," the Indian PM said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Demonetisation: Doesn't the country know whose money was invested in chit funds? PM Modi hits back at Mamata Banerjee

After two chief ministers threatened to hold protest and demanded the roll back of demonetisation, Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley dug his heels, slamming the two for spreading &quot;unnecessary panic&quot;.

Jaitley ruled out the roll back of the decision to scrap RS 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from the Indian economy. He expressed confidence in the move, saying the high value notes was &quot;very well planned&quot;.&nbsp;

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today held a protest in the capital in front of the Rserve Bank of India and gave the government a three-day ultimatum to roll back the decision.&nbsp;

Defending the government&#39;s move to fight the menace of black money, Jaitley said he expected every responsible citizen, political party, state governments to support the huge effort as it will only benefit the economy in the long run.&nbsp;

He added that the greatest beneficiaries of the move will be the people who will have greater access to banking, taxation quantum, and more banking support in terms of trade.&nbsp;

&quot;Now unnecessary panic is being spread particularly by some individuals and I didn&#39;t expect chief ministers of one or two states to join in this effort,&quot; Jaitley told ANI.

The government questioned the &quot;vested interest&quot; of the opposition parties in the Parliament. Jaitley said the opposition had developed &quot;cold feet&quot; to debate the issue of demonetisation and criticised Congress leaders for making irresponsible comments.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Dismissing the possibility of a roll back, Jaitley questioned the intent of the ministers in opposing govt's effort to root out black money

After two chief ministers threatened to hold protest and demanded the roll back of demonetisation, Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley dug his heels, slamming the two for spreading "unnecessary panic". Jaitley ruled out the roll back of the decision to scrap RS 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from the Indian economy. He expressed confidence in the move, saying the high value notes was "very well planned". Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today held a protest in the capital in front of the Rserve Bank of India and gave the government a three-day ultimatum to roll back the decision. Defending the government's move to fight the menace of black money, Jaitley said he expected every responsible citizen, political party, state governments to support the huge effort as it will only benefit the economy in the long run. He added that the greatest beneficiaries of the move will be the people who will have greater access to banking, taxation quantum, and more banking support in terms of trade. "Now unnecessary panic is being spread particularly by some individuals and I didn't expect chief ministers of one or two states to join in this effort," Jaitley told ANI. The government questioned the "vested interest" of the opposition parties in the Parliament. Jaitley said the opposition had developed "cold feet" to debate the issue of demonetisation and criticised Congress leaders for making irresponsible comments. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Chief ministers spreading unnecessary panic over demonetisation, says Indian finance minister

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