1. Mamata Banerjee Ambushes Left Plan, Leaves One RS Seat For Congress
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday used the Rajya Sabha nominations to drive a wedge between Congress and CPM, even as both parties’ state legislative wings were “discussing” the possibility of selecting a common candidate.
Banerjee named four Trinamool leaders for the four Rajya Sabha seats that the party is sure of winning from Bengal. But it was her second decision, to support Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, that may help take care of several of her niggling problems and keep the secular opposition in Bengal divided — and confounded — forever.
This decision, for one, left Bengal CPM in total disarray vis-a-vis its off-and-on relationship with Congress. CPM, which risks becoming a largely one-state party following the recent Tripura defeat, has been having a vexed internal dialogue on the issue, with divisions even within state and district committees over whether to accept the Congress’s hand.
(Source: The Times Of India)
2. Shami Booked For Murder Bid, Rape And Assault
Things are getting hot for India pacer Mohammad Shami, with cops charging him under several sections, including the non-bailable ones of attempt to murder, rape, assault and criminal intimidation.
Officers of Jadavpur police station started a case on the basis of a complaint by the cricketer’s wife, Hasin Jahan, late on Thursday after she brought in allegations of domestic violence and infidelity and lodged a formal complaint with city police commissioner Rajeev Kumar at Lalbazar.
Cops also slapped similar charges on Shami’s mother, Anjuman Ara Begum, sister Sabina Anjum, brother Mohammad Hasib Ahmed and Ahmed’s wife, Shama Parveen, based on the complaint drafted by Jahan’s lawyer. A police picket was posted outside Jahan’s apartment at Katjunagar in Jadavpur by Friday afternoon and Kolkata Police’s detective department took up the case in the evening.
(Source: The Times Of India)
3. Skip The Pricey Cab, Now Take The Night Bus Home
12:15 am, Howrah Station: Uttam Sarkar steps out of the station warily knowing it is too late for him to hire a pre-paid cab. His cell battery has also drained out and he can’t book an app cab. He is resigned to getting fleeced by taxi touts when he spots an air-conditioned bus parked outside the station. It is bound for the airport, near his Dum Dum Gorabazar destination.
12:30 am, Girish Park: Priya Dutta is at her wits’ end trying to explain her location to an app cab driver. She has called him thrice in 10 minutes but there is no sign of the cab. It is then that a Howrah-Airport AC bus comes to a halt in front of her and the mechanised doors open. She cranes her neck to check if there are passengers inside. Seeing that there are, she hops on and cancels the app cab ride to Baguiati.
Kolkata may not yet be the city that never sleeps but its first night bus service may be just the excuse it has been looking for to become one.
(Source: The Times Of India)
4. Clashes Break Out As BJP Goes On Statue ‘Purification’ Spree
Angry with the desecration of a Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s bust at Keoratala on Wednesday, Bengal BJP workers on Friday went on a “purification” spree of the leader’s statues across the state on Friday that led to clashes with rival political parties, which had also got involved in “statue politics”.
BJP supporters started their “suddhikaran” drive with a statue of Mookerjee near Nabanna, which was carried out unopposed.
But a showdown took place between the party workers and rival groups at Serampore’s RMS Maidan, where at least nine people were injured. When BJP members reached the maidan with cans of milk and water, apparently to purify a Mookerjee’s statue there, they found Trinamool members already present with milk and water.
As the BJP group headed for the statue, Trinamool members allegedly blocked their way. They apparently tried to drag the BJP members away that led to a clash in which several people were thrashed.
(Source: The Times Of India)
5. Auto Strike Leaves Commuters Stranded
Hundreds of commuters found themselves stranded between Ultadanga and Baguiati on Friday morning after autorickshaws stopped plying on that route to protest against new permits being allegedly issued by the regional transport office.
According to a Calcutta High Court order, no new permits can be issued for autos within the Calcutta Metropolitan Area."Whether permits have been issued needs to be investigated," said a transport department official.
The auto drivers said they were also protesting "police high handedness" and the increase in the number of "flying autos" that run without valid permits or use forged documents.
The sudden agitation by auto operators affiliated to the Trinamul union forced commuters to board overcrowded buses in peak hours.
(Source: The Telegraph)
6. Question Session In Oyetri Case
The state healthcare regulatory commission has arranged a cross-examination on 20 April between the parents of Oyetri Dey, the toddler who died at AMRI Mukundapur in January within minutes of being administered an injection, and the hospital authorities against whom they have filed a medical negligence case.
The date was fixed on the basis of "mutual consent" during a hearing on Friday.
Oyetri's parents Jayanta and Shampa Dey had appeared before the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Regulatory Commission along with senior hospital officials, including the suspended unit head, Jayanti Chatterjee.
"We want to speak to the nurse who had administered the injection to my daughter before she died. We also have questions for other nurses of the hospital, the resident medical officer and Jayanti Chatterjee," Shampa said.
The case against AMRI Mukundapur was lodged in February.
Jayanta said the hospital authorities, including the unit head, wanted to question him and his wife on Friday. "But we were not prepared and so sought more time. After our submission, the commission fixed 20 April as the date for cross-questioning."
(Source: The Telegraph)
7. VC Search On Fast Track
The search committee for the first vice-chancellor of Biswa Bangla University has three weeks to recommend names for the post.
A notification issued by higher education secretary RS Shukla on 8 March states that the search committee will submit its recommendation "within three weeks from the date of issue of this notification". Shukla acts as secretary to governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who is the chancellor of all state universities.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced setting up of the university at a programme of college and university teachers at Netaji Indoor stadium on 7 January, 2017.
The university is set to come in the Bolpur sub-division of Birbhum. The only other university in the region is Visva-Bharati.
The Biswa Bangla Biswabidyalay Bill was passed in the Assembly in November 2017 along with three other university bills.
(Source: The Telegraph)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)