Ahead of polls, West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose resigns
Kolkata (PTI): In a sudden move days before the assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be announced, Governor CV Ananda Bose resigned from his chair in New Delhi on Thursday evening.
A "shocked" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Tamil Nadu Governor and ex-deputy NSA, R N Ravi, will hold additional charge of West Bengal following Bose's exit.
Bose, who was appointed Bengal governor on November 17, 2022, told PTI: "Yes, I have resigned. I have been the Governor of Bengal for three-and-a-half years; it's enough for me."
He, however, did not disclose the grounds of his sudden resignation and whether there was any political pressure that may have prompted his decision.
"I have learnt from Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) that RN Ravi will replace CV Ananda Bose as Bengal governor," Banerjee wrote on her social media handle.
Banerjee alleged that there's a likelihood of Bose being forced to resign "under pressure" from Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the assembly elections.
In a post on X, Banerjee said she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the sudden development and claimed that she was not certain of the reasons behind it.
“The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment. However, given the prevailing circumstances, I would not be surprised if the Governor has been subjected to some pressure from the Union Home Minister to serve certain political interests on the eve of the forthcoming state assembly elections,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister further alleged that although Shah informed her about Ravi replacing Bose, she was not consulted in the matter.
“Union Home Minister just informed me that Shri R.N. Ravi is being appointed as Governor of West Bengal. He never consulted with me as per the established convention in this regard,” she said.
Banerjee maintained that such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution and strike at the foundation of the country's federal structure.
“The Centre must respect the principles of cooperative federalism and refrain from taking unilateral decisions that erode democratic conventions and the dignity of states,” she added.
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Trump’s fresh threat to bomb Iran amid reports of deal to end war
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
