Humayun Kabir accuses Mamata of 'purchasing' candidates, faces 'go back' slogans in Naoda
Murshidabad (PTI): Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir on Thursday alleged the ruling Trinamool Congress bribed several of his party candidates to keep them out of the poll fray.
Kabir, who cast his vote during the early hours of polling, was met with protests from Trinamool Congress supporters who raised "go back" slogans when the leader visited a polling booth in Shibnagar village in Murshidabad's Naoda assembly constituency.
The protesters, led by local TMC leaders, surrounded Kabir's vehicle and raised slogans while branding him a "BJP agent". The demonstration sparked tension in the area around the polling station.
Kabir, an MLA from Murshidabad's Bharatpur, who has now formed his own party and is seeking re-election, was suspended from the TMC in December last year after he proposed the construction of a Babri-like mosque.
AJUP activists alleged that members of the ruling party roughed up one of their booth-level presidents at his house.
Central forces deployed at the spot intervened and brought the situation under control, officials said.
Earlier in the day, Kabir accused TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee of indulging in large-scale appeasement of Hindus.
"Mamata Banerjee has purchased 27 of our candidates from various seats across Bengal at prices ranging from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. I started with 142 candidates and am now down to contesting in 115 seats," he alleged.
The AJUP candidate maintained that Banerjee doesn't need the support of Muslim voters of the state since "she has spent enough money in constructing temples and giving grants to Hindu religious leaders to polarise voters".
Asked about the BJP's winning prospects, Kabir said, "Once the results are out on May 4, you will find that Amit Shah is no longer visiting the state."
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds talks with German counterpart to boost ties
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Wednesday to bolster strategic partnership, and the two sides inked an agreement for a defence industrial cooperation roadmap, officials said.
In his remarks, Singh said that the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned, unequivocally, without exception or justification, his comments coming on a day that marked the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack.
He also underlined that in times of global uncertainties, India and Germany have provided much-needed stability and strength to the global economy.
Singh held bilateral talks with Germany's Federal Minister of Defence in Berlin to further bolster the strategic defence partnership with the European nation, the defence ministry said in a statement.
"The two ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, especially in the field of niche technologies. They also reaffirmed the commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership," it said.
Also, the 'Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap' and 'Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Training' were inked and exchanged during the meeting, it said.
He termed his visit to Germany as a symbol of deep friendship, synergy and trust.
In a post on X, Singh said, "Visited TKMS submarine building facility in Kiel, accompanied by the German Defence Minister-Mr. Boris Pistorius. An insightful visit showcasing cutting-edge technologies and advanced naval capabilities, which will be mutually beneficial for cooperation in maritime domain."
The partnership has witnessed "considerable momentum" in defence cooperation over the last few years, especially after Pistorius assumed the office of the defence minister of Germany, the statement said.
Singh brought out that the recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening the collective engagement.
Both ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities and reinforce the enduring Indo-German strategic alignment.
The German defence minister appreciated the institutionalisation of service level staff talks and future bilateral military exercises.
Singh said India is looking forward to the German Air Force's participation in the next edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti which will be held in India in September-October this year.
Earlier, he placed a wreath at Bundeswehr Memorial as a mark of respect. It is the central memorial for the Bundeswehr's personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
India and Germany have completed 25 years of strategic partnership and are commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
"On the bilateral front, the relationship today is truly multi-faceted. Apart from defence, it covers a wide range of areas which include trade and investment, technology and innovation, development cooperation, green energy, higher education, sustainable solutions, culture and people-to-people ties. It demonstrates the depth and expanse as well as the potential & promise of a partnership," the statement said.
