Intellectuals write to Kovind for action against Tripura Governor
Kolkata: Accusing Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy of triggering tension in the state by some of his social media posts, a group of Bengali intellectuals on Friday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind to take constitutional steps against him.
On March 6, Roy said in a tweet: "From the telephone calls I receive, it appears that a concerted and motivated campaign is afoot to spread a canard that murder and mayhem have broken out in Tripura. Nonsense! Even the uprooting of the statue has not precipitated any breach of peace."
In a letter to President, they claimed Roy's comments, particularly after the declaration of assembly elections, triggered tension.
The signatories include Bengali authors Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay, painter Shuvaprasanna, Nabanita Dev Sen, theatre personality Manoj Mitra, singer Kabir Suman, poet Joy Goswami and filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, among others.
"We are passing through a phase when passion is running high. So, any tweet should take into account the prevailing circumstances," writer Mukhopadhyay said.
A controversy erupted after a statue of Communist icon Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine in the northeastern state.
Roy had further said: "Fundamental questions coming up. We removed George V from India Gate, New Delhi, Queen Victoria from in front of her memorial in Kolkata, renamed Aurangzeb Road, all by government fiats. What if the government similarly decides to remove Lenin's statue, rename Lenin Sarani? Any answers?"
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Maharashtra will have third Dy CM, says Sanjay Raut citing Sena rift; Samant hits back
Mumbai, Jan 24 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday took a dig at Shiv Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and claimed a rift in the latter's party, saying Maharashtra will have a third deputy chief minister from the fold.
Talking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the activities behind the scenes were such that the state could have three deputy chief ministers in the future.
Maharashtra currently has Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers.
"No one should take Eknath Shinde seriously. He is a deputy chief minister. He was the chief minister yesterday. He will not be there tomorrow because Maharashtra is getting a third deputy chief minister from the same party. He (Shinde) should think about this," Raut said.
He further alleged that Shinde was serving the "enemies" of Maharashtra, referring to the party's ally BJP.
Raut's remarks have come days after he claimed that Industries Minister Uday Samant could split the Shinde-led Sena, as he has the support of 20 MLAs.
When Shinde was sulking over the denial of the CM post after the state elections in November last year, there were plans to introduce Samant, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed.
Samant, however, denied any difference with party chief Shinde and asserted attempts were being made to create a rift between them.
Samant said some former MLAs of the Sena UBT will join the Shinde-led Sena on February 15.
He said four MLAs and three MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT), five Congress MLAs, and 10 former legislators will join the party, he said.
Hitting back, Raut said Shiv Sena should focus on its cadre rather than poaching leaders from his party.
