Kolkata, Jul 27: Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty, who had joined the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls last year, on Wednesday claimed that 38 TMC MLAs are in touch with the saffron camp.

Of the 38 legislators, 21 are directly in touch with him, he said.

At least 38 TMC MLAs are in touch with the BJP. Out of them, 21 are personally in touch with me. When I was in Mumbai, I read in newspapers one fine morning that the Shiv Sena and the BJP have formed the government in Maharashtra, he said while addressing a press conference here.

The TMC, while reacting to his allegations, said the famed actor is "trying to fool the people by making false claims".

Chakraborty said the BJP is in power in 18 states, and the party's flag will "fly high in a few other states very soon".

The BJP will not stop its fight in West Bengal. If free and fair polls are held in the state today, the party will form the next government, he said.

Such statements are an attempt to fool the masses. It has no relation with reality, TMC MP Santanu Sen said.

The TMC has 216 MLAs in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. The opposition BJP has 75 legislators.

However, five saffron party MLAs have joined the ruling party without resigning as legislators.

In Maharashtra, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress collapsed last month after Eknath Shinde raised a banner of revolt against the Sena leadership with a majority of party MLAs.

Shinde was sworn in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as deputy CM in Mumbai.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi, Nov 14: India on Thursday said it will pursue an extradition request with Canada for Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, following his arrest in that country.

Dalla was designated in India as a terrorist in 2023.

In July 2023, India had requested the Canadian government for his provisional arrest.

"In view of the recent arrest, our agencies will be following up on an extradition request," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"Given Arsh Dalla's criminal record in India and his involvement in similar illegal activities in Canada, it is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India," he added.

Dalla was reportedly arrested by the Canadian Police late last month.

"We have seen media reports circulating since November 10 on the arrest in Canada of proclaimed offender Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force," Jaiswal said.

"Canadian print and visual media have widely reported on the arrest. We understand that the Ontario Court has listed the case for hearing," he added.

Jaiswal was replying to media queries regarding the arrest of Dalla.

"Arsh Dalla is a proclaimed offender in over 50 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and terrorist acts, including terror financing. In May 2022, a Red Corner Notice was issued against him," Jaiswal said.

"He was designated in India as an individual terrorist in 2023. In July 2023, the Government of India had requested the Canadian government for his provisional arrest. This was declined," he added.

Jaiswal said India had provided additional information in the case to the Canadian authorities.

"A separate request was also sent to Canada under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to verify Arsh Dalla's suspected residential address, his financial transactions to India, moveable/immovable properties, details of mobile numbers etc - all of which were provided to Canadian authorities in January 2023," Jaiswal said.

"In December 2023, the Department of Justice of Canada sought additional information on the case. A reply to these queries was sent in March this year," he added.