Abhishek slams Shah over 'Sonar Bangla' pitch, funds issue; invokes Vidyasagar's legacy
Kolkata (PTI): TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday launched a blistering attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his 'Sonar Bangla' poll pitch, accusing the BJP-led Centre of withholding Rs 2 lakh crore in dues to West Bengal and "disregarding" state's cultural icons.
Addressing the media at Vidyasagar College on the 205th birth anniversary of 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Banerjee criticised Shah for not visiting the college, where the icon's statue was broken during a rally before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, or paying homage to the educationist during his trip to Kolkata.
"First, you should ask Amit Shah - when will you release our funds worth Rs 2 lakh crore that you owe to us? If he says AITC is lying, then ask him to choose any channel of his choice and I will come for a debate with facts and figures," Banerjee told reporters.
The comments came hours after Shah inaugurated the Durga Puja celebrations at Santosh Mitra Square in north Kolkata, where he said he prayed before Goddess Durga for the emergence of a government in Bengal after the next assembly polls that would transform the state into 'Sonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal).
"I have prayed before Maa Durga that after this election, a government should be formed in Bengal that can build Sonar Bangla. Bengal should once again become safe, prosperous, peaceful, abundant and fertile. And we should be able to build the Bengal of Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore that he had envisioned," Shah said at the event.
Countering him, Banerjee said the BJP has failed to replicate its "golden" promises in states where it has been in power.
"He talks about Sonar Bangla, but did they make Sonar Bihar? Were they able to make Sonar Gujarat, Maharashtra, or UP? They are using our funds in all these BJP-ruled states," Banerjee remarked.
The TMC leader used the occasion to remind Shah of the 2019 incident, when Vidyasagar's statue inside the college was vandalised during a BJP rally.
"The broken statue is still kept inside. Do pay your respects when you go in. People of Bengal gave a befitting response to those who tried to impose North Indian culture here and broke Vidyasagar's statue," he said.
Banerjee said he was "deeply saddened" that Shah did not take the time to visit Vidyasagar's house or the college despite being in the vicinity.
"This is why we call them Bangla-Birodhi. Our political battles will continue, but the way they insult Bengal's stalwarts cannot be forgotten," he said.
Taking a swipe at the BJP leadership, Banerjee alleged that they often misrepresent or remain ignorant of Bengal's cultural history.
"They don't know where Rabindranath Tagore was born. They mispronounce Panchanan Barma. They are unaware of the contributions of Vidyasagar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, or Khudiram Bose. We do not need to learn about Bengal's culture from them," he asserted.
He also pointed out that the very festival once questioned by Shah has now earned global recognition.
"The person inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal today is the same person who said five years ago that there are no Durga Pujas in Bengal. Today, that very Durga Puja has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage site. No other festival or celebration from BJP-ruled states has received such recognition," Banerjee said.
Banerjee also invoked a Calcutta High Court order earlier in the day, which set aside the deportation of six persons, including a pregnant woman from Birbhum, calling it an example of how Bengali-speaking people were allegedly targeted under central directives.
"On Vidyasagar's birth anniversary, along with the slap that the High Court has delivered today, they must apologise first to the people of Bengal," he said.
Shah during his speech had also paid tribute to educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his birth anniversary.
Touching upon civic issues, Banerjee defended the state government's handling of heavy rainfall in Kolkata earlier this week.
"If we get 300 mm rainfall in four hours, naturally there will be difficulties. But look at Bengal's resilience. In 48 hours, we have bounced back. Despite such rainfall, how is Shah moving freely from one place to another? If the city was under water, how is he roaming around? This shows that if the government is determined, it can work, and our government has done so," he said.
Asserting that the TMC worked for people's welfare throughout the year, the TMC Lok Sabha leader contrasted its governance model with what he termed as the BJP's "political rhetoric".
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
