BJP's arrogance, pride crushed into dust: TMC's Abhishek on LS poll results
Kolkata (PTI): Hailing the Lok Sabha elections as that of "protest, resistance and revenge", senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said the poll results have "crushed BJP's arrogance and pride into dust".
He also accused the saffron party of "abusing central agencies, corrupting the judiciary, gagging the media and manipulating the Election Commission to cling to power".
In a Facebook post late on Friday night after meeting party workers and common people in his Diamond Harbour constituency, from where he was re-elected by a record margin of over 7 lakh votes, the TMC national general secretary said that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will be etched in golden letters in history as 'jonogoner gorjon' (people's roar).
"The 'jonogoner gorjon' (people's roar) will be etched in golden letters in the history. This Lok Sabha election was one of 'protibaad, protirodh and protishodh' (protest, resistance and revenge). BJP's arrogance, pride, and backbone have been crushed into dust," he said.
Although the BJP-led NDA returned to power for a third consecutive term, the saffron party failed to secure a majority on its own, and has to rely on the support of key allies Telugu Desam Party and JD (U) for continuance in power.
On the TMC's performance in West Bengal, where it bagged 29 of the 42 seats, improving its tally by seven seats as compared to the 2019 polls, Banerjee, the de facto number two in the party, said, "Bengal and the country witnessed a new dawn on June 4 (when Lok Sabha poll results were announced)."
He thanked the people of Diamond Harbour for giving him a huge mandate.
"Your support and prayers have bound me in a debt of love, a debt I vow to repay with transformative development," he said.
He also accused the BJP of uprooting the democratic rights of the people.
Banerjee, who has been interrogated by central agencies several times in the past in connection with alleged coal and cattle scams, slammed the Narendra Modi government of "abusing central agencies".
"They abused central agencies, corrupted the judiciary, gagged the media and manipulated the Election Commission to cling to power," he said.
"Heartiest greetings and congratulations to the people of the country, the people of Bengal, and above all, my colleagues and co-workers in the Trinamool Congress. You are the backbone of this victory. Joy Bangla!" Banerjee said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
