Congress won't be able to win alone, federal front necessary: Mamata
Kolkata, April 24: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Congress alone won't be able to win the 2019 General Elections and urged it to be more flexible in seat sharing with the regional parties so as to confront the BJP in one-on one fights.
Claiming that the idea of a federal front can work if the opposition parties unite on a common minimum agenda, she said the election results would be in their favour if the Front can pit the BJP in one-on-one contests in 80 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats.
"In the current situation, the Congress won't be able to do anything on their own. So it would be better if all the states can come together and form a federal front. All regional parties have their own ideology and compulsion towards their states. The parties can come together through a common minimum agenda," Banerjee said during an interview in News18 Bangla channel.
"Even if we can fight the BJP on a one is to one basis in at least 80 percent of the seats, the result would be very much in our favour," she claimed.
Citing the examples of parties like DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Telegu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, the Trinamool Congress supremo said it would be prudent to let the most powerful regional party contest the elections against BJP while others can provide outside support.
"It is not that only Congress is present all over the country. Andhrea has Telegu Desam, Maharastra has Shiv Sena, West Bengal has Trinamool Congress. It is not necessary that Congress has to fight the election everywhere in the country. Why would they contest everywhere? They have their limitations also..." Banerjee said.
"If some parties decide to give outside support to the federal front or be a part of it they can do so," she added.
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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
