SC verdict proves opposition joined hands to malign Bengal: Mamata
Kolkata, Aug 24 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday termed the Supreme Court verdict on the recently held state panchayat polls as "a victory of democracy" and claimed the joint efforts of BJP, CPI-M and Congress to malign Bengal over the issue of uncontested seats during the election, have fallen flat.
In a boost to ruling Trinamool Congress, the Supreme Court on Friday permitted the notification of the results of 20,159 uncontested seats in the Panchayat polls and also ruled that there was no provision for the filing of e-nomination in the West Bengal Elections Act 2003.
The apex court, however, permitted the aggrieved candidates who could not file their nomination papers in the seats that went uncontested, to move the election tribunal within 30 days.
"This is a victory of democracy. The CPI-M, Congress and BJP worked together during the Panchayat elections to humiliate Bengal. The trio resorted to falsehood, propaganda and conspiracy to malign our state. The verdict given by the Supreme Court today is a proof of that," Banerjee told the reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna.
Trinamool Congress supremo accused the CPI-M and Congress of working together with the BJP in Bengal in spreading falsehood, propaganda and conspiracy against her government here, even as the opposition parties at the centre are working together to form an alliance against the saffron outfit.
"We are trying to form an allied opposition (against the BJP) in Delhi. But in Bengal CPI-M, Congress and BJP are working together. They tried to malign us over the number of uncontested seats during the Panchayat polls. But there were many rural body elections across the country that had more number of uncontested seats," she claimed.
"In states like Arunachal and Sikkim, close to 80 gram Panchayat seats were uncontested in previous elections. Even in Uttrar Pradesh, 67 per cent seats were uncontested. There were uncontested seats during panchayat elections in Rajasthan, Uttrakhand, Madhya Pradesh. But some people tried to humiliate Bengal without looking at these data," she alleged.
Earlier in the day Trinamool leader and state Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee termed the apex court verdict as a slap in the face of the opposition parties who wanted re-election in the uncontested seats.
"It is not just a defeat for them (opposition parties) but is a tight slap on their faces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have criticised the Panchayat election results in Bengal many times during the rallies here. After the apex court's verdict today, they should apologise to the people," he said.
The BJP accepted the apex court verdict and vowed to take on the Trinamool democratically, saying people would have the last word.
"We accept the Suprme Court verdict. We'll fight against the Trinamool through democratic means. We will take them on in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The people of the state will have the last word," said state BJP president Dilip Ghosh.
However, Left Front spearhead CPI-M claimed the Supreme Court verdict was "not at all" a victory for the Trinamool Congress but proved that the panchayat election process lacked transparency.
"This is not Trinamool's Victory. It has given 30 days' time to file election petitions. This makes it clear that the election process was not transparent," he said.
"The BJP central leadership is always keen to ensure the Trinamool does not land in a soup," he added, complaining of an nexus between the two parties.
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Nehru papers: Govt slams Sonia Gandhi, says such records belong in public archives
New Delhi (PTI) The government on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for keeping "51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers" and sought their return to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) so that scholars and Parliament can access the crucial historical records of 'Nehruvian' times, asserting that these documents "belong in public archives, not behind closed doors".
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a post on X, also sought to clarify the Centre's written response in Parliament on December 15, and said, since the location of these papers is known, they are "not missing".
The clarification comes a day after Congress took a swipe at the Centre over its response in Lok Sabha to a query on documents related to the first prime minister.
"No documents related to India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, have been found missing from the museum during the annual inspection of the PMML in the year 2025," Shekhawat had told Parliament in a written response to the query by BJP MP Sambit Patra.
After Nehru's death, the Teen Murti Bhawan in central Delhi became the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), housing a rich collection of books and rare records. The NMML was renamed Prime Ministers' Museum and Library in 2023.
The Nehru papers have been a contentious issue between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress, and a section within the PMML has been pushing for "reclaiming" these papers, which were taken back by Sonia Gandhi several years ago.
Shekhawat, in his post on X, said Nehru papers are "not 'missing' from PMML". He added that the word 'missing' entails that the "whereabouts are unknown".
"In reality, 51 cartons of Jawaharlal Nehru papers were formally taken back by the family in 2008 from the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (then NMML). Their location is known. Hence, they are 'not missing'," the Union minister said.
These papers were "handed over officially in 2008, on request", with records and catalogues maintained by PMML, he said.
Shekhawat said that scholars, researchers, students and citizens "have a right to access original documentary sources to arrive at a truthful and balanced understanding" of Jawaharlal Nehru's life and times.
"On one hand, we are being asked not to debate the blunders of that era. On the other, primary source material that could enable informed debate is kept out of public access.
"This contradiction cannot be ignored. This is no ordinary matter. History cannot be curated selectively. Transparency is the foundation of democracy and archival openness is its moral obligation which Mrs Gandhi and the 'family' need to uphold," he argued.
Shekhawat, in his long post, further wrote, "What does require an answer is this: Why have these papers not been returned despite multiple reminders from PMML including the recent reminders in January and July 2025? The nation deserves clarity."
"I respectfully ask Sonia Gandhi ji to explain to the country: What is being withheld? What is being hidden? The excuses being given by Smt Sonia Gandhi for not returning these papers are not tenable. The point is that why are important historical documents still outside the public archive?
"These are not private family papers. They relate to the first Prime Minister of India and form part of our national historical record. Such papers belong in public archives, not behind closed doors," Shekhawat argued in his post.
He also responded on X on Wednesday to a post a day ago by Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh who wrote, "The truth was finally revealed in the Lok Sabha yesterday. Will there be an apology forthcoming?"
Shekhawat said, "The truth placed before the Lok Sabha is clear and on record."
"The Nehru Papers were taken out in 2008, during the UPA period, when public institutions were often treated as family preserves. Smt. Sonia Gandhi herself has acknowledged in writing that these papers are with her and promised to 'co-operate' on the matter," he said.
"In fact it would be more appropriate for you to urge Sonia Gandhi to honour her commitment and return these papers to PMML so that scholars, citizens, and the Parliament can access these crucial historical records and the truth of 'Nehruvian' times can be examined objectively," he said.
PMML Society, the key decision-making body of the PMML, is helmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its president, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the vice-president.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Culture, in a series of posts, said these documents, relating to the first prime minister of India, "form part of the nation's documentary heritage and not a private property".
"Their custody with PMML and access to citizens and scholars for research is vital," it said.
In the first post, it wrote, "On JN papers: Vide letter dated 29.04.2008 Shri M V Rajan, representative of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, requested that Smt. Gandhi wishes to take back all of the private family letters and notes of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru.
"Accordingly, 51 cartons of Nehru Papers were sent to Smt. Sonia Gandhi in 2008."
The PMML has been in "continuous correspondence" with the office of Sonia Gandhi since then for return of these papers including the letters from PMML to her, dated 28-01-2025 and 03-07-2025," it said.
"Therefore, Nehru Papers are not 'missing' from PMML as their whereabouts are known," the ministry said.
