Uproot Trinamool, vote BJP to power for Bengal's development: Amit Shah
Kolkata, Aug 11: BJP President Amit Shah said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone can bring progress in Bengal as he urged the people to uproot the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state.
Addressing a massive rally in central Kolkata's Mayo Road, Shah came down heavily on the West Bengal's ruling party, accusing it of being involved in a series of corruption cases, besides destroying the law and order situation in the state.
Shah said the BJP is the only alternative
"Ever since the Trinamool Congress government came to power in Bengal -- seven years ago, there has been a series of corruption (cases) starting from the Narada scandal, Saradha and Rose Valley ponzi scams ... syndicates and the unlawful activities of cattle mafias and coal mafias.
"In order to free Bengal from the grasp of this corruption, it is necessary to bring the Narendra Modi-led BJP in power here.
"It is not just a question of 'Paribartan' (change) this time. I ask all of you to uproot this Trinamool Congress government and throw it away," the BJP chief thundered.
Pointing out that the Congress, Left front and Trinamool were all given a chance to run the state, Shah urged people of West Bengal to now give a chance to the BJP as he promised to bring back Bengal's glorious past.
"Trinamool Congress, Communists and Congress cannot bring prosperity in Bengal. They were given opportunities by the people but they failed. Give one chance to Narendra Modi, he will bring development in Bengal," Shah said.
"Even if the Congress and the Trinamool come together in the state, it would be of no avail".
Pointing out that the BJP is in power in 19 states, Shah claimed his party's journey would not be complete unless it won West Bengal -- the land of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
He also claimed there has been a total collapse of the law and order in the state under the current regime.
"Bengal is filled with the sound of bombs and bullets. Everyday we get to hear about the unearthing of illegal bomb factories, gun factories.
"The number of illegal arms factories are increasing day-by-day under this Trinamool Congress government. Bengal has broken all records in terms of crime and corruption," he said.
On the issue of graft, Shah made a veiled attack on Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee -- Trinamool MP and widely regarded as her prospective successor.
"During the 14th Finance Commission, the Narendra Modi government allotted Rs 3,59,000 crore to Bengal as compared to Rs 1.32,000 crore given by the UPA government during the previous Finance Commission. Where did all the money go? Did it disappear in the pockets of syndicates and the nephew?" Shah asked.
Referring to Banerjee's meetings with the UPA leaders, Shah alleged she has a nexus with them.
"Mamata goes to meet the UPA leaders many times. She differs from them at times but also supports them on many issues. They are actually together," he claimed.
He also urged the people of Bengal to ensure the BJP wins 22-plus Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in 2019.
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78 dead at abandoned South Africa gold mine that was scene of standoff
South African police announce sudden end of mine rescue operation
Stilfontein (South Africa), Jan 15 (AP): South African police said on Wednesday they have ended a rescue operation at an abandoned gold mine where scores of illegal miners were trapped and believe they rescued all the survivors and retrieved all the bodies of those who died.
The announcement was a surprise and came just a day after the police minister said the rescue operation would likely last until at least next week. Police said that 78 bodies had been recovered from the gold mine since the rescue operation began on Monday and more than 240 survivors had been rescued.
Police made the announcement at a news conference at the mine. They said rescuers would do a final sweep of the mine on Thursday to ensure no more survivors or bodies were underground.
Rescuers and volunteers have pulled at least 78 dead miners and more than 160 survivors from an abandoned South African gold mine, where they languished for months during a standoff with authorities who demanded they surrender to police because they were mining illegally.
Hundreds are still believed to be trapped Wednesday and the death toll is expected to rise in a disaster that has focused criticism on the South African government's decision to try to “smoke them out” by cutting off food and other supplies for a time.
Civic groups claim authorities also removed the ropes and pulley systems that the miners used to enter at least one shaft and send down supplies.
The groups say the government's weekslong refusal to stage a rescue effectively left scores of miners to die of starvation or dehydration. A rescue is now underway — after a court order — but only a few miners can be pulled up at a time, and the operation could take 10 days.
South African authorities have argued that the miners were able to exit through another shaft at Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, one of the deepest in the mineral-rich country.
But activists said that would involve a dangerous trek underground, and many became too weak or ill after months underground with little food and water. Civic groups representing the miners say at least 100 have died. Police contend some miners refused to come out.
South Africa's second biggest political party, which is part of a government coalition, called for an independent inquiry to find out “why the situation was allowed to get so badly out of hand”.
Authorities ordered to launch a rescue operation
In response to a request by a relative of one of the miners, a court last week ordered a rescue operation, which began on Monday.
A specialist mining rescue company has been dropping a small cage thousands of metres (feet) into the mine to retrieve survivors and bodies. But no personnel from the company entered the shaft because they considered it too dangerous — instead community volunteers headed down in the cage to help the miners out.
Police first tried to force the miners out of the closed mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, in November by cutting off their supplies. The move, part of a larger crackdown on illegal mining, began a standoff between authorities and the miners and members of the community.
A court ruled that authorities had to allow supplies in — but civic groups argue that officials needed to do more at that point because even without police interference the miners weren't able to get enough food and water into the mine and the situation was becoming dire.
The mine is 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) deep with multiple shafts, many levels and a maze of tunnels. A group representing the miners said there are numerous groups in various parts of the mine and estimated that more than 500 miners were underground when the rescue started.
It's unclear exactly how long they've been underground, but relatives say some of them have been there since July.
A rising death toll
Police said Wednesday that 78 bodies have been recovered so far, and 166 survivors brought out since the official rescue operation began. A community group says another nine bodies were recovered on Friday and an unconfirmed number in the previous weeks after members of the community attempted to rescue miners themselves.
The official rescue is now proceeding slowly because only a few people can fit in the cage at a time and because the shaft is so deep.
Authorities have argued that the miners could have exited if they wanted to — and police say more than 1,000 did before the rescue operation. Police say they have arrested everyone who has surfaced both before and after the rescue operation.
They will face charges of illegal mining and trespassing. Authorities seized gold, explosives, firearms and more than $2 million in cash from the miners.
Video from underground
One of the civic groups representing the miners released two videos over the weekend showing what it said were the dire conditions underground. The videos were on a cellphone carried out of the mine by one of the miners, the group said, along with a note urging people to watch them.
In them, dozens of what appear to be dead bodies can be seen lined up in a darkened cavern and wrapped in plastic. They also show shirtless, emaciated-looking miners while the man filming says they are dying and begs for authorities to send them food and get them out.
Smoke them out' tactics
Authorities are particularly under fire for their tactics last year, when they cut off food and other supplies to the miners underground for a period of time. It was an attempt to “smoke them out”, a South African Cabinet minister said, adding that authorities would not help the miners because they were “criminals”.
Rights groups have condemned the plan, accusing authorities of contributing to a “massacre” at the mine. South Africa's second largest trade union federation called it “one of the most horrific displays of state willful negligence in recent history”.
But while anger is high in the local community, the tragedy has not stoked a strong reaction across South Africa, where illegal mining is often in the news.
The practice is common at mines that companies have closed because they are no longer profitable, leaving groups of informal miners to enter in a search for leftover deposits. South Africa has an estimated 6,000 abandoned mines.
The South African government has taken a hard-line approach to the groups, which have long been a problem for authorities. They are often armed and part of criminal syndicates, the government says, and many are foreigners who entered South Africa illegally from neighboring countries.
The government says they are robbing South Africa of more than USD 1 billion a year in gold.
Authorities said that more than 1,500 people have been arrested for mining illegally in the Stilfontein area over the last year, with the vast majority of them from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
