Maharashtra State Congress Committee President Harshvardhan Sapkal criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his statement about the Jantar Mantar protest describing the protestors as faceless, leaderless and lawless.

Interacting with media persons here on Tuesday, Fadnavis said while many people participating in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) agitation had genuine concerns, many other elements had infiltrated the protests for their own vested interests. “In a democracy, everyone has the right to protest. If a protest is held peacefully and with due permission, it will be allowed. Such agitations are the democratic right of every citizen. However, whenever there is a protest, it tends to become ‘faceless,’ and elements with ulterior motives infiltrate it. These elements take advantage of the protest, using it as a shield to fulfill their own selfish interests,” he added.

In this context, he cited protests in Delhi that several political parties tried to capitalise on. He said various organizations, which had nothing to do with the core issue, attempted to create unrest. “When an agitation becomes leaderless, as seen in Delhi, it creates a lawless environment. We witnessed vehicle glass being smashed, cars being overturned and stone-pelting directed at the police,” he stated.

Calling Fadnavis’ claim that these protests are driven by the agenda of certain political parties highly irresponsible and shameless claim, Sapkal reminded the chief minister that it was the BJP and the RSS who pursued a political agenda and created instability in the country under the guise of the Anna Hazare movement in Delhi in 2014. Those with such a mindset are the ones who see only a political agenda behind students’ protests”.

“The NEET question paper leak and the gross mismanagement in the CBSE and NEET examination systems have devastated the future of millions of students. The entire country is witnessing protests, with thousands of students taking to the streets. The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to protest peacefully in a democratic manner. However, those who do not believe in the Constitution can never understand the importance of democratic protests,” he said.

The national politics is a bit tangled at the moment. The issue of paper leaks and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation has resonated from the streets to Sansad.

Despite that, it appears that knives are out in the Opposition and, instead of focusing on the grievances of students, the parties are fighting to somehow regain their lost ground.

And this was evident on Tuesday when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the principal Opposition party, Congress, of being a pawn of the ruling BJP.

As Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi, who staged a brief sit-in near the Prime Minister’s residence, to convince him to clear the spot, AAP claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi intentionally allowed the Congress leader’s dharna to weaken the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) Jantar Mantar protest.

Interestingly enough, Rahul was protesting against the alleged police crackdown on CJP protesters during Monday’s march to Parliament, which the AAP had supported with full force.

However, AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former Delhi CM Atishi, saw a fixed match between the Congress and the BJP.

Sanjay Singh alleged that the Congress has been “abusing” the CJP protest for a month and now Rahul Gandhi wants Jantar Mantar protesters to join his protest outside the PM’s residence.

“Why does the Congress want to weaken the youth’s movement? Why doesn’t the Congress appeal for people to join the Jantar Mantar movement?” he asked.

His AAP colleague Atishi went a step further, terming Rahul Gandhi’s dharna a “fixed match” between the Congress and the BJP.

“The same Delhi Police that was not allowing CJP to move even 100 metres towards Parliament allowed Rahul Gandhi to reach right outside the PM’s residence! Do we need any more evidence that Congress and the BJP are one unit?” Atishi said on X.

Meanwhile, another AAP leader, Jasmine Shah, questioned the government’s swift outreach to Rahul Gandhi. “Within hours, two Ministers were sent for talks with Rahul Gandhi, but none came to the Cockroach Janata Party… won’t this raise suspicion? They won’t go and meet those leading the country’s biggest youth movement but went to meet the leaders of a BJP-sponsored ‘fixed-match protest.'”

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s renewed appeal for opposition parties to unite under the INDIA bloc to take on the BJP drew little enthusiasm from rival parties on Tuesday, with the Congress and the CPI(M) rejecting her overture and questioning her political credibility.

Addressing a rally in front of Birla Planetarium in Kolkata to mark the July 21 Martyrs’ Day observance, Banerjee appealed to opposition parties to put aside differences and join hands against the BJP.

“I had said on Rabindra Jayanti that we should fight across India under the INDIA bloc. Let us do the same in Bengal as well. I have no ego, no resentment against anyone. Otherwise, remember this — those who are today being allowed by the BJP to open party offices and hold meetings and rallies will also be finished after they finish us,” she said.

Without naming any party in her speech, Banerjee reiterated the appeal she had first made on Rabindra Jayanti, when she had invited the Congress, the Left and other opposition forces to join hands against the BJP in West Bengal.

The BJP was quick to react on the proposal. Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said Banerjee should first focus on uniting her own party before attempting to forge an opposition alliance.

“She is now speaking about a united force. Let her first unify her own party, then she can think of unifying other political parties. A few months ago she challenged Rahul Gandhi and now she is dreaming of an alliance with the Congress. This is ridiculous,” Bhattacharya said.

Claiming that Banerjee had lost public confidence, he added that “people have rejected the Trinamool Congress” and alleged that she was unable to accept that she was no longer the chief minister.

The Congress also reacted cautiously, recalling its past political association with Banerjee. West Bengal Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar said the party had suffered politically because of Banerjee in the past.

“Mamata Banerjee’s rise came at the cost of the Congress on several occasions. She tried to destroy the Congress, and today, standing on the edge of a political crisis, she is seeking help. I hope our central leadership will keep these factors in mind before considering any alliance,” Sarkar said.

Sarkar was referring to the past when the two parties joined hands again ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, a partnership that eventually paved the way for the Trinamool Congress’ victory in the 2011 Assembly elections.

However, within two years of coming to power, Banerjee parted ways with the Congress and chose to govern on her own, without returning to the NDA, consolidating her party’s dominance in the state.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim also played down Banerjee’s appeal, saying her remarks did not merit much attention.

“I don’t think there is much importance to what Mamata Banerjee is saying now. Her own party is in disarray. She should first put her own house in order,” Salim said.

Days after Kamarhati MLA and long-term Mamata Banerjee loyalist Madan Mitra switched sides and joined the Ritabrata Banerjee camp of the Trinamool Congress, the national general secretary of the party’s Kalighat faction, Abhishek Banerjee served a legal notice to the former party leader seeking Rs 10 crore in damages from over allegedly defamatory remarks made during a Facebook Live session on July 19.

The notice, sent through advocate Shrabana Sengupta via email and speed post on July 21, alleges that Mitra, during an eight-minute live broadcast from his verified Facebook page, described the TMC’s second-in-command as a “criminal” and a “murderer”.

It further claims that Mitra made baseless allegations accusing Banerjee of having people killed through contract killers, thereby seriously damaging his political reputation.

The notice also refers to the closing moments of the live session, where Mitra is heard asking an unseen person, “Anything more?”, alleging that the remarks were part of a premeditated political conspiracy to malign the three-time Diamond Harbour MP.

Banerjee has demanded that Mitra issue an unconditional public apology in writing and through a video message within 72 hours and pay Rs 10 crore as compensation.

The notice states the amount would be deposited in a registered trust to fund legal action against defecting legislators and MPs and to rehabilitate victims of alleged political violence.

It also warns of civil and criminal proceedings if the demands are not met within the stipulated period.

Nine employees of the Khurda Road Railway Division were honoured with Safety Awards for their vigilance and outstanding contribution to ensuring safe and smooth train operations.

The awards were presented by Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) D. Sunil at a ceremony held at the DRM’s Office in the presence of Additional Divisional Railway Managers P. K. Behera and Rajdhari Yadav, and Senior Divisional Safety Officer Namonarayan Meena.

Congratulating the awardees, the DRM lauded their alertness and timely action in preventing potential safety hazards and urged all railway employees to remain vigilant and committed to ensuring safe and efficient train operations. The division said the awards reflect Indian Railways’ continued emphasis on strengthening safety through recognition of exemplary service.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar on Tuesday inspected the Bhajanpura Drain in the Shahdara North Zone.

The inspection was attended by Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Councillors Pankaj Luthra and Rekha Rani, Deputy Commissioner, Shahdara North Zone, Mamta Yadav, along with other senior MCD officials.

During the inspection, the Commissioner directed officials to ensure regular cleaning, timely desilting, and continuous monitoring of drains to prevent waterlogging and drain overflow during the monsoon season.

He also instructed officials to conduct public awareness campaigns through local residents, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), elected representatives, and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, emphasizing that dumping garbage into drains obstructs the natural flow of water.

He warned that despite repeated awareness efforts, strict action, including imposition of fines as per rules, would be taken against those found dumping waste into drains.

The Commissioner further directed that dustbins be installed at locations where garbage is frequently dumped into drains and that the silt and waste removed during desilting operations be lifted and disposed of without delay.

He also instructed officials to explore the feasibility of installing mesh before every culvert along the 5.5-metre-wide drain, and to cover those stretches where desilting is not feasible with covering mesh, so as to prevent garbage from entering the drains and ensure uninterrupted water flow.

During the inspection, officials briefed the Commissioner on the progress of drain cleaning, desilting, road repair and construction works, as well as overall monsoon preparedness. The Commissioner directed that all works be completed on priority within the stipulated timeline.

Thereafter, the Commissioner inspected Gautampuri Ward, where Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma raised the issue of dump vehicles and other unserviceable vehicles that have been parked in an MCD parking area for a long period. The Commissioner directed the concerned officials to complete the required formalities as per rules and ensure their removal.

The Commissioner also visited the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre at New Usmanpur. Finding the functioning of the centre unsatisfactory, he directed the concerned officials to take immediate corrective measures to improve its operations.

On the occasion, Satya Sharma also highlighted the issue of dilapidated and long-vacant MCD residential flats in the ward, stating that these premises have become gathering spots for anti-social elements, causing inconvenience to local residents. The Commissioner instructed the concerned officials to prepare a practical action plan and explore suitable options for the effective utilisation of these properties.

The Commissioner subsequently visited the MCD School at Seelampur.

As many as 79 vital roads in the border region of Rajouri and Poonch remain shut for vehicular traffic after these were extensively damaged after being hit by flash floods and landslides on Sunday. Electric and water supply in many areas has also been disrupted due to the damage caused to infrastructure.

Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha, who is monitoring the situation in these districts along the Line of Control (LoC), said “our focus is reopening key roads and restoring power and water supply. I was informed that out of 435 damaged roads, 356 have already been restored”.
Sinha spoke to the senior officials and the Deputy Commissioners of Rajouri and Poonch to assess property and public infrastructure damage caused by heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides.

In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said; “I spoke with senior officials and the DCs of Rajouri and Poonch to assess the damage to houses and key public infrastructure caused by heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides”.

“The Divisional Commissioner and IGP Jammu are currently on the ground, and I have instructed all departments to work around the clock in close coordination to manage rescue, relief, and restoration efforts”.

“Teams from the SDRF, NDRF, Army, BRO, NHAI, J&K Police, and Civil Defence are working together, while Quick Response teams are deployed in vulnerable areas. I am deeply anguished by the tragic loss of lives in this natural calamity”, he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced an ex gratia for kin of the seven people who died yesterday due to a landslide in the Loran-Mandi area.

To ensure close supervision of relief and rehabilitation measures, the Chief Minister has deputed Ministers Javed Ahmed Rana and Satish Sharma to visit the affected areas in Rajouri and Poonch. The Ministers will assess the ground situation, oversee the ongoing relief efforts and ensure that all necessary assistance reaches the affected families without delay.

The Army and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have restored two vital bridges and strategic roads that were damaged due to the flash floods.
At Jaran Wali Gali, Poonch the boundary wall of PM SHRI Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya collapsed onto several parked vehicles, creating an immediate hazard and disrupting movement on NH-144A. Troops of White Knight Corps reached the site without delay and, using specialised equipment, cleared the debris, extricated the trapped vehicles and assisted local residents.

In another operation near Khari Karmara, Poonch, heavy rains and strong currents damaged a vital bridge and disrupted local connectivity. Personnel of the White Knight Corps, in close coordination with 79 RCC (BRO) and local residents, undertook urgent restoration work.

An iron bridge was washed away at Dara Sangla in Poonch, isolating the village and restricting access to medical care. An Indian Army Medical Team crossed the flooded nala using an improvised wooden log bridge and reached the affected residents. The team conducted rapid triage, provided emergency first aid, treated an injured civilian and administered essential medicines to women, children and other villagers.

Prophesying a change of guard at the Centre in 2029, former West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday exhorted party workers to stay united so as to facilitate the formation of a government under Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi after the next general election.

“People are gradually losing faith in the government at the Centre. In the 2029 elections, the Congress under the stewardship of Rahul
Gandhi would take over mantle at the Centre”, Chowdhury said addressing the Martyrs’ Day rally commemorating the 13 party activists
killed in police firing on this day in 1993.

The former MP criticised the Narendra Modi-led government for the alleged NEET scam and the resultant suicides by students, accused the dispensation of gagging democracy and throttling freedom of speech by letting loose police on the peaceful agitation spearheaded by the students.

Chowdhury mocked the two parallel meetings organised by rival Trinamool Congress factions as “circus,” and attacked former chief
minister Mamata Banerjee for not making the Inquiry commission report of the 21 July commission public.

Calling upon Congress workers to close ranks and strengthen the organisation, he said the party was ready to welcome those workers who
had deserted the party in the state during TMC rule.

Bengal Pradesh Congress President Subhankar Sarkar, in his brief speech, lambasted the BJP for attacking party workers and vandalising buses to prevent them from attending the rally.

“The way the BJP activists attacked our workers in different parts of the state, shows the BJP is afraid of the Congress. As many as 11 persons have sustained injuries and are now undergoing treatment at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital,” Sarkar said.

Indian stock markets ended lower for the second consecutive session on Tuesday amid volatile trading. Weakness in heavyweight private banks and elevated crude oil prices led to the market’s volatility.

At the close, the Sensex was down 238.41 points, or 0.31 per cent, at 77,470.11, while the Nifty fell 50.80 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 24,187.70. The Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 0.3%, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index advanced 0.5%.

Among the sectoral indices, the Nifty PSU Bank index ended as the top loser, falling 0.88%. Nifty IT and Oil and Gas suffered losses of 0.61% and 0.50%, respectively.

Further, the Nifty Bank index declined 0.19%, while the Nifty Financial Services index ended 0.16% lower. On the other hand, Nifty Realty (up 1.07%), Auto (up 0.93%), and Metal (up 0.63%) indices ended with healthy gains.

Shriram Finance, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Technologies, Eicher Motors, and UltraTech Cement were the gainers while HDFC Bank, Infosys, and State Bank of India (SBI) were the top laggards.

Over 120 stocks touched their 52-week high on the BSE, including Gabriel India, Gujarat Fluorochemicals, Manappuram Finance, Himadri Speciality Chemical, Ajanta Pharma, Sona BLW Precision Forgings, Balrampur Chini Mills, IndusInd Bank, Laurus Labs, Federal Bank, Exide Industries, Lloyds Metals & Energy, Titan Company, CemIndia Projects, Adani Energy Solutions, Solar Industries India, Shyam Metalics and Energy, Navin Fluorine International, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and Sai Life Sciences, among others.

The Indian rupee erased the previous session’s losses and settled 21 paise higher at 96.24 per US dollar.

Among some of the key stocks, BlueStone Jewellery and Lifestyle shares hit the 20 per cent upper circuit.

Brent crude could rally to more than $120 a barrel by the fourth quarter if disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz persist, according to Goldman Sachs Group.

The Supreme Court refused to urgently list a plea filed against the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s recent decision to recognise the merger of six rebel Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, sources said here on Tuesday.

The sources said that Senior Advocate Devdatt Kamat, who represented the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Pancholi for urgent listing.

The writ petition, filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena under Article 32 of the Constitution, names the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, and the six rebel MPs—Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Bandu Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh and Sanjay Dina Patil—as respondents.

“This is an important matter. The Lok Sabha Speaker has recognised the merger of 6 MPs with the rival party. This shows the importance of a constitutional position. The Lok Sabha Speaker recognised the merger on late Saturday night and it has brought parliamentary function of the party to a standstill,” Senior Advocate Kamat who represents the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena told the bench.

“We don’t know about tomorrow. But we will list it,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said.

Earlier, Uddhav-led Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant had approached the Supreme Court challenging Lok Sabha Speaker’s July 18 decision to recognise the merger of the six rebel MPs who had defected and sought to merge themselves with the rival Shiv Sena faction led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Challenging a circular issued by the Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha Secretariat as ex facie unconstitutional, illegal and perverse, senior Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sawant argued that the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign centred around Eknath Shinde’s alleged hijacking of Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy through illegal means and unconstitutionally orchestrated defections, sources said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena petition contended that voters elected the six rebel MPs based on the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena’s campaign and leadership.

The petition contended that within two years of getting elected on Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena tickets, the MPs allegedly betrayed the faith reposed in them by claiming a “merger” with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena plea contended that such a merger, based solely on unilateral claims by elected MPs without any consent of their parent political party, has no constitutional or legal sanction.

The Uddhav-led Sena petition also described the move by the 6 rebel MPs as a blatant affront to the concept of parliamentary democracy, which is founded on the functioning of political parties.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s plea also referred to paragraphs 2(1)(a) and 2(1)(b) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, pointing out that the anti-defection law provides for disqualification whenever an elected representative voluntarily gives up membership of the original political party or acts contrary to party directions in the house.

It argued that the Tenth Schedule recognises the concept of merger only as a defence in disqualification proceedings. In the present case, however, no disqualification proceedings have yet been initiated by Shiv Sena (UBT) against the six MPs, sources said

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s plea contended that the Lok Sabha Speaker’s approval of the merger of the 6 rebel MPs has departed from constitutional provisions, and thus constitutes a gross illegality and substantive unconstitutionality, which violates Article 14 of the Constitution, sources said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted search operations at eight locations across West Bengal, including Kolkata in connection with a fraud case involving Rs 160 crore, sources indicated.

According to ED sources, an individual named Biswajit Biswas came under the investigating agency’s scanner for allegedly orchestrating fraud by setting up businesses under various names.

The central agency has alleged that several individuals from outside Bengal were defrauded with promises of high interest rates on deposits. Accordinmg to sources, crores of rupees were misappropritated under the pretext of facilitating access to government scheme benefits. It is believed that a syndicate was operating behind this fraud.

Apart from Kolkata, the ED has also conducted raids in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas. Searches are reportedly underway at four locations there. Operations are currently in progress at Subhashpally in Bongaon; ED officials also visited the residence of an individual named Bishal and subsequently searched the premises of his relative, Rajib Biswas.

The corruption came to light through a case registered based on an FIR. According to sources, the allegations involve defrauding numerous people between 2014 and 2020 by luring them with the promise of substantial interest returns.

Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the 2020 Kerala gold smuggling case, on Tuesday levelled sharp allegations against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his immediate family members.

Speaking to the media in Palakkad, Swapna Suresh alleged that Pinarayi Vijayan and his family have business interests in the US and the UAE.

She claimed that the former Chief Minister’s travels abroad, often described as medical trips, were linked to personal business ventures in the US and the UAE involving Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, daughter Veena and other close relatives.

“The former Chief Minister’s foreign trips to the US and the UAE in the name of medical treatment are for business purposes,” she alleged.

She further claimed that the former Chief Minister’s wife is more powerful than Pinarayi Vijayan, citing her constant presence during his foreign visits.

Swapna Suresh also alleged that Pinarayi Vijayan had ruined her life by filing false cases against her. She said she has been forced to appear in courts across the state because of these cases.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Manila, Philippines, on July 22–23 to participate in Foreign Minister-level Meetings under the ASEAN framework, including the ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Meetings.

“The visit underscores India’s deepening engagement with ASEAN under the Act East Policy and reaffirms our strong commitment to further strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

It is particularly significant that 2026 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.

On the margins of the ASEAN-related meetings, the External Affairs Minister will participate in a Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States.

He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from participating countries.

The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening higher education, ranging from relief for thousands of State Aided College Teachers (SACT-II) to fresh investments in Sanskrit education, merit scholarships and university infrastructure.

Replying to a discussion in the Assembly, Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said the government would provide an opportunity to SACT-II teachers who do not possess UGC-prescribed qualifications such as NET, SET or PhD to acquire these qualifications while continuing in service.

According to the minister, the state currently has around 13,000 State Aided College Teachers, of whom nearly 55 per cent belong to the SACT-II category. These teachers were earlier engaged as part-time teachers (PTTs), contractual whole-time teachers (CWTTs) or guest lecturers in government-aided colleges before being brought under the SACT-II category under the state’s policy. Many of them do not possess the qualifications prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), including NET, SET or a PhD.

The minister said the government would create a framework enabling these teachers to obtain the required qualifications, a move expected to benefit several thousand faculty members serving in aided colleges across the state.

The government also announced a renewed thrust on Sanskrit education. Chattopadhyay said Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for the upgradation of Sanskrit College and University and the promotion of Sanskrit spoken language.

In addition, scholarships will be provided to 2,58,288 students, from Class XI to research scholars, to encourage the study of Sanskrit and support higher education. To promote academic excellence, the minister proposed the introduction of a Swami Vivekananda Merit Scholarship.

Under the scheme, students securing admission to the top 100 universities in the world, as per the QS World University Rankings, for undergraduate or master’s programmes will receive financial assistance covering tuition fees and health insurance. Meritorious students admitted to premier national institutions for undergraduate or postgraduate studies will also receive tuition fee support.

The government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the scheme. Chattopadhyay further announced that Jadavpur University would be developed as an Institute of Eminence, with a total investment of Rs 1,250 crore over five years, including Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre and Rs 250 crore from the state government.

The university will also establish an Institute of Excellence and Entrepreneurship (CoEE) to promote technology innovation, research and start-up incubation in collaboration with universities and institutions across West Bengal. The project has an estimated cost of Rs 65 crore, of which the state’s contribution will be Rs 5 crore.

Outlining the state’s long-term vision for higher education, the minister said the government is also planning to facilitate the establishment of world-class IIT and IIM institutions in North Bengal, aimed at expanding access to premier technical and management education in the region.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee launched an indirect attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari making it clear that leaders who had defected from the party would not be welcomed back.

Speaking at her faction’s Martyrs’ Day rally on Tuesday, Banerjee said that the present government was more interested in weakening the Trinamool Congress than maintaining law and order.

“I know what he had done during his nearly decade-long stint in the Trinamool Congress. Don’t provoke me,” the former chief minister said.

Sharpening her attack on the chief minister, alleging that the present government was more interested in weakening the Trinamool Congress than maintaining law and order, Banerjee said, “I know what he had done during his nearly decade-long stint in the Trinamool Congress. Don’t provoke me.”

Her remarks echoed similar comments she had made nearly two months after the Assembly election results, when she had reminded Adhikari of his long tenure as a Trinamool MLA, minister and organisational leader across several districts, saying she was aware of everything he had done while in the party.

Without naming Ritabrata Banerjee’s camp, she described it as the BJP’s “B-team” and alleged that the breakaway faction was indirectly helping the BJP under the guise of forming a separate political platform.

“It has been good for the party. The thieves have left. Pardon me. They won’t be taken back,” Banerjee said, urging them to join the BJP directly instead of acting as its “side pillow”.

She asserted that their places would be taken by the party’s student and youth workers.

Stepping up her attack on the breakaway faction, Banerjee claimed that while some people could be silenced temporarily through intimidation, it would not alter the party’s real strength.

Declaring that “we are the real Trinamool”, she said merely putting up a signboard did not create a political party and alleged that the rival faction was effectively the BJP’s signboard.

She maintained that although some leaders had left, the grassroots workers remained with her camp.

“The people who have come here are my gold mine. I could arrange for any vehicle; I couldn’t purchase tickets for them. I couldn’t make arrangements for their stay and food but still they have come. They love the party. They are my goldmine. They will fill up the vacuum,” the former chief minister said.

Banerjee raised allegations that the stage for the rally had been vandalised on Monday night.

“More than 600 bikers arrived, damaged the stage, cut sound system cables and repeatedly attempted to disrupt preparations,” she said.

She alleged that despite informing the police, no action was taken during the night and accused the BJP of orchestrating the attacks, though she appealed to party workers not to blame the police directly, saying she had worked with the force in the past and knew under whose instructions the incidents had taken place.

The rally marked the first Martyrs’ Day programme after the split in the Trinamool Congress, making this year’s July 21 observance unprecedented.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who was sitting on a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over alleged police brutality against students during yesterday’s march to Parliament, was forcibly removed from the protest site.

The police also removed other Congress leaders who were staging the protest against the crackdown on Cockroach Janata Party protesters.

The action follows government’s unsuccessful efforts to convince the Congress leader to end his protest.

Earlier, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh met Rahul at dharna site, and informed him that his demand for a Parliament discussion on NEET issue has been accepted.

However, according to Singh, Rahul backtracked and sought assurance for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

“Rahul Gandhi put forward the demand that if the government agrees to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement, he would immediately end his sit-in. Within a few moments, after taking permission from the government’s top leadership, Shri Rahul Gandhi was assured that his demand has been accepted, and the government is ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement,” Singh said.

However, when Rahul was told that the government had agreed to his demand, he allegedly sought assurance for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“He said that now I have two demands: discussion in Parliament and the resignation of the Union Education Minister,” Singh said.

According to Singh, when Rahul was reminded that earlier he had only demanded discussion, the Congress leader allegedly said that his demands have changed, prompting the police to use force and remove the Congress leaders.

West Bengal Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari flagged off 50 new AC buses at Kolkata’s Kasba on Tuesday, and shared plans to roll out around 1000 environment friendly vehicles in the state in the next one year.

“To keep the city and the state and the city of Kolkata safe, clean and environment friendly, procurement of more and more electric and CNG vehicles are being prioritized. During a recent meeting of the state Urban Development and Municipal affairs Department and Union minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, discussions have been held about rolling out additional electric buses on the ratio of 60:40 in which 40 percent is to be borne by the state government,” Adhikari said.

“Today we rolled out 50 environment friendly buses including 43 CNG and seven electric run. The transport minister has submitted a proposal for 400 buses needed urgently and it is likely to be sanctioned. Over the next one year, we will introduce 1000 additional buses which will be environment friendly,” he added.

Speaking about developing waterways in the state, “Apart from this, the jetties under the Transport Department would be revamped. As a part of Destination Sundarbans, luxurious boats would be introduced.”

The newly launched 50 buses are to be operated on a total of 24 routes, including both new and old ones. Few routes that were operational during Adhikari’s tenure as the state’s Transport Minister were closed subsequently.

Sources in the Bengal Transport Department mentioned that the 50 eco-friendly buses are to be operated on routes including AC 37, Barasat to Garia, AC 47, Santragachi to Airport, AC 9, New Town to Esplanade, AC 9B, New Town to Behala, AC 12, New Town to Howrah, EB 14, Eco Park/New Town to Esplanade, among other.