"Values of Awami League will help our nation. The spirit of Liberation War will prevail again," says AL leader Pankaj Debnath ::: "Bangladesh is suffering a lot"

A short interview with Awami League leader Pankaj Debnath - now in exile and hiding :::: 

Blogger (Nirendra Dev) :: How would you review the performance of Tarique Rahman Govt in the first 100 days and more ? There might have been lot of expectations probably from the BNP?

Awami League leader Pankaj Debnath : This is absolutely rubbish. This is a spin, the BNP guys have given. Ever since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and Awami League in a most unprecedented manner; Bangladesh is suffering a lot. First came Yunus regime and something the international media including in India did not understand is that the BNP and Jamaat were also ruling our country by proxy. Both these parties had encouraged the Yunus regime. 

It was an unconstitutional mechanism and there were no expectations either from the Yunus regime and neither from BNP.   

This is an interesting perspective. According to you people of Bangladesh did not quite vote for BNP with any expectation?

Pankaj Debnath : Now you seem to get the real point. There were no expectations from the BNP. You can say .... the people wanted to get rid off the so-called interim regime. I will also add that the people voted for a lesser evil. The February elections in Bangladesh was not a genuine election. It was not inclusive election. Our party stayed away from the elections. So you have the BNP Govt. But its performance has not been good. Personally me or say even my party is not surprised. I can go on....

 Ok, you may elaborate more !!

Pankaj Debnath : 

This February election was actually a drama. It was like a 'got up' or fixed foot ball match. In Bengali, I can say - Bhag-Bhatora election. 

It's like saying, let us divide the cake between ourselves. 

The result was therefore pre-planned; the BNP took 200 plus and Jamaat around 80. It was all pre-planned. The proof of this is found in the fact that the BNP is still encouraging Jamaat. Slowly there is a social acceptability. This is a matter of deep concern.

So, let me put it other way; what have been the major failures of the Tarique Govt?

Pankaj Debnath :   About BNP Govt, kam bolai bhalo (We should speak less). The era of hooliganism started under Yunus is still continuing. Media in our country is not free. 

The Govt is getting rid of  talented and efficient officials especially minorities from police, banking sector, education, defence and civil administration. There is no real halt to incidents of violence against minorities especially Buddhists and Hindus. 

Bangladesh is experiencing a severe nationwide measles outbreak. There are reports about 600 deaths have been reported since March. It's pathetic. 

It's a matter of fact that highly contagious measles can spread quickly through coughs and sneezes. The BNP Gov is clueless. It is all the more serious and is particularly dangerous for unvaccinated young children under the age of 5.

Old file snap 

Minorities are not safe. Tell us more on these. What about the security issues and the role of army ?

Pankaj Debnath :     I have already said Hindus and other minorities are not safe. Things deteriorated for them in July-August 2024. Under Yunus regime, several Hindus were killed. There was mob lynching. Things have not changed much. Hindus and Buddhists are still being attacked. Bangladesh has long way to go to come to normalcy.  However, I am eternally confident. The people of Bangladesh are optimistic that the principles and values of Awami League will help our nation yet again. 

I am also confident the spirit of Liberation War will prevail again ... sooner than later. So that we have a meaningful democracy in Bangladesh. 

The Tarique Rahman Govt in Dhaka is one of immense failure. It has failed on multiple fronts.  This failure of 15 months has built extra pressure on the BNP dispensation.

That's true. On normal functioning of the government - like education, women safety, atrocities against minorities, any sincere and committed Govt should have delivered. The BNP failed to open job avenues too.  Worse, for recent import of oil shipments there are reports of indirect patronizing of a Jamaat leader. 

All these should make us raise eyebrows. 

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"Battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side" ::: Why Army chief Gen Dwivedi spoke about 'readiness' for Operation Sindoor-2

The armed forces are fully prepared for ‘Operation Sindoor 2.0’ if the need arises, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said on Saturday.

He asserted that all three services are enhancing synergy for modern multi-domain warfare that extends beyond land, air and sea.

It was a bigger and perhaps a clearer message for Pakistan. It was a blunt missive to India's western neighbour that if cross-border terrorism continues, India will not show restraint in a future escalation.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the passing-out parade of the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, Gen Dwivedi noted that while a temporary cessation of hostilities currently exists, all three services are preparing intensely for the next phase should it take place.

General Dwivedi also gave a veiled message to a section of India's media and political parties when he said information warfare succeeds only when  it unites the nation behind a common narrative. 

India launched Operation Sindoor, a military exercise to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan in May 2025.

This was in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed lives of 26 terrorists in April. 

“As far as Operation Sindoor is concerned, firstly, it is still continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. So the Indian Army and all three services are preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if it takes place,” he said. 

He noted that future conflicts would increasingly be influenced by emerging domains such as space, cyber and cognitive warfare.  

Modern battlefields have become highly transparent, General Dwivedi said, adding that military planners must remain cautious about deployments and force protection measures. 

“What we have seen over a period of time is 24/7. 

The battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side. Therefore, we have to be very cautious in terms of our deployment, in terms of our employment, and the protection which is required to protect our troops as well as the civilians in the border areas,” he said.

The stern message highlights India's military preparedness, indicating that not only the Army but also the Air Force and Navy are ready should a fresh operation become necessary.  

"Jointness and integration are no longer optional -- they are an absolute operational necessity in the modern battlespace. Future conflicts will demand seamless coordination across land, sea, air, cyber, space and information domains," said Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.

According to Admiral Tripathi, no single service can operate effectively in isolation under increasingly complex conditions, making tri-service integration central to India's future defence architecture.

He, however, stressed that theatre commands must be driven by operational effectiveness and enhancement of military capability rather than organisational restructuring alone.

"Regarding a dedicated maritime theatre command, the maritime domain, by its very nature, inherently requires the integrated application of naval, air, land and coast guard capabilities," he said. 

The Navy has also significantly enhanced its anti-submarine warfare capability, underwater surveillance, and network-centric operations to counter emerging maritime challenges posed by the growing China-Pakistan nexus in the Indian Ocean region, said the Navy Chief.

In an exclusive interview to news agency, PTI, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy remains prepared to deal with any "two-front" challenge in the maritime domain and emphasised that ongoing conflicts in West Asia underscore the direct link between maritime security, energy security and economic resilience.  

His remarks come amid the growing presence of China's PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean region and Beijing's deepening maritime cooperation with Pakistan, including the transfer of submarine capabilities and the modernisation of the Pakistani Navy.

"We are fully aware that the Indian Ocean Region is witnessing increasing strategic contestation and greater extra-regional presence, moving us from an 'era of cooperation' into an 'era of intense competition'," he said.  

The Indian Navy is  finalizing a nearly $8 billion deal with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to domestically construct six advanced, diesel-electric submarines under Project 75-India (P-75I). 

These submarines will feature state-of-the-art Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, enabling them to remain submerged for weeks without surfacing.

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Talented veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur dies at 89, leaving behind timeless melodies and 'discrimination' legacy vis-a-vis Lata Mangeshkar

Two things happened with Suman Kalyanpur. She came into the tough competitive world of playback singing when Lata Mangeshkar had a dominant presence. And secondly - and more importantly - her voice was remarkably similar to Lata Mangeshkar. 

Her vocal tone was soothing and beautiful, it became her curse literally. She was often compared to Lata. Critics say many producers and music directors viewed her as a substitute or "second choice", and she was often uncredited or easily replaced.

The veteran playback singer died on Sunday (May 31) evening at her Mumbai residence, aged 89. 

Tributes said her songs across languages will continue to resonate for generations. 

Kalyanpur leaves behind a rich musical legacy spanning more than six decades. 

Renowned for her melodious voice and classical finesse, she carved a unique place for herself in Indian playback music with timeless hits such as 

"Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche", 

"Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se", 

"Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye", and several other memorable songs. 

Her Marathi classics, including "Ketakichya Bani Tithe", "Sang Kadhi Kalnar Tula" and "Nimbonyachya Jhadamaghe", continue to be cherished by generations of music lovers.  

The Padma Bhushan awardee sang timeless melodies in Marathi, Hindi and several regional languages, earning admiration for the purity and emotional depth of her voice. Born in Dhaka in undivided India and later settling in Mumbai, she became one of the most respected playback singers of her era.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described her death as the loss of a divine voice that enriched India's musical heritage. 

He said Kalyanpur's contribution to Marathi, Hindi, Bengali and Odia music was immense and that her timeless songs would continue to live in the hearts of listeners. While her immortal melodies would remain forever, the absence of the gentle and graceful singer would always be felt, he said.

Speaking to 'Times of India', she had said, “My voice is similar to Lata tai's. But, if keenly listened to, a connoisseur can tell them apart. 

I sang every song to the best of my capacity. I never bothered about any comparisons people made. I never imitated anyone since I firmly believed in sticking to my own style of singing.”

She also had recalled her first meeting with Lata and said, 

“Lata didi and I first met at the recording of the song for the film, Mangu. I believed she had heard me sing. 

And while passing by the recording room, she said that I sang well. I met didi a few times mostly towards the beginning of my career. 

Whenever we met, I felt a strange closeness like I knew her from another life."  

The close similarity of their voices meant Kalyanpur's contributions were often misattributed to Mangeshkar. 

Even broadcasters like Radio Ceylon frequently miscredited Kalyanpur's songs.

Despite recording numerous acclaimed duets (famously with Mohammed Rafi during his royalty dispute with Lata Mangeshkar) and solo hits, she was rarely recognized with major awards at the time.

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Sachin Pilot likely to be projected for Rajasthan ::: Rahul keen to revamp state units in Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and also UP

With changes already worked out in Karnataka as the chief minister Siddaramaiah has stepped aside making way for D K Shivakumar; the Congress leadership may now focus on focusing Sachin Pilot as the 'face' for Congress party's battle of Rajasthan in 2028. More changes in different states are also on cards. 

In Rajasthan, the party is banking yet again on deploying Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Sachin Pilot as the new state unit chief.

Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal

Sachin was near the CM's office target in 2018 also but veteran Ashok Gehlot had walked away with the prize and he later around 2021-22 declined to pave way for Sachin's coronation.  

At present Govind Singh Dotasara heads the Rajasthan unit. If Sachin Pilot moves to his home state, Rajasthan, the high command would have to name a new AICC in charge for Chhattisgarh. Like Rajasthan, in 2023, the Congress lost power to the BJP in Chattiasgarh too. Elections are due in November 2028 in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram. 

Those polls as usual will be almost semi-final before the 2029 parliamentary polls when Narendra Modi will complete 15  years in office.  

The Congress leadership especially Rahul Gandhi is keen for organisational changes in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh where polls are due by March 2027 along with Goa and Manipur.

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will also go to elections by November 2027.

Woman shows her index fingers marked with an indelible ink as she poses for a photograph next to a cutout portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024  

The Congress party may name new in-charges to replace Mukul Wasnik in Gujarat, Avinash Pande in Uttar Pradesh and Kumari Selja in Uttarakhand. In UP, the Congress may replace state unit chief Ajay Rai - who took on PM Narendra Modi in 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

The revamp of the Punjab Congress was on the cards and the state unit Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring may be replaced. 

Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit, may be brought as the new face of the party -- where Congress is optimistic of wresting power from AAP.  

Channi was Congress face in 2022 too.  “I don’t think any changes are proposed in the state team. The meeting discussed the organisation and our upcoming programmes. We are readying ourselves for the 2027 polls. The AAP used muscle and money power to win the local body elections. We also have to prepare for the coming SIR,” said AICC Secretary in charge of Punjab Hina Kaware.

The grand old party now could also see leadership changes in other states. The Congress is set to appoint new presidents in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. 

D K Shivakumar is to be sworn in as CM on June 3 and hence he will have to be replaced as state unit chief. 

In Kerala, state Congress president Sunny Joseph has become a minister in the V D Satheesan government. Lobbying for the top party post has already begun, with caste, community and factional equations coming into play. 

Lok Sabha MPs Kodikunnil Suresh, Benny Behanan, and Anto Antony are among the contenders along with UDF convener Adoor Prakash and senior leader Joseph Vazhackan.

Those backing Suresh, an eight-term MP and former working president of the state unit, argue that the party should consider appointing a Dalit leader to the post. Others contend that with Christians having backed the Congress in big numbers and the BJP stepping up outreach to the community, Joseph should be succeeded by a Christian leader.  

The process of change has begun in Goa, where a new state team has been unveiled to prepare for the 2027 assembly polls, in which the Congress hopes to defeat the ruling BJP. The party named AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar as the new Goa unit chief on May 29, and the high command will now have to appoint a new AICC in-charge for the southern state.

The High Command also named three working presidents, M K Shaikh, Altone D'Costa, and Carlos Alvares Ferreira; treasurer Datta D Naik; campaign committee head Yuri Alemao; manifesto committee head Captain Viriato Fernandes; and coordination committee head Francisco Sardinha to revamp the Goa team.

In Tamil Nadu, K Selvaperunthagai is set to be removed, with the high command said to be unhappy with his style of functioning. 

AICC’s Haryana in-charge B K Hariprasad is also learnt to be in the running for a key role in Karnataka.

The decision to reappoint Girish Chodankar as Goa Congress president, however, has triggered unhappiness within the state unit. 

Chodankar had resigned as state chief in March 2022 following the party’s defeat in the Assembly polls.

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Post Election Win Bonanza ::: Rs 42,000 crore in central assistance even as CM urged Union Housing and Urban affairs and Power minister Manohar Lal Khattar to help rebuild Sonar Bangla

 Rs 42,000 crore in central assistance within three weeks of the formation of his government.

CM Suvendu urged Union housing and urban affairs and power minister Manohar Lal Khattar to help rebuild the state. 

CM Suvendu Adhikari and Minister Agnimitra Paul with Manohar Lal Khattar 

West Bengal Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said that the state has received over Rs 42,000 crore in central assistance within three weeks of the formation of his government.

He urged Union housing and urban affairs and power minister Manohar Lal Khattar to help rebuild the state in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

“I want to assure the people of the state that we will work jointly with every department of the Union government. The benefits of the double-engine government that people in 20 states of India are receiving have now begun reaching our state as well,” Suvendu said in the presence of Khattar.  

“With the assistance of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar ji, we will undertake every possible initiative for the benefit of the people in the fields of urban development and the power sector,” he added.

Khattar and Suvendu were at an event where they jointly launched the Swachha mobile application.   Launched as a pilot project in eight municipalities and Asansol and Durgapur municipal corporations, the app will be people-driven and help residents get garbage cleared from their areas within two hours by simply uploading a photograph of the site.

State urban development minister Agnimitra Paul hosted the event.

The eight municipalities are Basirhat and Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas; Pujali in South 24-Parganas; Tufanganj in Cooch Behar; Contai in East Midnapore; Krishnanagar in Nadia; Nalhati in Birbhum; and Baidyabati in Hooghly.

“Over the past three weeks, we have virtually signed agreements worth ₹39,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission with Union minister C.R. Patil ji. We have also signed agreements with Union health minister J.P. Nadda ji regarding the National Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat. Under these two projects, the health ministry has sanctioned ₹2,193 crore under the NHM and ₹776 crore under the Ayushman Bharat scheme,” said the chief minister, highlighting how the double-engine government has been working for the welfare of Bengal.

Suvendu held discussions for nearly one and a half hours with Khattar on how the Centre and the state could work together on urban development and power infrastructure.

“He spoke about how Bengal can stand on its own feet. Our Prime Minister has also said that the level of development Bengal deserved did not take place in the past,” Suvendu said in his address to the gathering at the launch of the app.

He requested the Union minister to allocate funds from the new Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) under his ministry for all small and medium municipalities in Bengal.

The UCF is a Rs 1 lakh crore initiative of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs. It seeks to shift urban development from traditional government grants to a competitive, market-driven model.

Suvendu said that after he took the oath as chief minister on May 9, Khatar was the first to call him and assure him of full assistance.

“He called me and said that the Prime Minister had directed that Bengal must now be rebuilt,” he said.

Suvendu directed the urban development department to prepare detailed project reports for setting up metro services in urban areas with populations of 25–30 lakh.

“We have a lot of work to do in the power sector. Half of Bengal’s population is poor, and many people receive high electricity bills. We also have large hilly and adivasi-dominated regions. 

We need to work on the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Yojana in these areas. A team from our state will visit Delhi regarding this matter and hold meetings with the Union minister and his officials. We want to work together,” he said.

Khattar said that he was saddened that many initiatives and schemes implemented in other parts of India could not be carried out in Bengal in the past 10-12 years.

“I don’t need to explain the reason behind the backlog, as you all know it. Whatever shortcomings remain, we will complete the pending work in the shortest possible time by working together with the Bengal government and Suvendu ji,” he said.

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Who attacked Abhishek Banerjee? TMC, BJP pin blame on each other !!! ::: "internal factionalism within the Trinamool Congress", says BJP :::: Trinamool slams Lotus party

Who attacked Abhishek Banerjee? TMC, BJP pin blame on each other

The attack on Abhishek Banerjee has triggered a political confrontation between TMC and BJP, with both parties trading allegations over responsibility. 

While TMC claims BJP-backed mob involvement and cites the presence of a local BJP functionary, 

....the BJP counters that internal rivalries within the TMC may have driven the incident.

With both sides seeking to pin responsibility on the other, claims and counter-claims have flown thick and fast over the incident, which has left the TMC top brass visibly shaken.

Earlier in the day, the TMC shared a photograph alleging that BJP's Mondal president Abhijit Biswas was present at the scene and was "actively directing and instigating" the crowd. 

The party questioned the BJP's claim that the incident was a spontaneous expression of public anger, asking who had mobilised the crowd and who was behind the attack.  

Responding to the allegations, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that the six people arrested in connection with the attack were close associates of former TMC MLA Lovely Maitra until recently. 

He said the revelation raised questions about whether the incident was linked to internal factionalism within the Trinamool Congress rather than political opponents.

The TMC, however, rejected BJP's counter and released another photograph of the incident, identifying a man named Akash Gayan as one of the alleged attackers. The party claimed Gayan was a BJP worker and pointed to his social media activity as evidence of his political affiliation.

In a post, the TMC accused Amit Malviya and others of attempting to divert attention from the incident.

At least five people have been arrested for allegedly attacking Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee during his visit to Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, police said on Sunday. 

The arrests were made during overnight raids on the basis of video footage collected from the area. 

The attack took place on Saturday when the Diamond Harbour MP went to Sonarpur town to visit victims of post-poll violence. 

Abhishek Banerjee later alleged that BJP activists were trying to kill him, while the BJP denied any involvement and said such incidents were not desirable in a healthy and normal society. 

Police said scores of people hurled stones, eggs and abuse at Banerjee. He was escorted away from the mob by his aides and was seen wearing a cricket helmet. Unidentified people also scuffled with him and roughed him up while raising chants of "thief, thief".  

"It is because the BJP is in power and we applied restraints; many TMC leaders are safe and living today. Had TMC come to power... I would not be here today and 500 BJP workers would have been killed... And if any other party, Left or Congress was in power, the TMC leaders would not be there to lecture today," BJP state unit president Samik Bhattacharya said on Saturday.

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"BNP Govt has not achieved anything extra ordinary. Time is running out", says Awami League leader Sushen Chandra Shill

Awami League leader Sushen Chandra Shill, now in hiding and away from Bangladesh since August 2024, says: 

"First one hundred days of a Govt is a very small time in the life of a nation like Bangladesh. People want key results. They want the BNP govt to perform. 

Expectations are too much. It is also because the interim Yunus regime has failed. 

People want improved law and order situation. Attacks against women and minorities should end. People will measure a Good Govt if prices remain steady and affordable. Unfortunately, the BNP Govt has not achieved anything extra ordinary. Time is running out".  

Answering a question, he asserted : "People of Bangladesh irrespective of class and religion and rural-urban divide still cherish the values of the politics of Awami League. That way ground is slowly turning in favour of our beloved leader Sheikh Hasina yet again.  

To a question he said,  "Our political rivals spread rumour and bogus news against Awami League leadership .... they succeeded to mislead people of Bangladesh in 2024. But by 2026, everyone seems to realise the mistake. The BNP or any other party is not the answer. They all have limitations. 

The Awami League is the answer for the people of Bangladesh".