When the Going gets tough .... !! :::: It's Suvendu who gets going !! :::: Nine ‘Bangladeshis’ in Malda are inmates of West Bengal’s first ‘holding centre’ for illegal aliens

 Three women and six minors brought to detention centre on Sunday amid heightened security as BJP government's 'detect, delete and deport' drive rolls. 

Nine suspected Bangladeshi citizens have been housed in Malda as the new BJP government in West Bengal launched its “detect, delete and deport” drive on Monday by opening its first “holding centre” aka detention camp for illegal aliens.

Extensive security measures have been put in place at the centre, including round-the-clock CCTV monitoring and deployment of police, civil defence personnel and civic volunteers, while provisions for the detainees’ meals and maintenance have also been arranged. 

The only existing one in Bengal, it has been set up at Chandan Park in English Bazar, which continues to house nine individuals- including three women and six minors, who were brought there from Gazole's Pandua area on Sunday, amid heightened security arrangements, senior district police officers said.

The facility has been created to temporarily accommodate foreign nationals detained on charges of illegal entry or lack of valid documents.  

The holding centre has started functioning. At present, nine Bangladeshi nationals are being housed there. Necessary verification and legal procedures are being carried out. The detainees are being treated in accordance with prescribed legal norms. 

The development comes barely two days after the state Home and Hill Affairs Department's Foreigners' Branch directed all district administrations to establish "holding centres" for "apprehended foreigners" and "released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation or repatriation", giving institutional shape to one of the BJP's most politically resonant themes in Bengal.

The directive entered the machinery of governance after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state would enforce a central order issued last year to trace illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and transfer them to the BSF for deportation.

At a meeting with senior BSF officers where land was handed over for fencing work along stretches of the Bangladesh border, Adhikari indicated that the state's anti-infiltration agenda had entered the implementation phase.

He had maintained that those outside the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act would be treated as illegal entrants.

"Those who are outside the purview of the CAA are infiltrators and will be arrested by the state police and handed over to the BSF," CM Adhikari had said.

The new state order cited guidelines issued by the Union home ministry on the handling of Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingyas allegedly living in the country without valid authorisation.

Under these rules, such individuals may be kept at designated holding centres for a maximum of 30 days until officials complete checks related to their identity, nationality and documentation.

Under the proposed mechanism, the BSF would coordinate with Border Guards Bangladesh for deportation formalities, the officials said.

The holding centres now appear to be emerging as one of the first visible administrative structures under that framework.

The mechanism also appeared linked to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, enacted by Parliament last year. The law replaced multiple earlier legislations governing immigration, registration and foreign nationals and introduced a more technology-driven structure for surveillance, detention and deportation. 

30 police officers under Enforcement Directorate scanner ::: Kolkata land grab case :::: ED initiates process to attach ex-Kolkata police DCP's Murshidabad bungalow

Kolkata land grab case: Nearly 30 police officers under Enforcement Directorate scanner

Police personnel of different ranks are suspected of having links with a syndicate accused of coercing senior citizens into selling properties at below-market prices  

"Several police personnel have come under the scanner during the course of the investigation. Their exact role is being examined," a senior ED official said.

"We have come across certain documents and digital evidence which are being analysed. The probe is now focused on establishing the money trail and identifying all beneficiaries," he said.  Some data from the seized mobile phones appears to have been deleted. Efforts are underway to retrieve the information through forensic examination, he added.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently probing the role of three arrested accused, Biswajit Poddar alias Sona Pappu, former Kolkata Police deputy commissioner Santanu Sinha Biswas, and businessman Joy Kamdar, in the alleged racket.

Earlier, investigators had said that the accused allegedly operated a syndicate that targeted mainly senior citizens, forcing them to sell land below market value through intimidation before developing the properties.

They were invloved in the misuse of police influence.

While Sona Pappu allegedly threatened targeted property owners, Biswas is accused of using local police machinery to mount pressure on victims, forcing them to part with their land at undervalued rates. The properties were then allegedly acquired and developed through business links connected to Kamdar.

As part of the investigation, ED officials on Friday carried out searches at multiple locations linked to businessman Mohammad Ali alias Max Raju, Saurav Adhikari, nephew of Sinha Biswas, and sub-inspector Ruhil Amin Ali. 

They also searched the residence of Sinha Biswas in Murshidabad district. The raids were conducted based on information gathered during the interrogation of Sona Pappu and Sinha Biswas, sources said.

During the searches on Friday, investigators had recovered more than 2 kg gold, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 3 crore, along with large amounts of cash and several property-related documents, sources in the agency had said.

The officials of the central probe agency are also examining the money trail and probing information related to properties allegedly owned by Sinha Biswas outside Bengal, including possible assets in Dubai, the officer added.

Sona Pappu was arrested by the ED last week after several hours of grilling, a few days after nabbing Sinha Biswas. Kamdar had earlier been arrested in April in connection with the same case.

ED initiates process to attach ex-Kolkata police DCP's Murshidabad bungalow in land grab case

Enforcement Directorate sleuths on Friday conducted searches at Sinha's ancestral property in Murshidabad's Kandi town after breaking open the locks of the house, as the keys were allegedly unavailable for hours.  

Simultaneous raids were also carried out at multiple locations in Kolkata, including the residence of a sub-inspector and the house of businessman Atul Kataria in Chakraberia.

During the searches, investigators recovered more than 2 kg gold, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 3 crore, along with large amounts of cash and several property-related documents, sources in the agency said.

BJP's Kerala journey ---- From margins to milestone :::: BJP will focus on OBC, SC/ST, and Economically Weaker Sections EWS categories, and also target Ezhavas

From margins to milestone: BJP's Kerala journey

Kerala’s 2026 assembly results marked the BJP’s first multi-seat presence in the state’s history, winning 

Nemom, 

Kazhakootam, and Chathannoor. 

While its vote share remained virtually unchanged at 11.4% from 2021, the party converted concentrated support into seats, a breakthrough after losing its lone seat in 2021. 

This reflects a gradual consolidation in pockets despite the state’s challenging demographics, with nearly 48% minorities and a historically entrenched Left-Congress duopoly.  

Why the CM selection row matters

Following V.D. Satheesan’s swearing-in as Kerala chief minister, the BJP alleged that the Congress leadership chose him under pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Satheesan was also described as the 'first CM of Jamaat & IUML'.

These remarks form part of the BJP’s criticism of what it terms 'appeasement politics' by its rivals in the state.  

The Lotus party's Kerala sojourn —blending core Hindutva issues like Sabarimala with targeted OBC outreach - suggests a dual-pronged strategy aimed at building a sustainable base. 

If successful, it could gradually erode the dominance of the UDF-LDF binary, though stable vote share signals the difficulty of rapid expansion. 

Looking ahead, the party’s ability to expand beyond pockets and navigate Kerala’s communal balance will determine whether it can emerge as a significant player by the next general elections. 

The BJP’s newly adopted 13-point political resolution, unveiled after its three-seat win in Kerala, centres on consolidating Hindu backward community support while recalibrating minority outreach. 

The party has moved away from building institutional links with Church leadership, citing growing alignment of bishops with the Congress-led UDF and fallout from the Catholic Church’s opposition to the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026. 

The agenda also reiterates opposition to religion-based reservations and calls for equal opportunities for all Malayalis.  

The leftist parties’ ouster from power in Kerala, the only state where they ruled by 2026, perhaps wiped out communism from Indian politics or political power structures.

The Marxist-led Left Front had lost power in their one-time stronghold West Bengal in 2011 after ruling the state for 34 years at a stretch. 

In 2018, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) lost power in yet Tripura, which has a sizable number of native Christian tribal people and a substantial Bengali Hindu population.

Critics say the CPI-M has been pro-Hindu party and it had tinted the red flag of the communists with the hues of saffron, the color associated with Hindus. 

Narendra Modi prays at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira, Bangladesh, on March 27, 2021 

A master of symbolism and a powerful communicator, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a March 2021 election rally made a Biblical reference.

In Kerala, the Christian votes are always decisive in certain seats.

"Judas had betrayed Lord Christ for a few pieces of silver ... just like that Left Democratic Front government has betrayed Kerala for a few pieces of gold," Modi had said. 

The reference kicked off a minor debate on why the PM, who does not mind displaying his blatant support for Hindutva politics, made a Biblical reference. The reason was obvious. Many more things will follow. 

For 2029 parliamentary polls and 2031 assembly elections; the BJP in Kerala will try to consolidate Hindu OBC support.

It may reduce -- institutional outreach to Christian leadership. 

BJP is always opposed religion-based quotas, focusing on OBC, SC/ST, and Economically Weaker Sections EWS categories, and targets communities like the Ezhavas.

Blogger in Back Waters, Kerala 

ends 

Suvendu takes the battle to next stage .... Says: "every incident of attack on BJP workers after 2021 polls will be accounted for” ::: “If you want, you can remove bricks from the houses of TMC workers. But never do that"

Suvendu on home turf, pledges to legally address every attack on party workers after 2021 polls

Referring to Mamata as a “two-time losing chief minister”, he said the people of Bengal had rejected her leadership.

In 2021, Mamata had lost to Suvendu from Nandigram by over 1,900 votes. In 2026, Mamata lost to Suvendu from Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes.

Speaking at a thanksgiving meeting in Nandigram, his long-time stronghold, Suvendu said the BJP had kept records of attacks carried out on party workers allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers in the aftermath of the 2021 Assembly polls, when Mamata Banerjee’s party had returned to power for the third consecutive term

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday asserted that every incident of alleged attack on BJP workers after the 2021 Assembly elections would be “accounted for” and addressed through legal means, while simultaneously cautioning party supporters against taking the law into their own hands now that they were in power.   

“After the 2021 Assembly elections, many BJP workers were assaulted in several districts. Houses of BJP workers were vandalised and many party supporters were killed. 

Everything has been taken into account and justice will be delivered legally,” the chief minister said.

Addressing party workers, he sought to strike a balance between political aggression and restraint.  

“If you want, you can remove the bricks from the houses of Trinamool Congress workers. But never do that. 

The BJP does not encourage such actions. I remember everything (the past attacks on BJP workers) and I will not leave anything unattended,” he added.

Suvendu’s comments assume political significance in the backdrop of alleged massive post-poll violence in Bengal following the 2021 elections, when the party had accused then ruling Trinamool of unleashing sustained attacks on its cadres across several districts.

The issue had later reached the courts and become a major narrative for the BJP in Bengal. Launching a sharp attack on former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Suvendu alleged that the families of slain BJP workers did not receive any financial aid from the previous regime.

Suvendu attempted to reassure the people of Nandigram as well as local BJP workers that his relationship with them would remain unchanged despite his resignation from the Assembly seat.

Suvendu won from both the Nandigram and the Bhabanipur constituencies this time, but under constitutional provisions, he was required to retain only one seat, and he chose Bhabanipur.

“The way you have seen me since 2003, you will continue to see me in the same manner. I was with you, I am with you and I will always remain with you,” Suvendu told the people of Nandigram.

Recalling his role during the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement, Suvendu invoked memories of violence and resistance that had shaped his political rise (then in Mamata’s party). 

“During days of bloodshed, sun, rain and fog, I stood by you. Whether or not I was an elected representative from Nandigram, I always remained beside the people here,” he said.

ends 

'Why not Punjab' spirit engulfs BJP !! ::: Saffron party eyes non-Jat coalition ::: That makes Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini an important player

 West Bengal conquered and grip on Assam strengthened; the BJP is now eyeing towards three key northern states. One of course is Uttar Pradesh - the state of 80 Lok Sabha MPs, the state of Yogi Adityanath and the state of Ram Temple. 

Uttarakhand has an importance of its own. The Hindu pilgrim state and a province which was the first BJP-ruled state to bring in Uniform Civil Code.  

Hence, Punjab is different. A Sikh-dominant state; till now the Lotus party was happy playing second fiddle to the Akali Dal.  

Haryana chief minister Naib Singh Saini is not being seen as an outsider, but rather is being viewed as a political bridge !! 

They are no longer allies.

Haryana CM Naib Singh Saini has been visiting Punjab nearly every week since 2025, and the frequency of these visits has increased only lately.

Saini's visits are being observed as part of the BJP's outreach to solidify its cadre and gain more seats in the 2027 Assembly election.

The Lotus party currently holds only two seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly and has no Lok Sabha MP from the state.

It is understood that the BJP lacks big faces in Punjab, but why pick Nayab Singh Saini for the push?

The Haryana CM is from the Saini community that is influential in Punjab, and his mother is a non-Jat Sikh. 

Moreover, Punjabi is Saini's mother tongue, and he can address crowds in Punjab in fluent Punjabi.

"Positioning Nayab Singh Saini for the BJP's Punjab outreach is the right strategy," Ashutosh Kumar, professor of political science at Panjab University, told 'India Today Digital'. 

"Saini belongs to the OBC community and has no ties with the farmers' movement of 2020. Also, Saini is not being seen as an outsider, but rather is being viewed as a political bridge for the BJP," Kumar added.  

Faceless voters 

NDA contested the 2022 election without a Chief Ministerial face. 

The Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) of Capt Amarinder Singh was allotted 37 seats, but only contested in 34 seats after it could not find candidates to run in 3 seats.  

As is well known, for Amit Shah, elections are like hobby times.

For the BJP, every election begins long before the campaign officially starts. 

This has been witnessed in several states, including West Bengal. Now -- "why not Punjab"?

This is a state where the saffron party has historically struggled to emerge as a formidable force.

The party strategists think;  the timing is perfect. The Akalis are no longer alles and the unpopularity of Badal-family-run party is at its peak.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), that captured power in 2022, face growing anti-incumbency.

The grand old Congress is trapped in internal discord.

Does it all mean, the BJP is staring at its best opportunity in Punjab in years? 

"Mainuu ki".  

According to several news reports, the BJP's larger strategy is to replicate the "Haryana model" in Punjab.

The BJP's calculation for Punjab is rooted in both symbolism and social engineering. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini belongs to the Saini community, an OBC group with a sizeable presence in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, particularly in the Doaba belt.

The Doaba belt is also known as the "NRI Hub" of Punjab, as it features the state's largest concentration of Non-Resident Indians and is a major centre for Dalit politics.

Farmers' and middlemen 'protest' in 2021 

Saini's mother, Kulwant Kaur, is a non-Jat Sikh, and in Punjab, the Haryana chief minister is frequently seen wearing a saffron turban and speaking Punjabi fluently. 

The saffron turban has been constant in Saini's Punjab outreach. The chief minister is seen wearing it every time he is in Punjab. This imagery makes Saini build a perception that he is someone from the inside.

"Saini can move across both Hindu and Sikh social spaces without appearing politically imported," professor Kumar said, explaining why the BJP considers him a natural fit for Punjab outreach. 

However, it's a tough way to go ahead and quite a long way. 

The model of building a coalition of non-Jat Other Backward Communities (OBCs), Dalits, and upper-caste Hindu voters, while attempting to bypass the traditional dominance of Jat Sikh politics, is what the saffron party is working on.  

In 2021, the farmers strongly objected to new laws that constitutes the most sweeping reform to agriculture for decades. 

Narendra Modi’s government said the laws would have brought necessary modernisation and private competition to an ailing sector that has left millions of farmers destitute. 

But farmers and middlemen in Punjab and western UP said the laws were passed without consultation and would have allowed private corporations to control the prices of crops.

This, they alleged and wrongly crushed their livelihoods and take away their land.

Five years since then; India is still awaiting the important reforms. 

ends 

 

Nandigram had a date with an 'open fraud' in 2021 :::: Mamata Banerjee claimed her foot was fractured :::: She moved around on wheelchair :::: CID probe may be re-opened now

State CID probe may be re-opened now 

Nandigram had a date with an 'open fraud' in 2021 :::: Mamata Banerjee claimed her foot was fractured ::::  She moved around on a wheelchair    

Apparently, the probe remained incomplete because the erstwhile dispensation always kept the driver of the car on that fateful day away from the CID probe officials.  

In 2021, days after suffering a severe leg injury while filing her nomination in Nandigram, Banerjee made her first public appearance at a massive roadshow in Kolkata. 

Flanked by supporters, she led a 5-kilometer procession from the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road to Hazra, declaring that "an injured tiger is far more dangerous". 

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) heavily centered its campaign around her resilience, using the slogan 'Bhanga Paye Khela Hobe' (Will play with a broken leg) to maintain momentum during the elections.  

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has frequently taken sharp digs at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding her use of a wheelchair during election campaigns. Across multiple assembly election cycles, he has labeled it a "victim card" political tactic, alleging that she stages injuries and illnesses to drum up public sympathy.  

On March 10, 2021, Banerjee alleged she was intentionally pushed by 4–5 unidentified men during campaigning, resulting in severe injuries to her left leg, ankle, and shoulder.

The Investigation: The state government handed the case over to the CID shortly after. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to inspect the Birulia Bazar site, question eyewitnesses, and determine if it was an intentional plot or an accidental crash involving a vehicle door.

Election Commission Findings: The Election Commission of India (ECI) subsequently concluded—based on reports from observers and the state's Chief Secretary—that the injuries were the result of a severe security lapse and an accident, rather than a pre-planned attack.

Political Fallout: The incident became a flashpoint. While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged a conspiracy, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Banerjee of staging a "scripted drama" to gain voter sympathy.  

BJP legislator from Maniktala, Tapas Roy is one newly elected lawmaker who wants this case to be re-examined properly by the CID. 

ends 

ends 

Global pressure is telling :: As War is not nearing end ... an unpredictable but arrogant President Trump woos India :::: Calls PM Modi "great" and "my friend" !!

Desperation ought to be understood; and yet India needs to be cautious with such a President and such a nation.  

"I love India. You (Ambassador Gor) have to make a good speech as a representative of our country. I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister. PM Modi is great; he is my friend," Trump said during a live interaction in Delhi over phone.  

The US President on Sunday delivered a warm message to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual appearance at the 250th US Independence Day celebration hosted at the US Embassy in New Delhi, assuring that India could count on him "100 per cent".

The interaction took place against the backdrop of expanding India-US cooperation on trade, defence and the Quad partnership. In virtual interaction, Trump highlighted both his admiration for PM Modi and the importance of the India-US relationship. All these at a time when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on a three-day visit to India.

It goes without stating that ties between India and the US under Trump 2.0 have continued to fluctuate amid trade tensions.  The timing of the visit is crucial amid reports that Donald Trump was considering relaunching strikes on Iran after talks for a peace deal, which is being mediated by Pakistan, failed to bear any fruit.  

The US President went even further in his remarks, declaring: “Anything India wants, they get,” while also highlighting what he described as America’s strong economic performance under his administration. “We are doing well. We are setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market,” Trump said during the call.

"India can count on me 100 per cent. They call right here. We're doing well. We're setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market and anything India wants to get. I am a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi," Trump said.

Trump also used the occasion to praise US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently visiting India for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

"Marco is the greatest. He is going down as the greatest Secretary of State in the history of our country," Trump said.  

Rubio's visit comes at a significant diplomatic moment as India prepares to host senior representatives from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which includes the US, India, Japan and Australia. The grouping has increasingly emerged as a key strategic platform focused on Indo-Pacific security, maritime cooperation and supply chain resilience amid China’s growing regional influence.

US Ambassador Sergio Gor, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was present at the commemorative event, where Trump addressed attendees virtually. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also attended the embassy celebration. 

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor strongly emphasised the personal chemistry between Trump and PM Modi while describing bilateral ties as stronger than ever.

"Every time the President and I speak, one of the first questions the President will ask is, ‘How is my friend, the Prime Minister doing?’" Gor said. "And that is something that is important to convey because this relationship is not new."

Gor argued that the India-US partnership had entered what he called "a new era of shared success", driven by growing investment, trade and strategic cooperation. "This bond is the foundation of a new era. We are actively delivering on the promise of our cooperation and building a future of tangible achievements," he said.

ends