West Bengal

Jalpaiguri (WB), Feb 24 (PTI) Seven houses, alleged to be of BJP supporters, have been vandalised and set on fire in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, police said on Monday.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames, a police officer said.

Kolkata, Feb 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said religions have taught India to live in harmony and not take recourse to divide and rule.

The spirit of harmony was preached by Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Guru Nanak, Lord Buddha, Gandhiji and Netaji and others, she said.

Bolpur (WB), Feb 19 (PTI) Dozens of crude bombs were found in front of a panchayat office, a Trinamool Congress party office and a bank in Birbhum district on Wednesday, police said.

Several bombs lay scattered on the ground in front of the closed gate of the local panchayat office, said people of Sian Muluk village near Bolpur.

The crude bombs were also found before the party office and a nationalised bank early in the morning.

Bomb squad have been informed, police said adding that the matter is being investigated.

Kolkata, Feb 17 (PTI) West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra accused the Centre on Monday of depriving the state of funds and alleged that the BJP-led Union government is deliberately taking steps to sicken public sector undertakings.

While speaking on the state finance bill, Mitra said steps have been taken to ensure that NPAs in LIC increases.

Kolkata, Feb 12 (PTI) Police denied permission for a rally to be attended by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh in Durgapur on Wednesday as a procession by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was scheduled in the same route there.

The permission was not granted because of security-related issues, police sources said.

Kolkata, Feb 13 (PTI) After the BJP's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, poll managers of its West Bengal unit are divided whether to push its aggressive strategy on the CAA-NRC or mellow it down and lace it with alternative policies of governance.

The BJP that recently suffered a defeat at the hands of the AAP, which won the polls for the third consecutive time on the plank of good governance, is in two minds about its strategy for 2021 Assembly polls in West Bengal.

Kolkata, Feb 9 (PTI) A book against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was sold out six days after it was launched in the International Kolkata Book Fair, her publisher said.

Titles favouring and opposing the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC authored by others were also on high demand in the 12-day book fair which concluded on Sunday.

Burdwan (WB), Feb 9 (PTI) A tunnel, believed to be centuries-old, was unearthed while digging a plot of land for building the foundation of a house in West Bengal's East Burdwan district, officials said on Sunday.

During foundation work on the land of Jiarul Mullick in Mahata village under Bhatar block on Saturday, a seven feet by four feet opening of the tunnel was found, the district officials said.

Kolkata, Feb 7 (PTI) A 12-year-old girl who was missing since Thursday evening returned home on Friday and alleged that she was raped by four persons who were later arrested, police said here.

The girl also accused the four of forcing her to drink alcohol. One of the accused is her friend.

After the girl's father lodged a complaint, police arrested two persons from Parnasree area and two others from Ekbalpore on Friday afternoon.

Barddhaman (WB), Feb 5 (PTI) Two local leaders and as many workers of the BJP were arrested with arms and ammunition from Purba Barddhaman district, police said on Wednesday.

They were allegedly carrying a country-made gun, three bullets, four bombs, a sword, a bow and a number of arrows in a car which was parked by the side of a road in Jamalpur area on Tuesday night, police said.

The four were remanded to police custody by a local court where their counsel claimed that they were implicated in a false case.