Browsing: West Bengal

A hundred days into Suvendu Adhikari’s tenure as West Bengal Chief Minister, the BJP government displays an ambitious industrial agenda alongside worrying governance instincts. As cultural confrontations and early extortion charges surface, the administration faces a critical test of economic delivery ahead of crucial civic elections.

The centenary of Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar has become more than a celebration of his contribution to films. It has also turned into a political moment, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) using the actor’s enduring popularity to strengthen its cultural connection with West Bengal. Uttam Kumar, popularly known as the “Mahanayak”, remains one of the most respected figures in Bengali culture, nearly five decades after his death.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee was summoned by the Kolkata Police in connection with a clash that broke out during the removal of an alleged illegal billboard from the party’s office on Camac Street. The development has sparked a fresh political controversy in West Bengal, with the TMC leader alleging political vendetta after being questioned by the police.

Ahead of Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar’s birth centenary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to the legendary actor in his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, recalling a personal memory of passing by his Kolkata residence during a roadshow before the Assembly elections and receiving a photograph of him as a gift.