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A CBI sting for Mamata

Published

9 years ago

on

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and TMC leader Mukul Roy, UNI

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With the Calcutta High Court ordering a probe by the same agency into the Narada sting, is another fight brewing between Modi and the West Bengal CM? 

By Sujit Bhar

With the BJP sweeping polls in Uttar Pradesh and then cleverly annexing Goa and Manipur as well – Uttarakhand was also a clear win for BJP – the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of West Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were in a state of flux and apparent shock. Mamata saw the dream of a “secular opposition” collapse like a pack of cards and the defection to the BJP of its only MLA in Manipur did not help matters.

Now, suddenly, a scandal from the past has resurfaced, hitting the party hard. The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI probe into a sting operation carried out last year by a private online news portal (Narada News), against 14 TMC members, MPs, ministers and even a senior police official close to the party head honchos.

On March 17, the court directed the CBI to investigate the 2016 sting operation. The instruction of a three-day time limit to the CBI for a preliminary report was given by a bench of Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty. The bench also gave the police 24 hours (which ends on March 18) to hand over all documents pertaining to the case to the CBI.

The court has been moved by three PILs filed before it on this issue last year, seeking an independent inquiry into the overall sting operation.

Mamata has reacted with usual panache, saying that she was ready to go to the Supreme Court in this issue, if needs be. She has been reported as saying: “Everyone knows that the sting was published from the BJP office. We are going to the higher court against the Calcutta High Court order.”

Minister Madan Mitra who was jailed for his hand in the Saradha chit fund scam is also an accused

Minister Madan Mitra who was jailed for his hand in the Saradha chit fund scam is also an accused

The sting operation had little effect on the elections, with Mamata coming back to power with an even bigger mandate. One minister was jailed thereafter (Madan Mitra), having been released on bail only recently, but he was arrested because of his association with the Saradha chit fund scam. Also in jail is senior TMC leader Mukul Roy, also associated with the Saradha scam. The Narada sting has yet to affect any TMC leader or operative. However, with the CBI taking over the investigation, things could turn out very different for Mamata.

Mamata has always maintained that the CBI is under the control of the central government, and her recent spat with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left the central leadership angry. If the centre does want to influence the investigation, then manipulating the CBI would be easy. That will leave the TMC with no backdoor exit.

If the sting was indeed made to destabilise the state government before the elections, its repercussions now might have a larger effect on the party and its leadership, especially on Mamata, who has been known to be the only “untainted” leader.

This court order could open doors to further embarrassment for the party.

THE STING

Midway through 2016, and just before the assembly elections in West Bengal, TMC and Mamata were shocked to find the video of a sting operation in the media. Done by Narada News, a private online channel owned and operated by “journalist” Mathew Samuel, a number of videos were circulated to leading media houses.

The video showed 14 members of TMC, including top MPs, ministers, activists and even a senior police officer accepting wads of currency notes totalling nearly Rs 70 lakhs with the promise of future favours. Offering the “bribes” was Samuel, pretending to be a businessman from Chennai who wanted to apparently speed up operations when his fake company starts operations in the state.

A video grab of the sting

A video grab of the sting

The timing of the release of the video – just before elections – was a critical angle, because Samuel had later admitted that the videos with a hidden camera were shot quite some time back. Parties in opposition in West Bengal, including the Congress, the CPI (M) and the BJP, had demanded a CBI probe into the matter and the Calcutta High Court had taken the matter into consideration, following the three PILs filed before it.

An appeal from the TMC to hold onto the matter till elections were over was rejected by the High Court bench of the then Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Arijit Banerjee and it directed Narada News to submit the video footage of its sting.

Caught on video taking “bribes” were TMC MPs Saugata Roy, Suvendu Adhikari, Sultan Ahmed, Aparupa Poddar, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Prasun Banerjee, state ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, MLA Iqbal Ahmed and senior IPS officer SMH Mirza. 

ALSO READ: “Stinging the Trinamool Congress” [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Dharmendra Pradhan submits resignation to PM Modi amid student protests

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party.

Published

3 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major development amid the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Pradhan announced the decision through a post on X, just hours before the Centre was scheduled to hold the third round of talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The resignation of the Education Minister had remained the primary demand of the protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month seeking accountability and reforms in the examination system.

The latest development comes at a crucial time as both sides prepare for another round of discussions aimed at resolving the prolonged standoff.

As of now, there has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office on whether Pradhan’s resignation has been accepted. Further details are awaited.

Resignation comes before key Centre-CJP meeting

The announcement was made only hours before representatives of the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party were expected to meet for the third round of negotiations.

The talks are being closely watched as the government attempts to end the month-long protest, with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan remaining one of the protesters’ central demands.

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CJP says Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation non-negotiable ahead of third round of talks

CJP has hardened its stand before the third round of talks with the Centre, insisting that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation remains its primary and non-negotiable demand.

Published

6 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains its top demand, just hours before the third round of discussions with the Centre on Saturday.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would see little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the minister.

In a post on X, Ranka said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “non-negotiable” and added that there was no point in holding further discussions if the government rejected the demand.

The third round of talks is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours during the second round of discussions on Friday.

According to the CJP, it has placed three key demands before the Centre:

  • Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • A guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students.
  • Compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

During Friday’s meeting, the Centre agreed in principle to two of the demands — ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation. However, the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation remains unresolved.

Speaking after the meeting, JP Nadda said the protesters had also submitted five suggestions for reforms to the examination system. He said the government would hold internal discussions before responding during Saturday’s meeting.

Government sources, however, indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration. According to the sources, the government believes resignation is not the appropriate course of action and continues to back the minister.

Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures aimed at tackling examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases, while the government is preparing amendments to strengthen the law with stricter punishments and higher fines.

The Centre has also replaced the Education Secretary and removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while promising broader reforms within the examination body.

Responding to the action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was insufficient. He maintained that accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister and reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.

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PM Modi’s Instagram reel on exam paper leaks crosses record 303 million views amid Jantar Mantar protests

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direct video address addressing exam paper leaks has crossed 303 million views on Instagram amid student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.

Published

7 hours ago

on

July 25, 2026

By

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crossed a global digital milestone, with a single Instagram reel gathering over 303 million views within a 24-hour period. The massive social media turnout eclipsed the previous global record of 300 million views. The digital milestone unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing demonstrations by thousands of youth and student protesters gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding systemic reforms and accountability following examination malpractices.

Following the high engagement on his initial post, the Prime Minister released a follow-up video message titled “Thank you friends” to express gratitude to young citizens for their constructive suggestions and feedback.

Late-night message addresses student concerns

The record-breaking digital engagement began with a rare late-night selfie video posted by Prime Minister Modi. In the clip, he directly addressed public anxieties regarding examination paper leaks and promised strict executive action against offenders.

By utilizing a direct video format aimed at connecting with younger demographics, the Prime Minister emphasized that the administration treats competitive exam malpractices with extreme seriousness rather than as a minor issue.

Cabinet plans fast-track courts and strict penalties

Detailing actions undertaken over the preceding two and a half months, the Prime Minister stated that the primary objective of the administration has been protecting candidates from losing an academic year. He highlighted the extensive administrative coordination required to arrange re-examinations swiftly for affected candidates.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Union Cabinet will move forward with a strict legal framework. The proposed measures include establishing fast-track courts and imposing harsh penalties on individuals or criminal syndicates involved in leaking examination papers.

The initial late-night communication generated a surge of approximately one million new followers on the Prime Minister’s profile overnight. In his follow-up statement, PM Modi appreciated the active dialogue created among the youth, remarking that citizen engagement helps strengthen governance.

“This love of yours will remain, and our bond will continue to connect with even more vibrancy,” the Prime Minister stated, thanking supporters for their active involvement.

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