MAMATA’S THREE CASES

 

MAMATA’S THREE CASES

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

CASE:---A

Mamata Banerjee's highly controversial "Gand(h)a Dharm" (dirty religion) statement was made during an Eid-ul-Fitr gathering on Kolkata's Red Road. She accused the BJP (which she referred to as a "Jumla Party") of deliberately fabricating a hateful version of Hinduism for political division.

The Statement & Context of the Core Remark: Speaking at the Red Road event, Banerjee stated: "I don't believe in the 'Ganda Dharam' that this 'Jumla Party' has made. I don't believe in that dharma.”

Legal Action: The remarks led to multiple FIRs against her. For instance, a Siliguri-based lawyer filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Police Station.

Charges: Police booked her under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for sections relating to criminal intimidation, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, and promoting enmity/communal disharmony.

Following articles of BNSS may apply:

Section 299: Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

Section 351(1): Criminal intimidation.

Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke  breach of the peace.

Section 353(2): Circulating or publishing statements, rumors, or false news containing material to promote enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different classes or groups.

CASE—B

During a protest at Dharamtala against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of  electoral roll exercise, Mamata Banerjee made a highly controversial remark implying that the safety of the majority community depended entirely on her party’s political presence.

The Statement, Switching from Hindi to Bengali during her speech, she addressed the audience regarding the advantage of Trinamool Congress (TMC) remaining in power and stated: (In  Bengali, addressing the crowd), that she and her party are the reason for the safety of those are present here. She added that if her party were not in power, they (meaning majority Hindu community) would be ruined instantly, by another community, who would be getting united against them, while urging the crowd to ignore BJP propaganda to avoid this outcome.

The Context and Controversy of the Protest: The five-day sit-in at the Dharna Mancha in Esplanade was held to protest the SIR voter list revision, which the TMC alleged was being used to improperly remove citizens from electoral rolls.

The Backlash: Critics and opposing political parties strongly condemned the speech, labeling it communal, fear-mongering and a strategy to polarize voters.

Legal Action: A formal FIR was filed against Banerjee at the Hare Street Police Station, with accusations that her remarks were intended to create communal discord and threaten public peace. She was booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation.

The BNSS articles may be applicable, are :

Section 196(1): Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony. Section 351(2): Punishment for criminal intimidation.  Section 352: Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.

CASE:-- C

Mamata Banerjee claimed that Union Home Minister personally called her to suppress information regarding the high-profile assassination of Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi. She made the explosive allegations during a public rally in Kolkata, sparking a major diplomatic and domestic political row.

The Core Statement& The Allegation: Speaking at a demonstration in Kolkata, the former West Bengal Chief Minister alleged that Home Minister advised her to keep the arrest of the prime suspects hidden. She claimed Shah told her, "Please tell the Bengal Police not to let this matter come out. It is in the country's interest."

Withholding Identities: Banerjee stated that West Bengal's Special Task Force (STF) successfully tracked and arrested the killers after they crossed the border via Meghalaya. She asserted that she knows the masterminds behind the hit but refused to publicly name them, stating that doing so would trigger widespread violence and "turmoil" across Bangladesh.

The Background of the Case & The Victim: Sharif Osman Hadi was a prominent student leader and spokesperson for the Islamist platform Inqilab Mancha, who was shot dead by motorcyclists in Dhaka.

The Arrests: Following the murder, the West Bengal STF arrested the prime accused, Faisal Karim Masud, and an associate from the Bongaon border area in North 24 Parganas.

The Backlash and Legal Fallout / Geopolitical Impact: Political analysts and media platforms like The  Print criticized her statement, warning that implicating Indian authorities in a sensitive Bangladeshi murder could severe diplomatic ties and amplify anti-India sentiment across the border. Worse—it could have started murdering HINDUS there! A very irresponsible statement!

Bangladesh's Response: The Bangladeshi government largely downplayed her domestic political posturing. According to The Wire, a Bangladeshi minister dismissed her remarks as "not our matter to discuss," while confirming that Dhaka is actively coordinating with India to extradite the suspects.

Legal Actions: A criminal complaint was filed against Banerjee at the Siliguri Cyber Crime Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complaint accuses her of spreading misinformation, endangering national integrity, and disrupting communal harmony.

Legal Context of the Complaint: The complainant, lawyer Rinki Chatterjee Singh, argued that accusing the Union Home Ministry of suppressing information regarding a high-profile Bangladeshi political murder could severely damage India’s international reputation, cause diplomatic tensions, and incite extremist elements or public disorder.

Discussion: It seems to me that our immediate  Ex. C.M. of West Bengal suffers from highly Cerebral Constipation accompanying verbal Diarrhea. She is not having any immunity, for criminal offences.

I pray to present CM of Bengal, HM, and P.M. of India that she gets her due punishment without any relief. And I request INC to think many times, before ptovidiing her shelter in INC.

Kalyan Babu, & Bikash Babu—your job is to help Judiciary to punish the ‘CRIMINALS’. Not to act contrary!

JAI HIND! Vande Mataram!

Disclaimer: I have compiled the BLOG incorporating the facts available as per printed medias, you tube and public domains. I beg pardon if I made any mistake. The sources of informations are listed below:

NDTV, HINDU, STATESMAN, Hindustan Times, The Print, Times of India, ABP