Mamata debuts on Facebook, says Kalam the choice of millions

June 16, 2012

Kolkata, June 16: Taking up the campaign for APJ Abdul Kalam online, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said her choice of the Presidential candidate was the choice of millions of Indians.

Debuting on social networking site Facebook, she wrote in her first post, "I gave voice to what millions of Indians want to see in a President."

Refusing to budge from her stand, she said, "My party is a small party. We are not a big party with none of the resources others possess. We are led by truth and conviction. All through my life I have stood by my principles. I stand by the position I have taken".

Stating that the will of the people is supreme in a democracy, Banerjee requested fellow citizens to petition their public representatives to stand up, support and vote for Kalam.

"Let your voice be heard. I will bow to the will of the people," she said.

Describing the 'missile man' as a proud and distinguished son of India who continues to inspire all Indians, the chief minister said Kalam remains above narrow politics.

"He is a seeker of truth, a fount of knowledge and an impartial voice of reason and sanity, who is above narrow politics. He is the kind of man all our citizens aspire to make President," Banerjee said.

The TMC chief had joined hands with SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to propose the name of Kalam. However, the SP later broke away and pledged support to Pranab Mukherjee, leaving the West Bengal Chief Minister totally isolated.

Unfazed by the isolation after Congress-led UPA named Mukherjee as its Presidential nominee, Banerjee said last night that her party remained firm on the candidature of Kalam and said "the game has just begun".

"We are firm on the candidature of Kalam. He is the fittest candidate. We are not shifting from our stand of what we have announced earlier," Banerjee had said.

Noting that she and her party has already given a clarion call to other parties to support Kalam as President, Banerjee said, "Along with my other fellow citizens I can only urge them to consider this call. Let our country be led forward by people such as him, people of free thought and honourable action who will not hesitate to do what is just and right".

By recalling Tagore's famous lines of 'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high' in her first posting on any social networking site, she said, "I am a humble, transparent, common person like the vast majority of you".

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Manipur CM is mastermind behind violence; Centre lied in Supreme Court: Kuki MLAs

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November 11,2024

The Manipur Kuki MLAs have released a statement calling out Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's 'lies' in the Supreme Court. In a joint statement, the MLAs, including those from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said they had not had any meeting with the Chief Minister since May 3, 2023, nor did they intend to meet him in the future as “he was the mastermind behind the violence”.

As per the MLAs, the SG lied about state CM N Biren Singh speaking to Kuki MLAs to control the situation there, in order to halt a Supreme Court probe into the leaked tapes which allege that Singh has been complicit in the violence that broke out between Kukis and Meitis there.

"We...clarify that we have never had any meeting with Chief Minister, Shri N. Biren Singh since May 3, 2023, nor have any intention to meet him in future as he is the mastermind behind the violence and ethnic cleansing of our people from the Imphal valley, which is continuing till today, the latest being the brutal killing and burning of Mrs Zosangkim Hmar on November 7, 2024," the letter read, while condemning the recent 'barbaric' killing of the woman there, and noting the SG's assertion is 'tantamount' to misleading the top court.

“We, the undersigned ten MLAs, have come to know that during the Supreme Court hearing held on November 8, 2024, the Solicitor General of India submitted that ‘CM is meeting all Kuki MLAs and trying to bring the situation down to get peace’. In this connection, we hereby categorically state that this submission is a blatant lie and tantamount to misleading the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the statement said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition by a Kuki organisation, asked that it submit audio tapes to substantiate its claim that the Chief Minister was instrumental in inciting and organising violence in the northeastern State.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta orally informed the court that the Chief Minister was meeting all the Kuki-Zo MLAs and that peace in the State had come at a huge cost.

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Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai as India-Afghan ties improve

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November 12,2024

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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