Kolkata, Dec 22: Senior BJP leader and party MP Saumitra Khan on Tuesday sent a divorce notice to his wife Sujata Mondal Khan, a day after she joined the Trinamool Congress.

Khan’s lawyer sent the mutual divorce notice, where several marital issues were cited for seeking the separation.

Sujata Mondol Khan, the wife of BJP MP from West Bengal’s Bishnupur on Monday found her marriage on the rocks when her husband of 10 years threatened to divorce her after she joined the ruling TMC.

Claiming that “misfit and corrupt leaders” were getting more importance in the BJP than those loyal to the party, she shifted allegiance to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.

A furious Khan hurriedly called a press conference on Monday evening where he announced his decision to “sever the 10-year relationship”.

“You (Sujata) have come this far as you had chanted Jai Shree Ram, chanted in favour of (Narendra) Modiji, as you were the wife of Saumitra Khan,” a livid Khan said.

“Please refrain from using the ‘Khan’ surname hereafter, please don’t refer to yourself as Saumitra Khan’s wife. I am giving you all the freedom to chart your political destiny. But please don’t forget you are siding with those who had attacked your parents’ residence in 2019 after I joined the BJP,” Khan had said.

Washington, Dec 22: A Democratic American lawmaker on Tuesday urged the Indian government to provide safety to the protesting farmers as he hailed the recent offers of dialogue and a proposal from India’s Supreme Court to set up mediation.

India has called the remarks by foreign leaders and politicians on protests by farmers as “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”, asserting that the matter pertains to the internal affairs of a democratic country.

“We have seen some ill-informed comments relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said early this month.

“I call on India’s government to demonstrate its commitment to democratic norms by guaranteeing protesters’ safety and by treating them with respect. Democracy demands this much,” Congressman David Trone said.

Trone, who represents the sixth Congressional District of Maryland, also expressed concern over reports of violence used against the protesters. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018.

“I further welcome the government’s engagement with the protestors, including recent offers of dialogue and a proposal from India’s Supreme Court to set up mediation,” he said in a statement.

“As we continue to watch the democratic process unfold in India, where stakeholders from all sides are included, I’m hopeful to see a path forward that respects the rights of all Indians,” said Trone, who previously was owner of a major American wine retailer.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states have been protesting on various borders of Delhi since November 26, seeking repeal of three farm laws enacted in September.

Dubbing these laws as “anti-farmer”, these farmers claim that the newly enacted legislations would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture. There have been multiple rounds of talks between representatives of the protestors and the Indian government but the logjam continues.

“The partnership between the United States and India has grown exponentially over the course of the past several years based on shared interest in a variety of areas: from security and trade to climate change and human rights,” he said.

“Our relationship with India not only helps anchor US policy in the Indo-Pacific, but it serves to set an example for cooperation that extends far beyond our two countries. As President-elect (Joe) Biden takes office in January, I look forward to working with the new Administration to strengthen this partnership based on the democratic values President-elect Biden has espoused throughout his career,” he said.

Trone said India’s citizens, like those of the US, have a longstanding tradition of engaging in a civic debate that aims to hold the government accountable to its people.

“We are reminded of this as thousands of Indians have taken to the streets in recent weeks to peacefully protest implementation of new laws. Their demonstration is an exercise of the democratic process, one that grants civic rights and freedom of expression, he said.

New Delhi, Dec 22: Kanta Prasad, the owner of the small eatery ‘Baba ka Dhaba’ that was recently in the limelight on social media, on Monday opened a new restaurant in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area.

The new restaurant has also been named Baba ka Dhaba’.

“We have opened a restaurant today which is near my small eatery. We will serve Indian and Chinese cuisines and have hired two chefs for the same. I will keep running my old eatery also,” Prasad said.

The 80-year-old said he has opened the restaurant at a rented accommodation.

Tushant Adlakha, a social worker who also works with Prasad, said the restaurant will start functioning from Wednesday.

“Today, it was the opening of the restaurant. Prasad will take two days to set up the kitchen and from Wednesday, they will start serving food to customers. They have both dine-in and take away options. They have hired two chefs and the rest of their family members are helping in the restaurant,” Adlakha said.

Prasad had shot to fame after a video of him tearfully talking about the financial distress he faced in the months since the lockdown was shot by a man and shared widely across social media platforms.

Nearly a month after his video went viral, Prasad had filed a complaint against the YouTuber for alleged misappropriation of funds.

In his complaint to police, Prasad had alleged that the man who shot and published the video “intentionally and deliberately shared only his and his family/friends bank details and mobile numbers with the donors and collected huge amount of donation… without providing any information to the complainant”.

Absence of Rajib Banerjee, the minister for forest affairs, was said to be politically significant as there are strong speculations that he might quit the Trinamool Congress.

KOLKATA: Four ministers of West Bengal government skipped cabinet meeting convened by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday at Nabanna, the State secretariat.

Though three of them cited seemingly genuine reasons, absence of Rajib Banerjee, the minister for forest affairs, was said to be politically significant as there are strong speculations that he might quit the Trinamool Congress.

The three others in Mamata’s cabinet, who did not turn up to attend the meeting, were Rabindranath Ghosh, the north Bengal development minister, tourism minister Gautam Deb and Chandranath Sinha, the minister for fisheries.

Sources in the TMC said Ghosh was tested positive for Covid-19 recently and presently, he is not taking part in any administrative activities.

He said besides his health issue, he decided not to leave his constituency because Mamata’s latest initiative ‘Duare Sarkar’ (government at your door-step) is being carried out there.

“Deb is based in north Bengal and travelling to Kolkata was not safe in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic,’’ said a TMC leader. Deb is known as one of the most trusted lieutenant of Mamata. Sinha from Bolpur said he was busy to oversee the preparedness ahead of the chief minister’s Bolpur visit on December 28 and 29.

“I am very much with the Trinamool Congress and I will be with the party. There is no question of shifting my political alignment,’’ he said.

Banerjee, however, could not be contacted for his comment explaining the reason behind his absence in the cabinet meeting.

In the recent past, Banerjee expressed his discontent on several occasions on the issue of the functioning of a section of party functionaries.

The mega event that saw participation by CM Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues along with their spouses at Akshardham Temple here was telecast live.

NEW DELHI: An activist on Tuesday cited an RTI reply claiming that the AAP government in Delhi spent Rs 6 crore on its Laxmi Puja event and live telecast on Diwali this year.

No reaction was immediately available from the Delhi government or Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The activist, Saket Gokhale, tweeted the purported RTI reply to his query from Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation.

He said, “Delhi AAP Govt. spent 6 crores (approx $0.8 million) of taxpayer money for the Laxmi Puja event & its live telecast done by @ArvindKejriwal on 14 November, 2020. This whopping cost of 6 crores public money was for a 30-minute puja. Thats 20 lakh rupees per minute.”

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had appealed Delhiites to refrain from bursting crackers on Diwali in view of high pollution levels and instead urged them to participate in Laxmi Puja on the festival day.

The mega event that saw participation by Chief Minister Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues along with their spouses at Akshardham Temple here was telecast live.

Sharing Gokhale’s tweet, Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar trained his guns at Kejriwal accusing the CM of seeking publicity by spending the money at a time when doctors, nurses and health workers were sitting on hunger strike due to non-payment of their salaries.