India news: Mamata Banerjee vows to 'fight or die' at protest in Kolkata

India news: Mamata Banerjee vows to 'fight or die' Published June 2, 2026last updated June 2, 2026What you need to know - Mamata Banerjee led a large sit-in protest in Kolkata - The protest is against alleged attacks on party leaders and an eviction drive by the BJP - 30 Indian truck drivers arrested in US for residing illegally - India says '99%' of first tranche of India-US trade deal done - Nepal's ruling party chief calls for closer ties with India Below is a roundup of some of the top headlines that got India talking on Tuesday, June 2: Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google.Then tap the "Star" or "Preferred" to keep DW News at the top of your feed. Mamata Banerjee leads large protest in Kolkata Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a large protest in central Kolkata against alleged post-election attacks on Trinamool Congress (TMC) party leaders and workers, including her nephew and member of parliament Abhishek Banerjee. Senior TMC leader and MP Derek O'Brien posted on X that police denied permission to have the sit-in protest at the initial venue and it was moved to another location nearby. "…you CAN’T STOP HER. From a bus stand on the streets of Kolkata leading us all-fighting for rights of hawkers evicted illegally, post poll violence & atrocities," O'Brien said in his post. Addressing supporters through a megaphone after authorities allegedly barred microphones and a stage, Banerjee accused the BJP-led state government of targeting opposition leaders and forcibly evicting hawkers. "We will fight or die," she said, according to The Hindustan Times, while announcing that opposition parties would soon meet in Delhi to discuss a nationwide response. WATCH: Inside India's ghost villages — where new life is returning More than 1,700 villages lie abandoned in northern India because of rising heat. Now, a younger generation is returning with climate-resilient business ideas and new hope. India says '99%' of first tranche of India-US trade deal done India and the United States have resolved most of the issues in the first phase of a bilateral trade deal, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said late Monday. "About 99% of the issues have been settled," Goyal told reporters ahead of three days of talks with a US delegation beginning on Tuesday. The delegation, led by Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, is meeting Indian officials to finalize the trade agreement, which both sides first outlined in February. Goyal said only "minor details" remained and expressed confidence that the first tranche of the pact would soon be signed, with negotiations continuing later on a broader agreement. Washington and New Delhi aim to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion (€429.4 billion) by 2030. India: The toxic beauty of marble waste Beautiful yet dangerous, Kishangarh's marble dumps attract tourists but spread toxic dust and pollute groundwater. Nepal's ruling party chief calls for closer ties with India Rabi Lamichhane, head of Nepal's ruling party, called for closer economic and strategic ties with India during a visit to New Delhi on Tuesday. Lamichhane visited the headquarters of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party under its "Know BJP" outreach initiative and met party president Nitin Nabin. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to party spokesman Manish Jha. "A stable and prosperous Nepal is a natural guardrail along India's northern border, whereas a politically fractured Nepal makes India nervous about instability in the neighborhood," Lamichhane wrote in The Hindustan Times on Tuesday. "Nepal's economic development is, therefore, a strategic necessity for India," Lamichhane added. Analysts said the visit could help reset ties between the neighbors as Nepal balances relations with India and China. 30 Indian truck drivers arrested in US for residing illegally US Border Patrol arrested 30 Indian nationals for illegally residing in the country while operating commercial vehicles, authorities said Monday. The arrests were made during Operation Checkmate, conducted May 11-15 in Arizona’s Yuma Sector, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement. A total of 52 people were arrested. Several possessed employment authorization documents obtained during the Biden administration, but officials said the permits were no longer valid, according to the statement. All arrested individuals will be deported, according to CBP. "Operation Checkmate reflects our commitment to safeguarding communities and roads from unlawfully present drivers who pose significant risks to public safety," said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin W. Caudle. "My agents are on patrol every day to ensure we stop these individuals and prevent more deadly crashes from occurring on the road across the United States." The operation follows recent fatal crashes involving Indian truckers living illegally in the US, including a crash in Florida in August last year that killed three people and another in California in October, which also killed three people. Mamata Banerjee presses ahead with protest amid turmoil in TMC Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee said she is going ahead with a planned sit-in in Kolkata on Tuesday despite lacking police permission, media reports said. "If we are not allowed to hold a dharna (sit-in protest) there, I will sit wherever I am stopped. I am ready to be arrested," Banerjee said, according to The Hindustan Times. The protest is against alleged attacks on party leaders and an eviction drive by the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. Banerjee has been at loggerheads with the BJP after she lost the recent election to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. On Sunday, TMC leader and Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee claimed he was attacked, suffering an eye injury. He termed it a "BJP-sponsored" attempt on his life. Meanwhile, internal rifts continue to trouble the TMC. The party expelled legislative assembly members Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha for anti-party activities on Monday. Welcome to our coverage Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio, bringing you the top news from across the country. The post-election turmoil in for Mamata Banerjee and her party continues as fissures within the Trinamool Congress party deepens. Banerjee has announced a sit-in protest in Kolkata today. In the US, at least 30 Indians were arrested for illegally living in the country. Authorities said they are all set to be deported. Meanwhile, Germany's new dual citizenship rules allowed most newly naturalized citizens in 2025 to retain their original nationality. However, Indians do not stand to benefit because India does not allow dual nationality. For all this and more, follow our live blog.