KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: With the West Bengal Assembly elections just weeks away, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday, releasing a “charge sheet” against the Mamata Banerjee government. He claimed the election is a battle not only for the state but for the country’s security.
Within hours, the TMC hit back, accusing the BJP of trying to polarize the people of Bengal while raising questions about the BJP’s record on Manipur, the Pahalgam massacre, and the Red Fort blast.
Amit Shah’s Allegations
At a press briefing in Kolkata, Shah launched a scathing critique of the 15-year-long TMC rule.
| Allegation | Details |
|---|---|
| Victim-Card Politics | “Mamata Didi has always played the politics of the victim card. Sometimes she talks about her injury, sometimes she abuses the Election Commission. But the people of Bengal now understand Mamata Didi’s victim-card politics very well.” |
| Infiltration Corridor | Bengal has become the country’s “principal corridor” for infiltration due to the TMC’s “appeasement politics, corruption and political violence.” Since infiltration through Assam has “almost come to an end,” Bengal remains the sole route for infiltrators. |
| Siliguri Corridor at Risk | The narrow strip connecting the Northeast to the rest of India is being endangered due to the TMC’s appeasement politics. |
| Fencing Denied | The TMC government has not provided land for erecting fences in bordering areas despite attempts to convince them. |
| Vote Bank Politics | The TMC wants to create a vote bank of infiltrators. |
Shah also issued a warning: “I want to ask the people of Bengal – should those infiltrators who have been allowed to stay here be given the right to vote? I want to make it clear from the BJP’s side that we will not only remove infiltrators from the voter list, but we will remove each and every illegal immigrant from the country.”
The Election’s National Importance
“The Bengal election is important not only for Bengal but for the entire country. The security of the entire country is, in a way, linked to the Bengal election,” Shah asserted, framing the upcoming polls as a national security issue.
Trinamool Congress’s Counterattack
Hours after Shah’s press conference, senior TMC leaders—including Bratya Basu, Kirti Azad, and Mahua Moitra—held a press briefing to respond.
| Counter | Details |
|---|---|
| Manipur Violence | “Shah should first answer about violence in Manipur, which has bled continuously for the past three years,” Moitra said. |
| BJP’s Border States | Basu noted that the BJP rules in most border states, including the Centre. “Amit Shah himself is the Union Home Minister. So what exactly has he been waiting for?” |
| Pahalgam Massacre & Red Fort Blast | Moitra pointed to the Pahalgam massacre (26 killed) and the Red Fort blast last year (10+ killed). “Home Minister controls Delhi. These are his record,” she said. |
| Detention Camp Model | Basu accused the BJP of wanting to “blur the line” between Bengalis and Bangladeshis to import their “hateful Assam-style detention camp model” into Bengal. |
| Suvendu Adhikari’s Charge Sheets | Moitra alleged that Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has multiple charge sheets against him but walks free. |
Basu also took a dig at the Election Commission, asking why the “BJP-controlled” body has failed to publish names of foreign nationals on the electoral rolls.
Election Context
West Bengal will go to polls in two phases:
- Phase 1: April 23, 2026
- Phase 2: April 29, 2026
- Results: May 4, 2026
