Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal’s ruling All India Trinamool Congress, releasing a “charge sheet” against the government and framing the upcoming state elections as crucial for national security.
Addressing a press briefing in Kolkata, Shah accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of allowing infiltration into India and said the polls in Bengal were “not only for the state but for the country’s security.”
“Mamata Didi has always played the politics of the victim card… but the people of Bengal now understand this very well,” Shah said.
He alleged that during the TMC’s 15-year rule, West Bengal had become the country’s “principal corridor” for infiltration due to “appeasement politics, corruption and political violence.” Claiming infiltration through BJP-ruled Assam had nearly ended, Shah said Bengal remained the primary route for illegal entry into India.
“The security of the entire country is, in a way, linked to the Bengal election,” he added, warning that the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor was at risk.
Shah also accused the state government of not providing land for border fencing, alleging it was aimed at creating a “vote bank” of infiltrators. He said the BJP would remove illegal immigrants from voter rolls and expel them from the country if voted to power.
TMC hits back
Hours later, senior TMC leaders, including Mahua Moitra, Bratya Basu and Kirti Azad, rejected Shah’s claims, calling the “charge sheet” an attack on the people of Bengal.
Moitra questioned the Centre’s handling of security issues, citing violence in Manipur and recent terror incidents. “Shah should first answer about Manipur, which has bled for years,” she said.
Basu dismissed the infiltration charge, pointing out that the BJP governs the Centre and several border states. “If infiltration is happening, what has the Union Home Minister done to stop it?” he asked.
He also criticised the Election Commission, alleging it had failed to identify foreign nationals on electoral rolls, and accused the BJP of trying to blur distinctions between Bengalis and Bangladeshis to push a “detention camp model” similar to Assam.
Moitra further targeted BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, alleging multiple cases against him, and questioned the Centre’s record on national security incidents.
West Bengal is scheduled to vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with results to be declared on May 4.
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