‘Fear and corruption are Bengal’s identity’: Amit Shah targets Mamata Banerjee government | WATCH
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, alleging that the state has been gripped by “fear and corruption” for over a decade and accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of allowing illegal infiltration for political gains.
Addressing a press conference, Shah claimed that development in West Bengal had come to a standstill due to corruption under the current government. He alleged that welfare schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi were being obstructed by what he described as a “toll syndicate” operating in the state.
“Fear and corruption have become West Bengal's identity for the last 14 years,” Shah said, adding that the BJP would work to revive Bengal’s heritage and culture once it comes to power. He asserted that West Bengal holds special significance for the BJP, noting that the party’s founder, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, hailed from the state.
Shah also raised serious concerns over alleged illegal immigration through West Bengal’s borders, accusing the state government of deliberately failing to act. He questioned why infiltration had been curbed in neighbouring Assam and Tripura but continued in West Bengal.
“Mamata, today I want to ask you a simple question. Which government refuses to provide land for border fencing? I will answer it myself -- it is your government that does not provide land for border fencing” Shah alleged. He claimed that infiltrators were entering through Bengal and were not being pushed back, accusing the state administration of turning a blind eye to the issue to expand its vote bank.
Calling infiltration a matter of national security, Shah said the issue could only be addressed if the BJP formed the government in the state. “Infiltration through Bengal's borders is not just a state issue; it is a matter of national security. If we want to protect the nation's culture and ensure its security, we must bring in a government that will seal Bengal's borders. The TMC cannot do this. Only the BJP can,” he said.
BJP would win Bengal with 2/3rd majority: Shah
Exuding confidence ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Shah predicted a decisive victory for the BJP. Citing the party’s rising vote share over the years, he said the BJP would form the next government in West Bengal with a two-thirds majority.
"In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got 17 per cent votes and two seats. Our party got 10 per cent of the votes and three assembly seats in the 2016 Assembly elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 41 per cent of the vote (share) and 18 seats. The party got 21 per cent of the votes and 77 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections. The party, which won three seats in 2016, won 77 seats over the span of five years. Meanwhile, Congress reached zero. The Communist alliance could not get even one seat. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured 39 per cent of the votes and 12 seats. In 2026, the BJP will form the government with a majority in West Bengal," Shah said,” Shah said, asserting that the state was ready for a new political direction.