Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the media after releasing a ‘charge sheet’ against the TMC government, in Kolkata, West Bengal
| Photo Credit:
Swapan Mahapatra
The “charge sheet” highlighted 15 years of “oppression, corruption and bad governance” of the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal.
“Bengal has to choose between fear and trust. For the last 15 years, politics of fear and corruption have been going on. Mamata Banerjee has created a new way of politics by using lies and violence. BJP has been fighting against this. I believe this time our party will form the government in the State,” Shah said, addressing a press conference in Kolkata.
The Union Home Minister said security of the entire country is inextricably linked to the outcome of the Bengal elections. “Only one route remains through which infiltrators enter the country, compromising national security. Therefore, the Bengal election is vital for Bengal in many respects,” he said, alleging that the Trinamool Congress government in Bengal openly facilitated infiltration and thus, it is obvious that the State has highest number of such people.
Shah said one of the objectives of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls of the State is to “remove” the names of infiltrators who were wrongly registered as voters which resulted in an “artificial demographic change”.
On the SIR issue, the BJP leader took a dig at Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, for attacking the Election Commission.
“SIR is happening across the entire country, yet nowhere else did judicial officers have to be deployed — only in Bengal. What is the reason for this? Mamata Banerjee should answer this to the people of Bengal. She is levelling allegations against SIR; however, today I wish to ask the people of Bengal: should those infiltrators who have been kept here be allowed to decide the future of Bengal?,” he added.
Hitting back Amit Shah and the BJP, Mamata Banerjee asserted that the saffron party would lose power across the country in its attempt to destroy West Bengal.
“By attempting to destroy Bengal, the BJP will lose power across the country. There must be a Lakshman Rekha, but the BJP is crossing all limits.” the Trinamool Congress supremo said, while addressing a poll rally in Raniganj in Paschim Bardhaman district.
“If the BJP comes to power in the State, they will use bulldozers and throw everyone out,” she claimed, accusing the Election Commission of working at the behest of the BJP to “delete” voters’ names through the SIR of electoral rolls.
Published on March 28, 2026