Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over Murshidabad violence and asserted that the BJP will form Bengal government in 2026.
Amit Shah also declared that “Operation Sindoor is not over yet” during his address at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organisational meeting held at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. He warned that anyone attempting to disrupt peace would be met with a “befitting reply.”
Shah launched a blistering attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing it of state-sponsored violence in connection with the unrest that broke out in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in April.
“Violence in Murshidabad Was State-Sponsored”
Referring to the April incident in Murshidabad, Shah alleged, “When violence erupted, the Union Home Ministry repeatedly requested the state government to deploy the Border Security Force (BSF). The state refused. Central forces were deployed only after a High Court order. A TMC leader was present at the site, encouraging the rioters. This was clearly state-sponsored.”
Shah also inaugurated a new building of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata.
Sharp Criticism of TMC Governance
Drawing comparisons between past and present regimes in Bengal, Shah said, “Bengal suffered under decades of Communist rule. Mamata Didi came to power with her slogan of ‘Ma, Mati, Manush,’ but has now turned the state into a hub of infiltration, corruption, crimes against women, bomb blasts, and atrocities against Hindus.”
He also alleged that political violence persists in West Bengal while it has ceased in other parts of the country. “Hundreds of BJP workers have been killed during and after elections in Bengal,” Shah claimed.
2026 Elections: Shah Predicts BJP Victory
Asserting confidence in the BJP’s prospects, Shah said, “Didi, your time is up. BJP will form the government in 2026. If you have the courage, contest the elections without violence and rigging. The people of Bengal will not even let you keep your security deposit.”
He linked the state’s political future to national security, claiming that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has “opened international borders to infiltrators to secure her vote bank and ensure her nephew’s political future.”
TMC Retorts: Shah Living in a Dream
TMC leaders were quick to respond. Party MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar dismissed Shah’s claims, saying, “Shah is dreaming if he thinks BJP will form the next government. The TMC will return to power for a fourth consecutive term with more than 250 seats.”
State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also rejected the Operation Sindoor comments, stating, “The BJP is politicising Sindoor, a deeply emotional symbol for women, for electoral gains.” She added, “If there is infiltration, who guards the border? The BSF reports to the Union Home Minister. Shah’s statements expose his own failure.”
Responding to allegations of rigging and violence, Bhattacharya said, “The Election Commission of India is responsible for conducting elections. If there are irregularities, it is the ECI’s failure, not the state’s.”
As West Bengal braces for the 2026 Assembly elections, the war of words between the BJP and the TMC is set to intensify, with Operation Sindoor becoming a new political flashpoint.
