Making it clear that illegal infiltration will be the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) principal electoral weapon in West Bengal, Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamul Congress government, accusing it of abetting Bangladeshi infiltration for political gains.
Addressing a Press conference in Kolkata for nearly 45 minutes, Shah said the issue of infiltration, along with corruption, misgovernance, political violence and women’s safety, would dominate the BJP’s campaign ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Alleging that people across West Bengal were anxious over unchecked infiltration, Shah asserted that a BJP government would not only identify illegal immigrants but also deport them. “We will not just identify infiltrators, we will drive them out,” he said, claiming that infiltration had become a serious threat not only to Bengal but also to national security and culture. The Union minister accused the Mamata Banerjee government of deliberately obstructing the completion of fencing along the India-Bangladesh border by refusing to provide land.
“Centre wants to secure the border, but the state government is not cooperating,” he said, adding that infiltration had been successfully curbed in Assam and Tripura. “Why does infiltration not happen in Gujarat, Rajasthan or Punjab? Because there the government does not support it,” Shah claimed. Shah said members of the Matua community have no reason to fear because of the SIR exercise. “It is our pledge that all religiously persecuted refugees will be accommodated in the country. Even Mamata Banerjee cannot cause harm to the Matuas,” he said.
Predicting a change of guard in the state, Shah said the BJP would form the government in West Bengal in 2026 with a two-thirds majority. “People of Bengal have resolved to replace fear, corruption and misgovernance with good governance,” he said, alleging that the Trinamul Congress had surpassed the Left in institutionalising politics of fear and violence. Shah said top TMC leaders have been to jails on charges of swindling public money. “People of Bengal have resolved to replace fear, corruption and misgovernance with good governance,” he said.
Raising concerns over women’s safety, Shah said incidents such as RG Kar, Sandeshkhali, Durgapur and Kasba Law College reflected the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state. “Women are being told to return home by 7 p.m. Mothers of this state are counting the days to change the government through their votes,” he remarked. The home minister also launched a scathing attack on the Trinamul government over corruption, alleging that scams had become routine since it came to power. Referring to the recovery of large sums of money from the residence of a minister, Shah questioned the accountability of the chief minister. He cited the imprisonment of several TMC leaders and ministers, claiming that corruption had stalled Bengal’s development.
Painting a grim picture of the state’s economy, Shah said West Bengal, once ranked third in GDP, had slipped to 22nd place. He alleged that more than 7,000 companies had left the state due to corruption and the “cut-money” culture. “While the rest of the country is progressing, Bengal has been pushed backwards,” he said. Shah accused the state government of blocking central welfare schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, for political reasons. “The Centre is ready to provide Rs 5 lakh medical coverage, but the state is denying this benefit to ordinary citizens,” he said.
Highlighting BJP’s electoral growth in the state, Shah said the party’s vote share had risen steadily from 17 per cent in 2014 to nearly 40 per cent in recent elections, emerging as the principal Opposition after decimating the Congress and Left. “These are not empty claims. They are backed by data and public support,” he asserted. Appealing to voters, Shah said Bengal had given chances to the Congress, Left and Trinamul, but the state had only declined. “BJP-ruled states stand for development and good governance. Give us an opportunity, and we will build the Bengal envisioned by our great thinkers,” he said, urging people to vote for change in 2026.