Kolkata, March 28: Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday released the BJP’s “chargesheet” against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in Kolkata, calling the upcoming polls a decisive choice between “fear and trust.” The move triggered sharp reactions from TMC leaders, who countered with their own “chargesheet”, escalating the political confrontation in the poll-bound state. Addressing a press conference alongside Leader of Opposition Suvende Adhikari and BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya, Shah alleged that West Bengal under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has witnessed 15 years of “fear, corruption and violence.”
He said, “In the coming elections, Bengal has to choose between fear and trust. For the last 15 years, the politics of fear and corruption have been going on. Mamata Banerjee has created a new way of politics by using lies and violence to move her politics forward.” Calling the document a “people’s chargesheet,” Shah added, “This chargesheet is a compilation of the dark deeds of the TMC government over 15 years. The basis of TMC coming to power is lies, fear and violence. Since 2011, BJP has been fighting against this, and I believe this time BJP will form the government in Bengal.” Mamata Banerjee Should Answer Why West Bengal Is Only State Where SIR Faced So Many Hurdles: Amit Shah (Watch Video.
He also flagged issues of infiltration and national security, stating, “This election in Bengal is also very important for national security… Now only one route remains from where infiltrators enter the entire country, and that is Bengal.” Shah praised Adhikari’s outreach, saying he had taken issues of “disorder, anarchy, economic distress and infiltration” to the people. The BJP leader further accused the TMC of failing to deliver on its promise of “Sonar Bangla,” alleging that the state had become “a laboratory for corruption” and “a graveyard for industry.”
In response, TMC leaders launched a blistering counterattack. TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “Today, a tainted “tadipar” jailbird flew into Bengal to present a chargesheet against the state, essentially branding every Bengali as criminal. As if repeatedly calling Bengalis “ghuspaithya” and our language “Bangladeshi” wasn’t enough. Just wait till 4th May. On that day, the real chargesheet will be presented, not by any Bohiragoto, but by the people of Bengal themselves.”
“A chargesheet against the Bangla-Birodhi Delhi Zamindars. A chargesheet against the deliberate withholding of Bengal’s rightful funds. A chargesheet against the insult of Bengal’s luminaries. A chargesheet against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. A chargesheet against their criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Bengal’s voters through SIR. A chargesheet against the communal poison they are trying to inject into Bengal’s veins,” Banerjee said. “People Eager to Form BJP Govt:” Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guwahati.
Calling the elections results the ultimate chargesheet Banerjee said, “A chargesheet against years of NEGLECT, DISCRIMINATION, DIVISION, DEPRIVATION and HUMILIATION inflicted on our Maa, Mati, Manush. The massive outpouring of love, warmth and affection I witnessed in Labpur, Birbhum has filled me with confidence. I call upon the people of Labpur to vote for Shri Abhijit Sinha (Rana), and send a message that Bengal does not accept chargesheets from outsiders. Bengal issues them. And on 4th May, Bengal will present the mother of all chargesheets against BJP.”
TMC MP Mahua Moitra accused Shah of insulting Bengalis, saying, “You have declared every Bengali as a criminal… first you insult us, then you deprive us, then you criminalise us, and then you harass us.” She also questioned the functioning of central agencies, alleging, “The ED has filed nearly 6,000 cases, 98% against opposition leaders… conviction rate is just 0.42%.” “Bengalis are a very proud race. We led the war for independence against the British. Who were the Gujaratis?… 68% of the names of the people who were killed and incarcerated in Kala Pani were Bengalis, followed by Punjabis. Can you name me one Gujarati who was there, apart from your big hero, Veer Savarkar, who only wanted to sit and write apology letters? Please let us know,” Moitra remarked.
Senior TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay expressed confidence in the Party’s prospects, stating, “The position that Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress have from the last three years, they will retain the first position again.” Furthermore, the TMC accused the BJP of targeting Bengal itself, stating that the party “labels every Bengali as ‘Bangladeshi’ or ‘Ghuspaithiya'” and is “withholding Bengal’s rightful dues.”
“@BJP4India does not merely oppose Bengal’s elected government. It opposes Bengal itself. Every Bengali, in the eyes of this party, is a suspect, labelled “Bangladeshi” or “Ghuspaithiya” to strip an entire people of their dignity and belonging. Bengali migrant workers are attacked in BJP-ruled states for no crime other than speaking their mother tongue. Bengal’s rightful financial dues are systematically withheld, starving the state’s development to settle political scores. And now @AmitShah arrives in Bengal with a “chargesheet”, a man once jailed, once branded a “tadipar” by the courts, standing in moral judgement of an entire state. Is this the party that dares to speak of law, order, and the dignity of Bengal?” the party wrote on X.
On the other hand, BJP leaders defended the chargesheet. BJP MP Ghulam Ali Khatana said, “If intruders consume the resources of this country, where will the citizens of this country go? This is a very unfortunate situation. SIR, it was a very good step by the Election Commission, and this should happen… The citizens of the country have the right only over the resources of the country.” Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the TMC’s counter-chargesheet reflected “panic,” adding, “If the TMC releases a chargesheet after ours, it means there is panic among them regarding the truth in our chargesheet.”
Majumdar also targeted Banerjee over law and order, stating, “The Election Commission has transferred almost 70 officers… Mamata Banerjee used to manage a lot of things through these officers. She is scared.” He asserted that the BJP would form the next government in the state. Meanwhile, election authorities are stepping up monitoring mechanisms. Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta said, “There will be complete webcasting in all 80,000 plus booths… each booth will be covered by one webcam inside and one outside, ensuring full transparency.” The high-decibel exchange comes as West Bengal prepares for elections in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia’s leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)