SiligurUnion Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday tore into the TMC, alleging that no other administration in the country was as corrupt as the Mamata Banerjee-led government, and accusing it of fuelling social divisions in West Bengal for electoral gains.
Addressing a massive BJP workers’ conference here ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, Shah said the TMC government not only “swallowed” central funds worth over Rs 10 lakh crore through syndicates, but also obstructed critical border security measures, turning infiltration into a national security threat.
“There is no government in the country more corrupt than Mamata Banerjee’s regime. Corruption has been institutionalised in Bengal,” he said, listing a string of alleged scams ranging from teacher recruitment and SSC irregularities to cattle smuggling and anomalies in ration distribution, MGNREGA and PM Awas schemes.
“Cash-for-query scam, teacher recruitment scam, SSC scam, municipal recruitment scam, cattle smuggling scam, ration scam, MGNREGA scam, PM Awas scam – corruption worth Rs 10 lakh crore has happened,” Shah claimed.
Naming several jailed and accused TMC leaders, Shah threw a direct challenge to the chief minister from north Bengal.
“If you do not support corruption, don’t give tickets to these 23 people. But, she will give tickets, because if she doesn’t, they will open the files,” he said without elaborating.
Projecting the BJP’s campaign narrative for 2026, Shah promised a “Sonar Bangla” free of infiltration, syndicate raj and fear, and claimed that the saffron party would sweep all seats in north Bengal in the forthcoming assembly polls.
“Give BJP one chance. We will build a ‘Sonar Bangla’. Even a bird will not be able to enter illegally,” he said, asserting that people were fed up with the TMC’s “cut money culture (commission), syndicates and extortion”.
Accusing the state government of obstructing border fencing along the international boundary, Shah said the TMC had repeatedly denied land to the BSF despite multiple requests.
“I had stated in Parliament that the BSF needs land for fencing. I wrote to Mamata Banerjee seven times. I even personally went to meet her. The home secretary went seven times. Yet, land was not given,” he claimed.
“Infiltration in Bengal is not just its security issue anymore. It has become a national security issue. That’s why this government, which encourages infiltration, must be removed,” the home minister said.
Shah also accused the state administration of not cooperating with the Election Commission in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
“State officers are not cooperating with the EC in conducting the SIR. Why is Mamata Banerjee afraid? Because once SIR is implemented, infiltrators will have to leave,” he alleged.
Sharpening the political broadside, Shah said the TMC was “deliberately” pitting communities against one another, undermining Bengal’s social harmony.
“This historic land of Bengal contributed immensely to India in every era. But, for nearly four and a half decades, Bengal kept falling behind. First, the Communists pushed Bengal backward. Then Mamata ji came with the slogan ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’. Today, I can say with full confidence – Mamata didi, even the Communists were better than you,” he said.
“You made Gorkhas fight Bengalis, Adivasis fight Kurmis, Rajbanshis fight Adivasis and Bengalis. Other than creating internal conflicts and social strife, you did nothing. You shattered Bengal’s unity,” Shah asserted.
Claiming that women and minorities were not safe under the TMC rule, Shah said, “Mothers and daughters are unsafe. The land has been occupied by infiltrators.”
“Whether Rajbanshi, Kurmi, Adivasi, Gorkha brothers, migrant workers from Bihar or Bengalis under your rule; Mamata didi, no one is safe,” he added.
Seeking to invoke Bengal’s cultural and nationalist legacy, he referred to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s composition Vande Mataram, and accused the TMC of opposing it for vote-bank politics.
“Vande Mataram is not just a song, it is a prayer to Bharat Mata. But, when it was discussed in Parliament, the TMC opposed it. I asked one of their MPs why. He said, ‘Our infiltrator vote bank is angry with Vande Mataram’,” Shah claimed.
Exuding confidence ahead of the assembly polls, Shah cited the BJP’s growth trajectory in West Bengal and other eastern states.
“In 2016, BJP had just three seats and 10 per cent votes in Bengal. In 2021, we reached nearly 38 per cent votes and 70-plus seats. Now, we only need to jump from 38 per cent to 46 per cent. North Bengal alone will do this,” he asserted.
“We will win all the seats in north Bengal,” Shah said, adding that the BJP’s rise in Assam, Tripura and other states showed “change is inevitable”.
“The day BJP forms government in Bengal, that will be the day our workers and even Narendra Modi ji will experience real peace,” Shah said.
The home minister also accused the TMC of misleading people on central funds.
“When Mamata didi supported the UPA, Bengal got only Rs 2 lakh crore in 10 years. Under Modi ji, over Rs 10 lakh crore has been sent. Did that money reach you? No. It went into the stomachs of TMC syndicates,” he alleged.
Shah claimed north Bengal had been “deeply wronged” and deprived of development, including AIIMS, airports and adequate budgetary support due to the state government’s policies.
“2026 will be the year of change for Bengal,” he said, calling on BJP workers to uproot the TMC government.
