Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government during a party workers’ conference in Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas, outlining the BJP’s electoral ambitions in the state and alleging widespread corruption and administrative failures.
Recalling the Bharatiya Janata Party’s growth in West Bengal, Shah said the party had increased its presence from three Assembly seats to 77 and from two Lok Sabha seats to 18 within five years. Addressing party workers, he expressed confidence that the BJP’s vote share would rise further. “This time, the BJP will leap from 38 percent to 45 percent,” he said, describing the gathering as a stepping stone toward the next elections.
Throughout his speech, Shah criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government on issues including corruption, infiltration, and law and order. He alleged that corruption had become “institutionalised” under the current administration, citing controversies related to SSC and municipal appointments, cattle smuggling, the 100-day work scheme, and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He claimed that large sums of public money had been misused and accused the Chief Minister of ignoring these issues.
Shah also alleged that the state government was not cooperating with the Centre on border security measures. He said fencing work along the international border had been delayed due to lack of land allocation by the state. He further claimed that infiltration through riverine routes was continuing and that forged documents were being used to move infiltrators to different parts of the country. Referring to a recent Calcutta High Court order, Shah said the court had directed the state to take steps to support border fencing efforts.
Turning to a recent deadly fire at a momo manufacturing unit in south Kolkata’s Anandapur area, Shah claimed the incident was “not an accident” and demanded a transparent investigation. He said 25 people had died and several others were reported missing, and questioned why the factory owner had not yet been arrested. "The unit was built illegally on wetland and raised questions about safety compliance and emergency access at the facility, said Shah calling for strict action against those responsible and accused the state administration of non-cooperation.
He also claimed that BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, were obstructed when they tried to meet affected families — an allegation the state government has previously denied in similar situations.
The rally featured multiple political attacks and responses to recent remarks by the Chief Minister, with Shah asserting that a change in government was necessary for both state governance and national security. There was no immediate detailed response from the TMC leadership to Shah’s latest remarks at the time of reporting.
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