Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 14: Ahead of the State Assembly elections in West Bengal expected in a couple of months, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Mamata Banerjee administration functioned with the support of criminal elements cautioning the ruling Trinamool Congress that its days of “spreading fear” among the people were numbered, while the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that her government’s “farmers friendly initiatives” had helped more than 1.14 crore people in the state.
Addressing a rally at the sprawling Brigade parade ground in Kolkata, Mr Modi reiterated his government’s old accusations that the TMC government was encouraging illegal immigrations from across the border and said the TMC was opposing the “Special Intensive Revision” of the voters list initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) only to “protect its vote bank of infiltrators” alleging that unchecked illegal immigration under its rule had altered the demographic balance in several parts of West Bengal.
Also accusing the TMC government and the Chief Minister of insulting constitutional institutions, Mr Modi asserted that the “countdown has begun” for the Mamata Banerjee government ahead of the assembly polls. “I want to remind TMC, its days of hooliganism are ending. The countdown has begun,” he said.
In a post on X on Krishak Divas, paying tribute to 14 people killed in police firing during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition protest on this day in 2007, Ms Banerjee reiterated her government’s commitment to farmers. According to her, the State has so far provided financial assistance of ₹30,051 crore under the Krishak Bandhu (New) scheme, benefiting more than 1.14 crore farmers, sharecroppers and cultivators.
Mr Modi asserted that a BJP government in the state after the elections would bring governance based on the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.” “At the same time, everyone will be held accountable,” PM Modi added.
Issuing a warning to those allegedly involved in political intimidation and violence, the prime minister said strict legal action would be taken against them. “Those TMC goons who threaten you, their days of fear will begin. Criminals will fear the law. Infiltrators will fear the law. Appeasement politics will fear the law. Such criminals will have only one place – jail, jail, jail,” he said.
Accusing the ruling party of creating a climate of fear, PM Modi alleged that voters, opposition parties and even the media were being intimidated in the state. “TMC has made politics of fear its weapon. Voters are threatened. Opposition is threatened. Media is threatened. If someone does not vote for TMC, they are told they are not Bengali. If someone does not vote for TMC, they are told they will not receive government benefits,” he claimed.
He claimed that in many places “demography has changed,” Bengali Hindus were “deliberately being made minorities” and alleged that the TMC opposed granting citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees. The prime minister said the ruling party feared the SIR exercise because it would remove the names of illegal voters.
“These people oppose SIR so that the names of infiltrators cannot be removed from the voter list, and the voter list cannot be purified. They are not even ready to remove the names of those who have already died,” PM Modi said. Claiming that infiltration had become a major security and political issue in Bengal, he alleged that the TMC government had encouraged the phenomenon for electoral gains. “Due to unchecked infiltration by the TMC, the demography of Bengal has changed in many areas. The TMC is deliberately making Hindus a minority in many areas,” PM Modi alleged.
According to official data released after the revision exercise, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted since the process began in November last year, reducing the voter base in the state from about 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore. In addition, over 60.06 lakh electors have been placed under the “under adjudication” category, meaning their eligibility will be determined through legal scrutiny in the coming weeks.
He also accused the ruling party of opposing citizenship for Hindu refugees who had fled religious persecution in neighbouring countries. “When it comes to giving citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees, the TMC opposes it because they do not consider them their vote bank,” the prime minister said.
The voter list revision exercise and the issue of infiltration have emerged as key political flashpoints in Bengal ahead of the assembly elections, with the BJP accusing the TMC of protecting illegal immigrants, while the ruling party has alleged that the process is aimed at disenfranchising genuine voters.
Sharpening his attack on the Mamata Banerjee government, the prime minister also accused the TMC of targeting constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission, over the voter roll revision exercise. “The TMC is busy attacking constitutional institutions like the Election Commission. This is shameful,” he said.
In a strong political message ahead of the assembly elections, PM Modi said “Some people will try to scare you. Some will say change is impossible. But remember, when people decide, no force can stop them,” he said. “This election is not just about changing a government. This election is about saving Bengal’s soul. This election is about ending cuts in money. This election is about freedom from fear,” the Prime Minister added.
Saturday’s rally was PM Modi’s first visit to West Bengal after the publication of the post-SIR electoral rolls on February 28, which has triggered sharp political debate in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly polls. During his earlier visits, Mr Modi had accused the TMC government of imposing a ‘syndicate tax’ on all development in the State and had warned that investment and business would not come to West Bengal as long as the Mamata Banerjee government remained in power.
“Industries will only be set up, and investment will come to West Bengal when the law and order situation improves. But in West Bengal, rioters and mafia have a free run. The police are hand in glove with criminals. You know that there is a syndicate tax on all development,” the Prime Minister had said at a public meeting in Singur last month.
Ms Banerjee in her post gave details about the state government’s “krishak bandhu” scheme and said, “Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive ₹10,000 annually, while those with very small landholdings receive a minimum of ₹4,000. The amount is transferred directly to bank accounts in two instalments during the Kharif and Rabi seasons,” she said.
She said that besides farmers and sharecroppers, agricultural labourers are also provided financial assistance of ₹4,000 annually in two instalments. Funds have started reaching the bank accounts of around 28 lakh applicants from March 8, she said. Under the Krishak Bandhu (Death Benefit) component, more than 1.70 lakh farmer families have received assistance amounting to ₹3,419 crore after the deaths of their loved ones as the earning member, she said.
Ms Banerjee added that under the ‘Bangla Shasya Bima’ crop insurance scheme, the State government bears the entire premium. So far, over 1.15 crore farmers have received compensation exceeding ₹4,005 crore under the programme. She further said more than 6.01 lakh agricultural machines have been distributed among farmers under the farm mechanisation programme at a cost exceeding ₹1,321 crore.
In addition, 2,525 farm machinery hiring centres have been set up with government support to help farmers access modern equipment, she said. The state government is also procuring paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) to prevent distress sales, with around 70 lakh metric tonnes of paddy being purchased this year, Ms Banerjee said, adding that arrangements were also being made to procure other crops at fair prices.
