Modi Participates in “Paschimbanga Divas Celebrations,” Claims West Bengal Changed in One Month under BJP Regime
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 20: The Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has claimed that he faced a security threat on the premises of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Friday night.
In a social media post on Saturday, he alleged that while he was leaving the airport, “armed individuals were apprehended [in the parking area], leading to serious questions about his security.” In a widely circulated video, a man in a yellow kurta can be seen trying to hide a gun under a cloth on the airport premises. He was reportedly dragged away by Trinamool supporters and others.
Top Trinamool leadership condemned the incident. Senior Trinamool leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien asked if this was an attempt to murder Mr Banerjee. MP Sagarika Ghose asked the police to take immediate action against the accused and questioned the workings of the new BJP government in the State.
“A @BJP4Bengal goon ARMED WITH WEAPONS possibly planned to MURDER our Hon’ble National General Secretary Shri @abhishekaitc! Such is the condition of law & order under @SuvenduWB‘s watch that criminals now roam freely, emboldened enough to carry out brazen attacks with absolute impunity,” the Trinamool official handle said, sharing a video of the alleged perpetrator.
Late on Friday night, when Mr Banerjee was scheduled to arrive at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport from Delhi, Trinamool and BJP supporters clashed outside the airport, leading to a commotion. Trinamool supporters who came to the airport to greet Mr Banerjee also alleged that women supporters were manhandled and other supporters were heckled.
The Trinamool have been repeatedly complaining of attacks on its leaders after the party’s rout in the May election. Mr Banerjee, MLA Kunal Ghosh, former Ministers, councillors, and several other leaders have come under a rain of eggs from mobs. However, the BJP leadership has denied any direct association with the attacks. Mr Banerjee, the second-in-command at the Trinamool, was one of the first leaders to be attacked within one month of the party going out of power in the State after 15 years.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday participated in the “Paschimbanga Divas” celebrations at Tarakeswar in Hooghly district. He also released the 23rd instalment of the PM-Kisan Scheme worth over Rs 18,880 crores to about 9.44 crore beneficiary farmers. PM Modi also launched, dedicated and laid foundation stones for various development projects across railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry sectors.
These schemes included Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Agri Stack, National Mission on Natural Farming and Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a statement.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims to provide insurance coverage to nearly 50 lakh farmers across about 14 lakh hectares of agricultural land in West Bengal during 2026-27, protecting crops with an estimated insured value of around ₹28,140 crore while supporting farmers through substantial premium subsidy, according to the statement.
PM Modi also dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stones for important railway projects worth around ₹590 crore. He inaugurated 49 road infrastructure projects developed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III), covering a total length of more than 315 km across various districts of West Bengal.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Modi said West Bengal had “broken free from its shackles” and embarked on a new journey of development, asserting that the change brought about by a single electoral verdict was visible across the State.
Addressing a programme to mark the ‘Paschimbanga Divas’ after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for multiple development projects, Mr Modi said a “new freshness” was now palpable in Bengal’s air.
“Today, after the elections and the swearing-in, I have the good fortune for the first time to come among you. There is now a new freshness in the air of Bengal. It feels as if Bengal has now broken free from its shackles, and the return of Bengal’s glory has begun,” he asserted.
Referring to the BJP’s victory in the assembly elections, Mr Modi said the transformation underway in the State demonstrated the power of the democratic process. “There is a glow on the faces of Bengal’s people, and a sentiment of joy and trust in villages… It is clearly visible in Bengal how your one vote can bring about a change,” he said.
Mr Modi also highlighted the State government’s efforts to accelerate border fencing along the India-Bangladesh frontier, alleging that the previous dispensation had obstructed the process. “You must have seen how the previous government had halted the transfer of land for border fencing. That process has started under the present regime,” the PM said.
Mr Modi also said action was being taken against corruption and those accused of siphoning off public funds in the State. Paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, PM Modi said he had played a decisive role in ensuring that a part of Bengal remained within India during Partition.
“When efforts were being made to make the whole of Bengal a part of Pakistan, Congress had bowed before conspiratorial forces. It was then that Syama Prasad Mookerjee raised his voice against it. Congress left Bengal as an orphan during Partition, and indulged in appeasement politics after Independence” the Prime Minister asserted.
Referring to the importance of ‘Paschimbanga Divas’ or West Bengal Day, he underlined the historical significance of June 20, saying the younger generation must be made aware of the circumstances that led to the creation of the State.
“We need to repeatedly highlight the importance of ‘Paschimbanga Divas’. It is important for the younger generation to know what happened during that period,” Mr Modi said. Earlier, the PM launched, dedicated and laid foundation stones for various development projects across railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry sectors.
“Today’s programme and the inauguration of these projects are a testament that our Bengal has begun work on building its new future. The BJP Government has started working at a super-fast pace for Bengal’s development,” he said.
