Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched an all-out attack on the West Bengal government over the law and order situation in the state, referring to the mob siege of judicial officers in Malda to accuse the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of failing to uphold constitutional governance.
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, his first in the state since the elections were announced, Modi criticized the Mamata Banerjee-led government for using the term “Ishtihar” in its manifesto, accused it of harboring infiltrators, and criticized what he described as “appeasement policies”, which he said threatened the state’s identity.
“The ruthless TMC government is strangling the Constitution and destroying law and order. The nation was shocked to see judicial officials being held hostage in Malda. “It was not only the local leaders of the TMC who were involved in this, but the government too,” Modi said.
Seven court-appointed judicial officers – two of them women – were trapped inside the BDO office for more than eight hours on Wednesday evening until police escorted them out around 10pm. An eighth officer – a woman – was stranded in her car on the road leading to the BDO office during the disturbance in which locals blocked roads, including NH-12.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the incident. West Bengal Police have arrested the Islam thinker, who contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Itahar on the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) ticket, and termed him a key conspirator. The TMC alleged that the AIMIM was acting in coordination with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Prime Minister Modi criticizes the TMC’s statement and describes it as “Istikhara”
Modi also cited a historical incident to target the TMC, criticizing his use of the word “ishtihar” (declaration in Urdu) in his election manifesto. He linked it to the “Lal Ishthar” that circulated after the partition of Bengal in 1905, which he said was followed by attacks on Hindus. In 1905, Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, partitioned Bengal into Hindu-majority West Bengal and Muslim-majority East Bengal, a move that was later reversed in 1911 after the Swadeshi Movement.
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“TMC is repeating that episode of history. A certain religious group will make it impossible for you to survive. There is a conspiracy to eliminate the culture and honor of Bengal. Enough is enough. Those who are trying to change the identity of Bengal should leave forever,” Modi said.
To be sure, the English version of the TMC document is called “2026 Manifesto” and in Hindi it is titled “Ghoshana Patra, 2026” (Declaration Document). The Bengali version, of which HT has a copy, is titled ‘Ishtihar 2026’.
The Prime Minister also claimed that the demographics of West Bengal had changed dramatically during the TMC’s tenure due to illegal migration. He accused the state government of opposing the Special Intensified Review (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying it was doing so to protect what he described as a “vote bank”.
“This appeasement is pushing Bengal into an identity crisis. On the one hand, you are living in fear of losing your independence and culture. On the other hand, you have assurances from the BJP that all infiltrators will be arrested and expelled from Bengal,” Modi said.
North Bengal is extremely important to the electoral calculations in the state. In the 2021 elections, the BJP won 30 of the 54 assembly seats in the district, although the TMC won 213 of the state’s 294 seats. The BJP had won seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats in the region in 2019 and six in the 2024 elections.
Modi also criticized the state government over infrastructure and development, alleging that projects such as proposed airports in Malda, Balurghat and Hashimara have stalled and that Alipurduar still lacks a medical college. He also said that central welfare funds are not reaching those working in tea gardens and tribal communities.
“In 2012, TMC told the people of Cooch Behar that the area would become the headquarters of industry. After 14 years, even the land for it has not been acquired. In 2021, it was announced to set up a 300-acre industrial park in Mekhliganj. Not a single factory has been set up,” he added.
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Addressing the women at the rally, Modi reiterated the Centre’s commitment to implementing 33% reservation and said that a special session of Parliament will be held on April 16, 17 and 18 to discuss the issue.
TMC leaders rejected Modi’s claims. Lok Sabha member Kirti Azad accused the BJP of spreading misinformation and alleged that elements associated with the party were involved in the violence in Malda.
“Modiji should stop lying. We have exposed how your B and C teams were involved in violence in Malda. From Superintendent of Police to AIMIM leader – you have deployed your entire machinery to create agitation,” he said.
Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose also criticized Modi over women’s reservations, accused the BJP of hypocrisy and alleged that it had failed to support women’s rights. She said: “We do not need lectures from a party famous for protecting and crowning rapists.”
