Kolkata, March 21 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday intensified her criticism of the BJP-led central government, accusing it of attempting to "deny voting rights" to people through the Systematic Voters Verification (SVV) process and even calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "biggest infiltrator".
Addressing worshippers after Eid prayers at Kolkata's iconic Red Road, the TMC supremo described the upcoming assembly elections as a fight to protect democratic rights and Bengal's diverse social fabric.
"We will not allow Modi and the BJP to take away your voting rights. We will fight until the end," Banerjee told the gathering, adding that she had approached courts in Kolkata and Delhi to challenge the process.
Her remarks came amid a growing political confrontation over the Election Commission's voter roll revision exercise, which the ruling Trinamool Congress alleges has led to the deletion of names of genuine voters, particularly from minority-dominated areas.
"When you go abroad, you shake hands with leaders and speak of friendship. That is your choice, and I respect all countries. But when you return to India, suddenly the Hindu-Muslim narrative begins, and people are called infiltrators," she said.
"You then call for deleting names and labelling people as infiltrators. I would say, you are the bigger infiltrator," Banerjee said, in an apparent reference to Modi and the BJP's repeated allegations of illegal immigration in the border state.
With the state heading towards a high-stakes assembly election, Banerjee used the occasion to reiterate her party's campaign narrative that the BJP is attempting to influence the electoral process through institutional mechanisms and divisive rhetoric.
Illegal immigration has emerged as one of the BJP's key campaign planks in Bengal, with party leaders repeatedly accusing the TMC government of encouraging infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh to consolidate its minority vote bank.
"Many people's names have been deleted from the voter list during the SVV exercise. I have approached the Calcutta High Court and even the Supreme Court. I still hope people's rights will be protected," she said.
Striking a defiant note, the chief minister also alleged that the Centre had effectively imposed an "undeclared President's Rule" in the state.
"You have captured our government and imposed an unofficial President's Rule. But we will not be afraid," she said.
The Eid congregation on Red Road, a sprawling ceremonial boulevard in the heart of the city, has long served as both a religious gathering and a symbolic political stage in Bengal's electoral calendar, often serving as an important outreach platform during election years.
Banerjee also sought to portray herself as a protector of the rights of all communities.
"Even if nobody stands with you, I will stand with the people of Bengal – across religions, castes, and creeds – as a member of your family," she said.
At another point in her speech, Banerjee issued a sharp warning to those she accused of attempting to target the state politically.
"Those who are targeting Bengal and trying to divide people should go to hell," she said, drawing loud cheers from the gathering.
She also invoked the state's tradition of communal harmony.
"Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians – everyone lives together in Bengal. We will not allow anyone to break this unity," Banerjee said.
In a rallying cry directed at the saffron party, the TMC chief also declared, "BJP hatao, desh bachao" (Defeat the BJP, save the country).
The Eid congregation this year carries added political significance, coming weeks before the assembly elections where the TMC is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power, while the BJP is attempting to expand its footprint in the state.
The Muslim electorate, estimated to constitute nearly 30 per cent of Bengal's population, has historically played a crucial role in shaping electoral outcomes in several districts across the state.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who also addressed the gathering, echoed the chief minister's message, asserting that Bengal's social harmony would be defended.
"The communal harmony of Bengal will be protected. Attempts to divide communities will fail," the Diamond Harbour MP said.
Striking a combative tone, he added, "Gardan katega par jhukega nahi (you can chop off my head, but I will not bow)."
The BJP, however, reacted sharply to Banerjee's remarks, accusing her of lowering the dignity of constitutional offices.
"Anyone who calls the prime minister of the country an infiltrator does not deserve to hold a constitutional post. I think she has lost her mind, she should visit Ranchi immediately," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
The party also rejected the TMC's allegations regarding the voter roll revision, asserting that the exercise was being conducted by the EC to remove duplicate and ineligible names.
The confrontation over electoral rolls has added a new dimension to Bengal's increasingly polarised election discourse, where issues of citizenship, infiltration, and voting rights are emerging as central campaign themes.
Against this backdrop, Banerjee's Eid address underscores the TMC's attempt to cast the upcoming polls not merely as a contest for power, but as a larger political battle over democratic rights, identity, and the future social fabric of the state.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.