Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared on Wednesday that she would never allow the implementation of NRC or the establishment of detention camps in the state. Speaking at an election rally in Mainaguri, North Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo characterized recent administrative and electoral developments as an assault on democracy.
“Midnight Sabotage” and Electoral Concerns
The Chief Minister took sharp aim at the Election Commission for releasing a supplementary voter list in the middle of the night, labeling the move “midnight turbulence.” She contrasted this with India’s independence, which was achieved at midnight and remains a source of national pride. In contrast, the current “midnight actions” are aimed at stripping away people’s voting rights.
“They will say tomorrow they want NRC and detention camps. As long as I am alive, this will not happen,” Banerjee asserted. She also expressed strong resentment over the removal of State Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravarty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena on the very night the election schedule was announced.
Harassment of Citizens
Banerjee accused the BJP of forcing citizens into endless queues, citing everything from demonetization to the recent complexities in the voter adjudication process. She questioned why an Indian citizen should be repeatedly forced to prove their residency and identity.
Turning her focus to economic issues, she slammed the Centre over the new time limits for booking LPG cylinders. “People won’t have enough to eat; we are being forced back into the old days,” she said, before breaking into a rhyming campaign slogan: “1-2-3-4, BJP will lose for sure; 1-2-3-4, TMC wins once more.”
Warnings and “Anti-Bengal” Allegations
Citing the recent rejection of several nomination papers in Assam, the TMC leader urged her party’s candidates to be extremely vigilant. She advised them to double-check all paperwork and keep legal counsel present during the scrutiny process to avoid disqualification.
The Chief Minister concluded by accusing the BJP of a “conspiracy to divide Bengal.” She alleged that there are active plans to sever North Bengal and create separate administrative units, a move she claimed to have single-handedly blocked so far. “They are an anti-Bengal party,” she concluded, urging the electorate to reject the “politics of division.”
