Kolkata: In a major escalation of political rhetoric ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the “biggest infiltrator.” Addressing a massive Eid-ul-Fitr congregation at Kolkata’s Red Road on Saturday, March 21, 2026, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo accused the BJP-led Centre of using the “SIR” (Special Institutional Revision) exercise to “snatch away the voting rights” of genuine citizens, particularly those in minority-dominated areas.
Banerjee’s remarks target the ongoing Election Commission voter roll revision, which the TMC alleges has been weaponized to delete names and influence the upcoming polls. “We will not allow Modi ji and the BJP to take away your voting rights,” she told the worshippers, adding that she has already moved the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court to challenge the deletions. She further alleged that the Centre has imposed an “undeclared President’s Rule” in Bengal by interfering with the state’s democratic processes through institutional pressure.
The Chief Minister also took aim at the BJP’s frequent campaign focus on illegal immigration. She criticized the Prime Minister for maintaining a friendly persona abroad while returning to India to push a “Hindu-Muslim narrative” and label local residents as infiltrators. In a defiant rallying cry, she stated, “Those who are targeting Bengal and trying to divide people should go to hell,” while emphasizing that the state’s 30% Muslim electorate remains a crucial pillar of its pluralistic social fabric.
The BJP responded sharply to the “infiltrator” comment, with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stating that Banerjee has “lost her mind” and lowered the dignity of her constitutional office. The BJP maintains that the voter roll revision is a routine, independent exercise by the Election Commission to remove duplicate entries. With the 294-member Assembly set to go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, 2026, this confrontation over citizenship and voting rights has become the central flashpoint of the campaign.
