Durgapur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday dismissed the Trinamool Congress’ allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is relying on “outsiders,” asserting that such claims have no credibility among the public. He said that the BJP’s first Chief Minister in West Bengal would be a native of the state, fluent in Bengali and educated in a Bengali-medium institution.

Speaking to ANI during a roadshow in Durgapur, Shah said that the BJP, if voted to power, would take firm action against infiltration across the country, including in West Bengal.

Rejecting the “outsider” charge levelled by the ruling Trinamool Congress—along with its claims that the BJP was attempting to include non-local names in electoral rolls—Shah said the people of the state are not convinced by such allegations.

He further expressed confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects, stating that the party would form the next government in the state. “The people of Bengal are determined to bring change this time. A BJP Chief Minister will take oath here on May 5,” he said.

Responding to a question on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Shah criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on the issue. He said that while her criticism of the Election Commission could be understood in a political context, her recent comments also appeared to target the judiciary, under whose supervision the SIR exercise is being conducted.

“This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. The entire revision process is being carried out under judicial oversight,” he said.

Banerjee has alleged large-scale irregularities in the SIR exercise, calling it a “scam” aimed at manipulating voter lists. Addressing a rally in Keshiary, she claimed that nearly 90 lakh names had been deleted and alleged that members of certain communities, including the Matua community, were affected. She also said the Trinamool Congress would support those whose names were missing from the rolls.

Earlier in the day, Shah addressed public meetings in Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, where he criticised the state government, accusing it of turning “Sonar Bangla” into a “syndicate raj.” He reiterated that the BJP aims to realise the vision of “Sonar Bangla” as imagined by Rabindranath Tagore.

He also accused the state government of failing to provide land required for border fencing, claiming that this has contributed to infiltration. “The Border Security Force requires around 600 acres of land for fencing, but the state government has not provided it,” he said, adding that infiltration continues as a result.

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Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.