Durgapur

BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, accusing it of compromising national security by allegedly encouraging illegal infiltration and intimidating voters during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Addressing a public gathering in Durgapur during his first visit to the state after assuming charge as BJP chief, Nabin alleged that the ruling party was deliberately attempting to alter the state’s demographic composition, a move he said posed a grave threat to the country.

“There is a conscious effort to change Bengal’s demography and push the state towards becoming another Bangladesh,” Nabin claimed, alleging that such actions endangered national security and undermined democratic processes.

He said while the Election Commission was carrying out the SIR exercise to weed out fake and ineligible voters, the TMC was trying to obstruct the process by spreading fear and misinformation among the public.

“The Election Commission is not harassing people. It is the state machinery — district magistrates, subdivisional officers and block development officers — functioning under pressure from the TMC, that is intimidating citizens to discredit the EC,” Nabin alleged.

Warning officials against acting under political influence, he cautioned them not to follow instructions of what he termed a “temporary government”.

Placing the issue of infiltration in a historical context, the BJP president invoked Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, asserting that Bengal’s present identity existed due to his opposition to its merger with East Pakistan.

“The same ideology that Mukherjee fought against is still active today,” Nabin said. “Those who are not children of Bengal’s soil cannot claim ownership here. BJP workers are ready to sacrifice everything, but Bengal will not be handed over to Bangladesh.”

Linking the SIR issue to the upcoming assembly elections, Nabin said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was attempting to raise the matter at the national level to deflect attention from governance failures in the state.

He accused the TMC regime of fostering lawlessness and corruption, alleging that Bengal was under “jungle raj” where party leaders openly collected what he described as a “TMC tax”.

“Industries have shut down, but corruption has flourished,” he said, claiming that several ministers were either behind bars or facing bail in recruitment and other scams. “No one involved will be spared,” he added.

Referring to Durgapur’s past as a major industrial centre that once attracted workers and students from neighbouring Bihar and Jharkhand, Nabin alleged that industrial growth had stagnated under the TMC government.

“During the Singur movement, Mamata Banerjee promised industrialisation. Fifteen years later, even established industries are closing down, forcing Bengal’s youth to migrate for jobs,” he said.

The BJP chief also targeted the state government over crimes against women, referring to a recent rape case in the Durgapur region and alleging administrative apathy and protection of the accused.

“When the chief minister questions why women were outside after 7 pm, it exposes the mindset of this government,” Nabin said. “BJP workers have taken it upon themselves to protect mothers and sisters and are prepared to make sacrifices.”

On religious issues, Nabin accused the state government of discriminating against Sanatan traditions, alleging selective restrictions on Hindu festivals.

“While there are no curbs on azaan, obstacles are placed before Durga Puja. No Sanatani will accept this injustice,” he said.

Looking ahead to the assembly elections, Nabin called on party cadres to intensify booth-level mobilisation, expressing confidence that a BJP-led “double-engine government” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi would bring development and prosperity to the state.

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“The countdown for Mamata Banerjee has begun,” he said. “Raise your voices so strongly that Delhi hears Bengal’s call for change.”