Centre blocked funds for Bengal, people will respond in assembly elections: Abhishek

Kolkata, Jan 18 (PTI) TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of blocking central funds meant for West Bengal and asserted that contrary to the BJP’s call for "change" in the 2026 Assembly polls, the people of the state would lead the process of dislodging the saffron party from power at the Centre after the state elections.

Addressing a rally at Chopra in Nadia district after a roadshow, the TMC national general secretary said people of the state would not "surrender to outsiders and zamindars in Delhi".

Accusing the Centre of withholding funds, Banerjee alleged that the BJP wanted people of Bengal to "bow and surrender".

"You blocked funds meant for the people of Bengal and harassed them. But the TMC and people of Bengal will not change," he said, adding that Modi had altered his political messaging in the state.

"Earlier, the PM used to start his rallies with ‘Jai Shri Ram’, now, he says ‘Joy Maa Kali’, Banerjee said.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP had "inflicted miseries" on the people of Bengal over the last five years and claimed that the party would be reduced to "below 50 seats" in the 2026 Assembly polls.

"'Poriborton habe’ (there will be change). After 2026, Modi will come to Bengal to chant ‘Joy Bangla'," he said.

"In the coming days, the people of Bengal will throw you out of power in Delhi after electing the TMC for the fourth time in the state," he said.

Accusing the Centre of misusing central agencies against opposition parties ahead of elections, Banerjee said, "They tried to steal TMC data before elections, but we have people's support." "They (BJP) have everything from ED, CBI and a section of the media. They put the central agencies behind me before the 2021 elections, but failed. Now they are resorting to falsehood," he alleged.

Referring to the ongoing electoral rolls revision, Banerjee claimed that despite allegations of the presence of large numbers of illegal immigrants, the exercise identified 54 lakh "unmapped voters".

"Now, unhappy with the findings, they are planning to delete over one crore names from the electoral rolls. We will not allow this to happen," he said.

Slamming the BJP for allegedly disrespecting eminent Bengalis, Banerjee referred to reports of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen being summoned for a hearing in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"Why do people living here for ages have to give proof for citizenship?," he asked.

"Had Sri Chaitanya been alive today or Tagore been around, I don't know whether they would have met the same fate. Not only that, BJP has insulted social reformer-polymath Iswarchandra Vidyasagar by vandalising his statue, addressed Bankimchandra as Bankimda, and one of their leaders once described spiritual icon Swami Vivekananda as a leftist. Such an anti-Bengal force has no right to seek votes in the polls," he said.

Banerjee also accused the BJP of making offensive comments about Maa Durga despite describing themselves as "champions of Hindutva," he said, adding the BJP used Income Tax department to harass Durga Puja organisers in the past.

Referring to the alleged manhandling of a street food seller during a Gita reading event in Kolkata last month, Banerjee said such incidents reflected the BJP’s intolerance.

Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled states, Banerjee alleged that opposition candidates were unable to contest municipal elections freely in Tripura, and pointed to issues such as air pollution in Delhi and water contamination in Indore. PTI SUS MNB