TMC wonders if Modi govt trying to eliminate corruption or opposition

Kolkata, Aug 22 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress on Friday asked whether the Narendra Modi government was trying to eliminate corruption or the opposition by bringing the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The TMC claimed that the Bill, introduced in Parliament earlier this week, which seeks to bar prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more, is aimed at the opposition parties and leaders.

Addressing a press conference here, TMC leader and senior minister Shashi Panja claimed that since the people are raising their voice against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Modi government is targeting the opposition through this bill.

She asked, "Are you trying to eliminate corruption or eliminate the opposition?" During his address at a public meeting here on Friday, Modi accused the opposition INDIA bloc, including the TMC, of shielding corruption and resisting legislative moves aimed at ensuring probity in public life.

Targeting the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal, the PM said, "Two TMC ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts." He was referring to former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam, and Jyoti Priya Mallick, apprehended for irregularities in ration distribution.

Panja claimed that the bill is meant to pressurise opposition leaders, so that if they join the BJP, "they will be cleansed in the washing machine of the saffron party." She also claimed that of the 240 BJP MPs in Lok Sabha, more than 90 have cases against them, and 63 of them face serious charges.

"The BJP is throwing stones at others sitting in a glass room," the TMC leader said.

Panja said that infiltration is an issue that should be dealt with by the Centre since it is the Border Security Force (BSF), which is under the Union Home Ministry, that guards the frontiers of the country.

During his address, the prime minister came down heavily on the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, accusing it of promoting infiltration to fulfil their "hunger for power." "I see that the fingers are all pointing to him," Panja said regarding the infiltration of illegal immigrants in Bengal through the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Panja said that the Centre should take action if it identifies any Rohingya or other infiltrators inside the Indian borders.

The TMC has been alleging that Bengali-speaking migrant workers were facing harassment and branding as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in BJP-ruled states.

Claiming that the Centre owes a huge amount of money to the state, Panja said, "Bengal wants to be paid its dues of Rs 1.93 lakh crore and not gifts." Alleging that the Centre is not releasing funds to Bengal for its welfare schemes, she said that the Mamata Banerjee government has already funded 12 lakh houses under its own scheme and will pay for 16 lakh more such houses for people in West Bengal. PTI AMR NN