Alipurduar/Kolkata: The political showdown between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached new heights on Thursday, as both leaders launched scathing attacks against each other in public rallies, further heating up the pre-election atmosphere in the state.
Addressing a crowd in Alipurduar, PM Modi took aim at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), branding the state government as both "authoritarian" and "deeply corrupt." He alleged that law and order had collapsed under the TMC’s watch, accusing the administration of protecting offenders under the veil of appeasement politics. Citing recent communal violence in Murshidabad and Malda districts, he blamed the government for encouraging unrest and lamented that the public had lost confidence in state institutions, forcing the judiciary to step in repeatedly.
Modi also revisited the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam, underscoring what he termed the "failure of governance" under the TMC. He called on voters to reject the current regime and embrace what he described as a model of "transparent and effective governance."
This marked the Prime Minister's first appearance in West Bengal following last month’s deadly protests in Murshidabad sparked by the contentious Waqf Amendment Act, which led to at least three deaths and numerous injuries.
Hitting back, Mamata Banerjee accused the Prime Minister of exploiting the Murshidabad unrest for political mileage and condemned him for allegedly politicizing "Operation Sindoor," a recent military initiative targeting cross-border terrorism. She described his comments as "deeply inappropriate," urging him to avoid using national security issues for electoral advantage.
In a bold retort during her own rally, Banerjee declared the TMC's readiness for immediate elections, saying, "We are ready. Let them conduct elections in Bengal tomorrow." She also fired a personal barb at Modi, saying, "Give sindoor to your wife first," a remark that further intensified the already heated political climate.
As West Bengal inches closer to elections, the state finds itself once again at the heart of a high-voltage political battle between two of India’s most formidable leaders.
