Mamata Banerjee Attacks Centre Over Security Claims Ahead Of Bengal Elections 2026

Mamata Banerjee challenges Centre on security narratives, alleges political use of terror claims, and questions voter list revisions ahead of the 2026 Bengal elections, emphasising regional development and democratic rights.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stepped up attacks on the Centre, questioning security claims and accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of misusing terror allegations and voter roll revisions to target Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Speaking at a rally in Birsinghpur in Bankura, Mamata Banerjee likened Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mahabharata villains, while also linking recent terror incidents and electoral roll changes to what Mamata Banerjee called a political campaign against Bengal and its people.

Mamata Banerjee Bengal polls speech and Mahabharata jibe at Amit Shah

Mamata Banerjee, referring to Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, said they were like Dushyasahan and Duryodhana, sharpening a personal political attack during her Bengal campaign. Mamata Banerjee added, "Dushasana, a disciple of Shakuni, has come to Bengal to gather information. As soon as the elections come, Dushasana and Duryodhana start appearing," accusing senior BJP leaders of entering the state only during polls.

Mamata Banerjee’s comments came while Amit Shah was on a three-day tour of Bengal, ahead of the 2026 Bengal polls, and days after Narendra Modi visited the state on December 20. Mamata Banerjee framed both visits as election-driven attempts to influence public opinion rather than address Bengal’s persistent issues.

Mamata Banerjee Bengal polls remarks on Pahalgam attack and terror charges

The confrontation deepened when Mamata Banerjee challenged Amit Shah’s claim that Bengal had turned into a “hub for terrorists”. Mamata Banerjee responded with sharp questions on recent terror incidents, saying, "If there are no terrorists in J&K, how did Pahalgam happen? Did you carry out the attack in Pahalgam? Who was behind the incident that happened in Delhi?"

Mamata Banerjee’s remarks referred to the Pahalgam attack on April 22, where Pakistan-based Lashkar terrorists killed 26 tourists, and a later blast in Delhi near the Red Fort, in which a "white-collar terror module" linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad detonated a car, leaving 15 people dead.

Earlier, Amit Shah held a press conference stating that the 2026 Bengal polls would focus on infiltration, while also accusing Mamata Banerjee of denying land to build a border fence with Bangladesh. The Home Minister’s comments set the tone for a campaign centred on national security and alleged illegal entry.

Mamata Banerjee Bengal polls clash over border fencing and land

Mamata Banerjee rejected Amit Shah’s charge on land for border fencing, insisting that the state had cooperated with central projects. Mamata Banerjee said, "All railway projects were executed because the state provided. Land has already been provided in borders in Petrapol and Changrabanda," arguing that the Centre was blaming Bengal without acknowledging earlier coordination.

The Trinamool leader suggested that these accusations formed part of a wider narrative to depict Bengal as unsafe and uncooperative. Mamata Banerjee told the gathering that such claims ignored on-ground work and instead aimed to justify aggressive politics around infiltration before the 2026 Bengal elections.

Mamata Banerjee Bengal polls dispute over SIR and voter deletions

Mamata Banerjee reserved some of the strongest criticism for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing authorities of harassing ordinary citizens in the name of verification. Mamata Banerjee alleged that officials were planning to remove up to 1.5 crore names, mostly from communities like Rajbanshis, Matuas and Adivasis.

Mamata Banerjee described the SIR as a deliberate move to weaken Bengali voters. Mamata Banerjee said, "SIR being conducted using AI, it's a huge scam. Only you (Amit Shah) and your son will survive," while also claiming that several people, including Booth Level Officers, had died by suicide during the revision process.

The Election Commission of India released draft rolls after the first SIR phase, which showed more than 58 lakh voters deleted. Bengal BJP leaders, however, argued that the final list should remove 1.5 crore "bogus" voters, setting up a direct clash with Mamata Banerjee’s charge of attempted disenfranchisement.

Mamata Banerjee Bengal polls threat of gherao and migrant workers issue

Mamata Banerjee warned that the Trinamool Congress would escalate protests if legitimate voters lost their franchise. Mamata Banerjee said the party would gherao the Election Commission office in Delhi if even one genuine name was removed, arguing that democratic rights in Bengal were under direct pressure from the current SIR process.

The Bengal Chief Minister also turned attention to alleged attacks on Bengali migrant workers in states ruled by other parties, including Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Mamata Banerjee cited the case of 19-year-old labourer Jewel Sheikh, lynched in Sambalpur, Odisha, after being accused of being a Bangladeshi.

Mamata Banerjee said, "If we wanted, we could have gheraoed Utkal Bhawan in Kolkata," referring to the Odisha government’s guest house in the city. Mamata Banerjee used the incident to claim that Bengalis were facing hostility outside the state while the Centre focused on branding Bengal as a problem zone.

With the BJP increasing its efforts to unseat Mamata Banerjee’s government, political tensions in Bengal are expected to intensify as the 2026 polls draw nearer. The clash over terror allegations, border fencing, voter list revisions and treatment of Bengali workers now forms the core of the contest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP in the state.