TMC accuses BJP of divisive politics, warns against ‘Assam-style model’ and cites Manipur Violence

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on March 28 launched a sharp counterattack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah following his “chargesheet” against the All India Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, accusing the BJP of attempting to polarise voters ahead of the Assembly elections and deflect attention from its own governance record.

At a joint press conference, senior TMC leaders Mahua Moitra, Bratya Basu and Kirti Azad questioned Shah’s criticism of the Mamata Banerjee-led government, particularly on issues of women’s safety.

Moitra accused Shah of ignoring violence in Manipur, stating that the state has “bled continuously for the past three years,” and challenged the BJP to first address safety concerns in states under its own rule.

The TMC leaders also targeted the Centre over illegal immigration, arguing that border security falls under the Union government’s jurisdiction. “The BJP has been in power at the Centre for over a decade and governs multiple border states. What has the Home Minister been doing?” Basu asked, questioning the Centre’s inability to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

Basu further alleged that the BJP was using the infiltration issue to create divisions in West Bengal, warning against what he described as attempts to replicate an “Assam-style detention camp model” in the state.

The exchange comes hours after Shah intensified the BJP’s campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging that the state had become a “corridor” for infiltration due to appeasement politics, corruption, and violence under TMC rule.

Rejecting the allegations, TMC leaders also accused the Centre of withholding funds meant for West Bengal, with Azad claiming that dues worth ₹1 lakh crore had been blocked, impacting development and welfare projects.

The TMC maintained that if infiltration remains a concern, the primary responsibility lies with the Union government, which controls border management and national security, and accused the BJP of seeking political mileage from the issue rather than addressing it substantively.