Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Friday, reacting to the ED raids carried out at multiple locations in the city on Thursday, alleged that the Central agency had “deliberately” targeted the Indian I-PAC because it was assisting the party during the ongoing SIR exercise in the state.
Addressing a massive gathering, Abhishek asserted that the people of Nadia would ensure the BJP does not win a single seat in the district, urging the crowd to deliver a 17-0 sweep for the TMC in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Accusing central agencies of repeatedly harassing TMC leaders, including his family, he said such pressure would not stop the party and asserted that Bengal would not bow to the “zamindars of Delhi”, while addressing the Rana Sankalp Sabha in Nadia’s Taherpur. Recalling repeated ED summons to his parents, wife and child, he said his head would bow only before revered figures and the people of Bengal, and never before what he called “Delhi’s executioners.”
He said attempts to silence the TMC through the Election Commission, voter suppression and central agencies would fail, asserting that even the use of the EC, ED, central forces, media, judiciary, Income Tax and money power would not make the people of Bengal bow before what he termed the BJP’s “executioners” or the “zamindars of Delhi.”
Speaking at the rally, he said Matua voters, a key section of Nadia’s electorate, would not be misled by BJP assurances on citizenship and voting rights, accusing BJP leaders of dismissing the deletion of voter names — including remarks that even striking off five lakh names was “not an issue” — despite having risen to power on those very votes, and questioning their hypocrisy.
He further asked whether Matuas were being branded illegal and questioned if leaders like PM Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur were considered “legal”. He also accused the BJP of ignoring Boroma during her lifetime, claiming its leaders visited only once for photo opportunities.
Abhishek Banerjee also presented three individuals whom he claimed had been wrongly declared dead by the Election Commission of India, saying they were standing beside him despite being listed as “dead voters”, and accused the BJP leadership of rendering them “invisible”, while urging voters to respond decisively at the ballot box so that those seeking to erase Bengal’s people are politically defeated.
From Nadia, he went to the Matua Thakurbari in North 24-Parganas to offer prayers, saying Thakurnagar and the Thakurbari were open to all as places of faith and devotion.
Responding to media queries, he accused those who had won elections with Matua support of now abandoning the community, alleging that their representatives were speaking of removing one lakh names from voter lists, and said the Matuas had made them winners with great hope only to be let down.