Abhishek demands ‘public apology’ from BJP, CEC & HM over ‘fake infiltrator’ claim

New Delhi/ Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said BJP leaders, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Union Home minister should publicly apologise for spreading what he called a “fake infiltrator narrative” after 58 lakh pre-existing voters were excluded from the draft electoral rolls published by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Referring to repeated claims by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari that West Bengal hosts one crore Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals, Banerjee said the draft rolls provided no numerical basis for such assertions. The ECI’s own categorisation, he added, showed that the number of so-called “fake” voters was far below the BJP’s claims.

“The way Bengal has been deliberately defamed, the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commissioners, the Union Home minister and BJP leaders who spread this narrative should publicly hold their ears and apologise to the people of Bengal,” Banerjee said, asserting that the TMC would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections with a stronger mandate.

He said no BJP “conspiracy, be it SIR or FIR,” could stop the party. “No outside force can silence the voice of Bengal. When the BJP is defeated, they will have to apologise to 10 crore Bengalis and release every rupee of Bengal’s dues within seven days,” he said.

Banerjee stressed that the exclusion of around 58 lakh voters was only at the draft stage and that the claims and objections process would continue for nearly one and a half months. He said routine exclusions of 2–2.5 per cent occur during summary revisions, with the final picture emerging only after publication of the final rolls on February 14.

Questioning the branding of Indian citizens as “Bangladeshis,” Banerjee termed it an issue of humanity and constitutional responsibility. Citing ECI data, he said deletions were due to death, relocation, duplication and other reasons. He also alleged that Bengal had been deprived under BJP rule at the Centre, citing the state’s decision to spend Rs 8,000 crore of its own funds to build 20,000 km of roads.

Abhishek also criticised the Centre’s decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling it an “anti-Bengal” move and accusing the BJP of systematically erasing the state’s cultural and historical legacy.

Reacting to the Union Cabinet’s approval of a Bill to rename MGNREGA as Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G), the TMC national general secretary said the removal of the word ‘Mahatma’ amounted to an insult to Mahatma Gandhi and Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

“’Mahatma’ is not just a word; it is a title given by Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore to Gandhi ji. By removing it, the BJP has shown its deep-rooted hostility towards Bengal’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle and moral heritage,” Banerjee, who is also the TMC Lok Sabha leader, said.

The TMC leader further claimed that the Centre’s alleged withholding of funds has had a direct economic impact on the state, depriving around 2.65 lakh job card holders of employment and wages under the rural employment scheme.

Over the Messi event mismanagement, he said that the West Bengal government acted promptly after chaos marred a football event featuring Argentine star Lionel Messi, asserting that accountability has already been fixed at multiple levels and further action will follow against all those found guilty.

Describing the incident at Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan) as “completely unexpected”, Banerjee said lapses could have occurred on the part of both the organisers and the police administration, necessitating a full-fledged probe.

“An inquiry commission has been set up and an investigation has begun to probe the reasons behind the incident... There may have been negligence on the part of organisers as well as the police administration,” he said.