Kolkata: On the day PM Modi, from a rally in Singur, called for a “real change” in Bengal to end what he termed a 15-year-old “jungle raj”, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee countered the claim from a roadshow in Nadia, saying the change was needed in the regime ruling at the Centre.
Rejecting the BJP’s call for “change” in the 2026 Assembly polls, Banerjee asserted that the people of Bengal would instead lead the effort to dislodge the saffron party from power at the Centre after the state elections. Addressing a rally at Chopra in Nadia district, he said Bengal would not “surrender to outsiders and zamindars in Delhi”.
Incidentally, from a rally in Malda on Saturday, Modi had reiterated the call for “asli poribortan” (real change) and coined slogans for poll-bound Bengal: “Paltano darkar, chai BJP sarkar.”
Banerjee said: “Yesterday Modiji had said that a change was necessary in Bengal. You want to change the people of Bengal by imposing punishments. I agree with you that change is required. But the people of Bengal will not change. You people (BJP) will change. The outsiders from Delhi and Gujarat will change. Those who used to start their programme by shouting ‘Jai Sree Ram’ are now starting rallies by shouting “Jai Maa Kali” and “Jai Maa Durga”. The people of Bengal will now bow down to you. After the 2026 polls, PM Modi will also have to say ‘Joy Bangla’”. Banerjee again accused the PM of blocking central funds meant for Bengal. He alleged that the BJP wanted people of Bengal to “bow and surrender”. He made it clear that the people of Bengal will never surrender to the BJP.
Accusing PM Modi of dividing people along the religious lines, Banerjee said: “Do you know who set up the stage where you were attacking the Bengal Chief Minister? Hindu or Muslims?” Taking a dig at BJP over corruption, he said that a local BJP leader from Tehatta grabbed funds which were meant for constructing drainage systems. He also alleged that BJP set up a party office on an illegally encroached piece of land in Nadia’s Krishnanagar. “Should we take citizenship certificates from a political party that runs an illegal party office,” Banerjee remarked.