Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday strongly rebutted remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election rallies in West Bengal.
Responding to Modi’s assertion that Bengal is a “bomb factory,” TMC leaders Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja, speaking at a joint press conference, pointed to a March 2026 incident in Nagpur, where 18 people died in a factory near the RSS headquarters. “The Prime Minister should clarify where these bombs were actually made—Maharashtra or neighbouring Gujarat,” they said.
After Modi alleged that corruption and criminal protection have become entrenched in the system in Bengal, TMC leaders raised counter questions on how terrorist acts were carried out in Delhi and Pahalgam and how they entered the country.
They also demanded to know why Modi had remained silent on the video of Humayun Kabir that emerged on Thursday. TMC leaders said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, scheduled to visit the state on Friday, must respond. “If they say nothing, it will be assumed that the BJP struck a ₹1,000 crore election deal with Kabir,” Basu asserted.
TMC also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Haldia by uploading images of the rally, which was seen completely empty. The ruling party claimed that people were seen leaving the venue and it suggests that the BJP will reduce to 50 seats this time.
Responding to Modi’s assertion that India is progressing rapidly while the TMC is holding West Bengal back, TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien claimed that poverty remains widespread in the country and highlighted the state’s economic growth. On Modi’s claim that factories have shut down and workers are migrating out of the state, the TMC leader countered that the number of registered companies in West Bengal has risen significantly since 2011, indicating industrial expansion.
O’Brien said the total number of registered companies in Bengal increased from 1.37 lakh in 2011 to 2.50 lakh in 2025, up by 83 per cent, registering on average more than 7,500 companies every year.
Challenging Modi’s statement that BJP-ruled states have undergone development, he pointed out that 21 crore Indians still live in ‘Multidimensional Poverty’ as per Niti Aayog. “The Union government has unilaterally stopped funds of Rs 2 lakh crore owed to West Bengal,” he said.
Addressing the allegation that the TMC has “betrayed” the youth, O’Brien said the unemployment rate in West Bengal has declined and employment opportunities have increased.
“One out of three youth is not in employment, education or training in the country. Seven out of 10 graduates are unemployed.
In Bengal, the unemployment rate has reduced by 40 per cent, generating over two crore employment opportunities,” he added.