TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee attacks BJP over Netaji, student protests; says Bengal turned into ‘mega prison’

Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee launched a fresh attack on the BJP, accusing the party of insulting Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, intimidating political opponents and suppressing those protesting against alleged examination irregularities.

In a Facebook Live address, Banerjee said an insult to Netaji was an insult to the entire country. She also alleged that young people who had protested against examination irregularities were branded “anti-national”, tortured and that their families were threatened.

Targeting the BJP over its political activities in West Bengal, Banerjee claimed that thousands of TMC workers had been jailed and alleged that the state had been turned into a “mega prison”. She further alleged that TMC MPs and MLAs were being threatened, with police telling them to either join the BJP or face imprisonment.


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Banerjee also accused the BJP of trying to simultaneously form the government and build the opposition, saying there would soon be mass criticism of what she described as such a political trend.

Her remarks come amid continuing political tensions in Bengal and renewed attention to examination-related protests. Student-led protests have also intensified around alleged irregularities in competitive and recruitment examinations, with thousands gathering at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in July to demand accountability.

Banerjee’s latest broadside also comes months after a major electoral setback for the TMC. In the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Banerjee lost the Bhabanipur seat to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by 15,105 votes, while the BJP crossed the 200-seat mark in the state and the TMC was reduced to 81 seats.

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Following the verdict, Banerjee rejected the election outcome as a legitimate defeat and alleged irregularities in the electoral process, saying her political fight would continue.

The latest remarks underline Banerjee’s continued confrontation with the BJP as she seeks to keep the TMC’s political opposition alive in Bengal following its defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections.