West Bengal polls as national security battle: Amit Shah targets TMC with 'charge sheet'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday sharpened the BJP’s campaign pitch for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, releasing a 'charge sheet' against the ruling Trinamool Congress and framing the contest as one with implications beyond the state.

Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Shah alleged that during the party’s 15-year rule, West Bengal had become the country’s "principal corridor for infiltration, appeasement politics and border insecurity."

Also Read: By attempting to destroy Bengal, BJP will lose power in country: Mamata Banerjee


"The Bengal election is important not only for the state but for the entire country. The security of the country is, in a way, linked to the Bengal election," he said.

Drawing a comparison with Assam, where the BJP is in power, Shah claimed that infiltration routes through the state had been “shut”, leaving West Bengal as “the only remaining route”.

"West Bengal is the only state from where infiltrators are entering the country and creating disturbances," he said.

The Home Minister repeatedly tied the issue to what he described as the TMC’s "appeasement and vote-bank politics," accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led government of obstructing efforts to strengthen border infrastructure.

Also Read: West Bengal CEO flags off poll tram ahead of Assembly race

He alleged that the state government had not provided land for border fencing despite repeated requests from the Centre, calling the move politically driven.

"The TMC government has not provided land for border fencing as they want to create a vote-bank of infiltrators," Shah alleged.