New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her arguments in the Supreme Court regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. Without naming her directly, PM Modi said in the Rajya Sabha this evening that the Trinamool Congress goes to court to protect illegal immigrants.
The reference was widely understood to be aimed at Banerjee. Just a day earlier, the Chief Minister had opposed the SIR before the Chief Justice of India’s bench, accusing the union government of singling out her state ahead of elections.
PM Modi criticises Trinamool for shielding infiltrators
In his speech today, Prime Minister Modi slammed the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, calling it a “cruel regime” that prioritises power over people. “A cruel government is setting new records in every measure of decline, yet it lectures us here. The future of the people is slipping into darkness, but they remain indifferent. Their only ambition is to stay in power,” the Prime Minister said.
Targeting Mamata Banerjee’s party for shielding “infiltrators,” Prime Minister Modi questioned how such leaders could gain acceptance in the country.
“Even the world’s most prosperous nations take steps to expel illegal immigrants. In our country, however, certain groups are making deliberate, organised efforts to protect them. How can the youth of India accept leaders who aggressively advocate for illegal immigrants?” he asked.
The Prime Minister also warned that illegal immigrants are taking away opportunities meant for the country’s youth. “They are snatching jobs and livelihoods, encroaching on the land of vanvasi communities, and posing threats to the safety and future of our sons and daughters,” he said.
Illegal immigration emerges as key political issue ahead of West Bengal polls
Infiltration, or illegal immigration, has emerged as a key political issue that the BJP is using to challenge the Trinamool Congress ahead of the West Bengal state elections. The BJP supports the Special Intensive Revision process, which Banerjee’s party has strongly opposed, claiming that the rushed exercise has excluded legitimate voters.
Banerjee made the same argument in the Supreme Court yesterday, a move that observers say may have earned her political points, though the battle remains challenging amid serious allegations.
Prime Minister Modi also accused the Trinamool and its opposition allies of corruption. “Whether it is the Congress, the TMC, the DMK, or the Left, they have been in power at the Centre for decades and have also had opportunities to run state governments. They focused only on filling their own pockets; improving citizens’ lives was never their priority,” he said.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha on February 5.
