‘If You Target Bengal, I’ll Shake the Nation’: Mamata Banerjee Warns BJP

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday delivered a fierce indictment of the BJP, accusing it of attempting to manipulate the voter verification process under the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) and warning that she would “shake the whole country” if Bengal or its people were subjected to targeted political pressure.

Speaking at a rally in Bongaon, Banerjee alleged that the BJP was using its influence over the Election Commission, trying to remove legitimate voters—particularly beneficiaries of state welfare programmes. “If you come after me in Bengal—and I consider any attack on my people as an attack on myself—then I will shake the entire nation. After the elections, I will travel across India,” she declared, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

২০২৯ এ ভয়ঙ্কর খেলা হবে!!#MamataBanerjee-এর গর্জন দিল্লীতে আশাকরি পৌঁছেছে। দিল্লীর জমিদাররা সাবধান!@MamataOfficial @abhishekaitc @AITCofficial#NoboBanglaWithAbhishek #AbhishekBanerjee #MamataBanerjee #TMC #TrinamoolCongress #BengalElection2026 #BanglarChhele… pic.twitter.com/B316Jy8wnp

— Nobo Bangla With Abhishek (@NoboBanglaAB) November 25, 2025

The Chief Minister insisted that the electoral revision must remain neutral. “The Election Commission must not become the BJP commission. The BJP is preparing voter elimination lists in their offices and the EC is following their script,” she said, urging voters not to fear removal from the rolls.

Banerjee criticised similar tactics, which she claimed were used previously in Bihar, and asserted that Bengal would not be caught unaware. “The BJP cannot beat me on my own turf,” she said.

West Bengal is currently in the midst of a voter list update exercise, with residents required to submit partially completed Enumeration Forms by December 4, ahead of the draft roll release on December 9.

Banerjee also alleged that her scheduled helicopter flight to the rally was abruptly cancelled due to a “BJP conspiracy,” forcing her to travel by road. She accused the party of misusing central agencies and of selectively distributing forms linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to influence specific communities.

“Applying under CAA means you are declaring yourself a Bangladeshi seeking Indian citizenship. That could later be used to paint you as a foreigner. Use your own judgment—don’t let social media or godi media mislead you,” she cautioned.

Touching on questions of language and identity, Banerjee said, “Our mother tongue is Bengali. I speak Bengali, and I was born in Birbhum. If they want, they can call me Bangladeshi as well. Bengali may have many dialects, but the language remains Bangla.”

Invoking the Constitution, she reminded the audience of its foundation in pluralism and equal respect for all faiths. “Dr. Ambedkar crafted the Constitution with deep reflection. It calls for harmony among religions. The BJP is tormenting citizens and engaging in Adharma in the name of Dharma,” she said.

Her remarks underscore intensifying political tensions in Bengal ahead of the next electoral cycle, with voter identity, citizenship, and electoral fairness at the forefront of contention.