Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) at an election rally in Siliguri, accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led government of neglecting North Bengal during natural calamities and pursuing “appeasement politics” at the cost of development and national security.
Referring to landslides and flash floods that struck the region last year, Modi alleged that while people in North Bengal were grappling with distress, leaders of the state government were “busy celebrating carnivals” in Kolkata. “When North Bengal was suffering due to natural calamities, leaders of the state government were busy celebrating carnivals,” he said.
The Prime Minister claimed that North Bengal had been consistently ignored in terms of development, asserting that sectors such as transport, tourism and industry had not received adequate attention. He also alleged that central funds meant for development were siphoned off, leaving the region deprived.
Stepping up his criticism, Modi accused the TMC of prioritising vote-bank politics over balanced growth. He claimed that while significant allocations had been made for madrasa development, funding for North Bengal remained insufficient. “This is politics of appeasement. The region suffers, while the government looks the other way,” he said.
Raising concerns over national security, Modi referred to the strategic Siliguri Corridor, the narrow stretch connecting mainland India to the Northeast, and alleged that “tukde-tukde” elements had threatened to sever it. He further accused the TMC of supporting such forces “from the streets to Parliament” due to its appeasement politics.
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“The country has a ‘tukde-tukde’ gang, and it threatened to cut off the Siliguri Corridor. They wanted to separate the Northeast from the country. TMC supports such people,” he alleged.
Describing the corridor as critical for both defence and economic connectivity, Modi said the Centre was working to strengthen infrastructure in the region, citing projects such as the Sevoke-Rangpo railway line aimed at improving connectivity to Sikkim and boosting trade and tourism.
He also accused the TMC government of fostering corruption, political violence and demographic imbalance due to alleged illegal infiltration, and termed the party “anti-tribal, anti-women and anti-North Bengal”. Modi said that if the BJP comes to power, those responsible for corruption and crimes would be held accountable and central schemes would be implemented effectively.
Urging voters to back a “double-engine” government, Modi asserted that Bengal would witness accelerated development under BJP rule. He also claimed that public sentiment was turning against the TMC after 15 years in power, with people demanding accountability.
The rally marked an intensification of the BJP’s campaign ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, with polling scheduled in two phases on April 23 and 29, and counting on May 4.
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