In an unprecedented turn, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, for the first time, come under fierce criticism on the domestic front over Operation Sindoor, India’s recent anti-terror operation against Pakistan.
Responding with rare ferocity, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a blistering counterattack during a press conference at Nabanna. “I won’t comment on Operation Sindoor,” Mamata began, before delivering a deeply personal jab: “Every woman respects sindoor. It is taken from one’s husband. But Modi is not everyone’s husband. Why doesn’t he give sindoor to his own wife first?”
Realising the explosive nature of her words, she later added, “I apologise. I wasn’t supposed to say this. But your constant provocations leave me with no choice.”
During a public rally held in Alipurduar, North Bengal on Thursday, the Prime Minister invoked the operation to reaffirm India’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism.
Sharing the stage with Modi, BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar escalated the discourse by declaring that, just as Operation Sindoor was carried out against Pakistan, a similar operation would be conducted in Bengal — a statement that drew Mamata’s sharp outrage.
The exchange marked a new low in the political rivalry between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, with Modi having earlier described the TMC-led Bengal government as “brutal” and “corrupt,” especially in the context of recent reports of violence and crimes against women in Murshidabad and Malda.
“Look at the atrocities, the lawlessness — is this how a government should function?” the Prime Minister had said, without directly naming Mamata.
But the Trinamool supremo was quick to flip the script. She alleged that the violence in Murshidabad and Malda was “instigated by BJP cadres,” and added, “We have proof.”
Hitting back at Modi’s symbolism, she said, “He used to say he was a tea-seller. Now, suddenly, he’s selling sindoor. But sindoor is not a commodity for political theatrics. Bengal’s women live with dignity. Does such dignity exist in states like UP, Assam, Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh — where people openly watch obscene films in cars on public roads?”
Furious at Majumdar’s comment about launching “Operation Sindoor in Bengal,” Mamata accused the Prime Minister of “insulting the women of Bengal by equating their honour with a counter-terror operation.” She added, “This is not acceptable. Bengal’s land, its culture and its women have been demeaned. Modi is playing with the pride of Bengal.”
Modi, meanwhile, identified six crises he claimed were afflicting Bengal — including rampant corruption, lawlessness, and rising unemployment. The Chief Minister hit back, questioning the moral authority of the BJP to make such accusations.
“What about BJP-ruled states? Look at Gujarat, look at what’s happening in Madhya Pradesh — even Pakistan was supported from there. Will Modi answer that?”
Mamata concluded her rebuttal with a challenge: “You talk about Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam. But where are those four terrorists? Have they been caught? Or are you just using this operation to run a PR campaign while failing to provide any answers?”
With the political temperature in Bengal reaching boiling point, the clash between the Prime Minister and the Bengal Chief Minister has taken on national significance — not just for its aggressive tone, but for what it reveals about the deepening fault lines in Indian federal politics ahead of crucial elections.
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