In a sharp escalation of political hostilities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a fierce counterattack against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 31, 2025, demanding his resignation over alleged failures to prevent terror attacks in the country. The TMC supremo's outburst came hours after Shah accused her state government of abetting infiltration from across the border.
Mamata's Scathing Rebuttal on Security Failures
Addressing a public rally in Barjora, Bankura district, Banerjee directly questioned Shah's performance as the nation's Home Minister. She pointedly referenced recent terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and in the national capital, Delhi, to challenge his narrative that infiltration was solely a Bengal issue.
"You must resign. You are the Home Minister of the country; you should resign," Banerjee declared, holding Shah accountable for security lapses. She mocked the BJP's focus on Bengal, asking, "They say there are infiltrators only in Bengal and nowhere else. If that is so, then who carried out the attacks in Pahalgam and Delhi?"
In a dramatic analogy drawn from the Mahabharata, she labeled Shah as 'Dushasan' and suggested that he and 'Duryodhan' (a likely reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi) only arrive in Bengal when elections are near.
Countering Land Allocation Allegations
Banerjee also provided a detailed rebuttal to Shah's charge that the TMC government was not cooperating in providing land for border fencing work. She listed several infrastructure projects where her administration had facilitated land acquisition.
"If land was not given, who completed the Tarakeswar-Bishnupur railway line? Mamata Banerjee did it," she asserted. She further cited land provided for coal extraction from ECL lands and for border outposts in areas like Bongaon, Petrapole, Ghojadanga, and Changrabandha. The Chief Minister also mentioned allocating land for airports in Andal and Panagarh as proof of her government's cooperation on strategic projects.
Abhishek Banerjee Accuses Shah of Doublespeak
Adding another layer to the confrontation, TMC General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee accused the Home Minister of hypocrisy on the infiltration issue. Speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport, he highlighted contradictory statements from within the BJP's own ranks.
He referenced BJP MP Ananta Maharaj, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha by 50 BJP MLAs, allegedly calling Amit Shah "the most prominent infiltrator of this country." Furthermore, he pointed to comments by Ranaghat Lok Sabha MP Jagannath Sarkar, who reportedly said two months ago that a BJP government would obliterate borders and remove fences with Bangladesh.
"Yet the home minister is putting the responsibility of securing that border on the shoulders of Mamata Banerjee," Abhishek Banerjee argued. He questioned why no disciplinary action had been taken against these BJP leaders and challenged Shah to set his own house in order before criticizing Bengal.
Political Ambitions and Electoral Confidence
Beyond the immediate war of words, Mamata Banerjee exuded confidence about her party's political future. She predicted that the TMC would return to power in West Bengal and also emerge as a national challenger to the BJP through democratic means.
Mocking the BJP's electoral slogans, she recalled their "ab ki baar, 200 paar" plank from the 2021 state polls (which has 294 seats) and noted they were now speaking of a two-thirds majority. "I want to say, this time you should be out of the country," she retorted, signaling an aggressive campaign ahead.
The exchange underscores the intensifying political battle between the BJP and the TMC, with national security and border management becoming central themes as both sides gear up for future electoral contests.
