In a fiery address to migrant workers in Malda, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee positioned his party as the sole national force capable of confronting and defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking on Thursday, Banerjee launched a broadside against both the BJP and the Congress while making significant promises for the welfare of Bengal's migrant labour force.
TMC as the Sole Challenger to BJP's Dominance
Abhishek Banerjee made a bold claim about the political landscape of India. He stated that out of approximately 1,500 political parties in the country, only the Trinamool Congress possesses the strength and resolve to "teach BJP a lesson." He accused every other opposition party of having surrendered before the BJP. "We are the ones who defeat BJP. This is the difference," Banerjee declared to the assembled crowd at Jalanga under Malda Police Station.
He predicted a grim future for the BJP, asserting that its decline would start from West Bengal. "By 2029, BJP will be finished," he claimed. However, he issued a warning against internal division, stating that a split in the opposition would only benefit the BJP. He contrasted the situation in Bengal with that of Bihar, claiming that while the BJP succeeded in dividing people in Bihar, the unity in Bengal was causing the BJP to break apart in the state.
Attacks on Congress and Allegations of BJP's "Purchase" Politics
Banerjee did not spare the Indian National Congress in his critique. He accused other opposition parties of striking deals with the BJP and questioned the Congress's effectiveness in helping people, linking it to their repeated electoral losses. He cited the example of Meghalaya, where he said all five Congress MLAs joined the NDA, while not a single TMC legislator switched sides.
He accused the BJP of purchasing MLAs and overturning governments in other states, a practice he claimed does not happen in Bengal where the TMC stands firm. Banerjee emphasized the TMC's inclusive stance, saying, "Trinamool stands for temple, mosque and church, all at once."
Without directly naming suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, Banerjee criticized him, alleging that the former BJP candidate from 2019 was now "building Babri Masjid" and trying to divide people along religious lines for monetary gain. "No religion preaches division," he added.
Promise to End Migrant Worker Distress and Legal Fight
A central promise of Banerjee's address was aimed directly at the migrant workers present. He assured them that if the TMC returns to power for a fourth consecutive term in the state, no one would be forced to leave Bengal in search of work. "With our youths working at their home, Bengal will become self-dependent," he pledged.
The meeting saw heart-wrenching accounts from workers who suffered in other states. Sajenur Khatun of Chanchal recalled being labelled a Bangladeshi and tortured in Delhi despite having valid documents. Rafikul Biswas shared his ordeal of torture and imprisonment in Karnataka. The widow of Parimal Ghosh narrated how her husband was killed in Rajasthan, and Binoy Besra of Gazole spoke of torture in Odisha and the alleged indifference of his MP, Khagen Murmu.
Banerjee promised that the fight would not end with bringing tortured workers home. He vowed to take legal action against each instance of police atrocity in courts to ensure the offenders are punished. He also turned the "Bangladeshi" label used against Bengali-speaking workers back on BJP leaders, questioning why MPs like Khagen Murmu, Sukanta Majumdar, or Suvendu Adhikari should not be called Bangladeshi if language was the criterion.
He also attacked Congress MP from Malda Dakshin, Isha Khan Chaudhuri, for failing to help Bengali migrant labourers in states like Telangana and Karnataka where Congress is in power.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to visit Malda on January 17, Banerjee issued a challenge. "I heard that the PM will come here after a week. I promise to come in Feb again and show a teaser for BJP," he said. After the meeting, Banerjee shared lunch with the workers before departing from Malda.
