Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the BJP would be reduced to zero in the 294-seat Assembly in the 2026 state elections, tearing into the party and the saffron regime over a clutch of issues amid ruckus from the Opposition MLAs before they staged a walkout.
From an alleged witch-hunt against Bengali-speaking Indian citizens in BJP-ruled states to central funds-freeze, from the saffron camp’s alleged insult of Sikhism to the politics of polarisation, from fatal tragedies in BJP-ruled states to the saffron propensity to dictate personal choices, the TMC chief landed blow after blow in the Assembly.
During the Question Hour, Mamata said: “Remember this, the BJP will be reduced to zero in the next Assembly elections. The people have rejected their politics.”
“Will I take lessons from them in ethics and honesty? They keep abusing me, which goes to show their ethics and culture... this exposes them further to the people, to whom I have given my entire political career,” she said.
The 40-odd BJP MLAs present in the House shouted slogans, protesting her remarks — besides Speaker Biman Banerjee’s refusal to admit an adjournment motion over “crisis” in the education sector linked to the “SSC scam” — and staged a walkout.
Speaker Banerjee suspended the BJP MLA Manoj Oraon for the day for breach of discipline, and verbally cautioned Opposition chief whip Shankar Ghosh for
his conduct.
“As soon as I step into the House, they run out of questions and logical arguments for debates. They are only bent on using foul language and leveling baseless accusations, they only shout... so many people died (in recent tragedies in BJP-ruled states), yet they have no shame,” she said.
“Will they be allowed to decide what one should wear by way of clothes or even footwear, or eat?” asked the chief minister.
Mamata brought up the anger expressed by Sikh community leaders in Bengal on Sunday, who have accused the state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar of hurting the community’s sentiments by allegedly throwing (a picture cutout of) sandals during an agitation, which hit the turban of a Sikh police officer in Calcutta on Thursday. Many Sikh outfits demanded unconditional apology from Majumdar — also a junior member of the Narendra Modi cabinet — and his arrest.
In Sikhism, the turban is a major symbol of socio-religious identity, honour and commitment to the faith.
“Four or five days ago, in an incident, one of their half-ministers, who cannot go to Manipur... entered the crossing of my neighborhood and threw shoes at the turban of a (Sikh) police officer. (Sikhs) are very angry and have protested,” she said.
Visuals widely circulated on social media by the TMC and others show that while courting arrest, Majumdar had hurled from the police van doors a cutout of a picture of a pair of white-and-blue Hawaii sandals — akin to what the chief minister wears — which hit the Sikh cop’s turban.
“If you love Hawaii slippers so much, please open a Hawaii slippers shop,” said Mamata.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami, in a statement, said: “It is unfortunate and disgraceful when someone holding a constitutional position engages in such a deplorable act.” He urged the Centre to initiate strict disciplinary action against Majumdar.
Majumdar on Monday took to X, seeking to turn tables on Mamata by bringing up an alleged incident in 2020 with a Sikh man’s turban during police action here during a BJP-led march.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal stands with the Sikh community. We deeply respect their faith, their sacred turban, and their glorious religious tradition. And every Sikh brothers and sisters in this state knows: you (Mamata) have turned religion into a political weapon, insulted communities, and fueled division,” he claimed.
Attacking the Centre over blocking funds to Bengal, Mamata said that despite the saffron regime’s “step-motherly” treatment, the state has laid 69,000km of roads, enabled housing for the poor with ₹11,000 crore, provided 50 days of jobs on an average to people under the state’s Karmashree scheme, creating more than 1.5 crore mandays under various initiatives in all.
“You deprive the poor masses of Bengal on one hand, and on the other, processions of deaths take place from various mishaps in states ruled by you,” she said. “Nobody can derail us from our path to realising our dreams (for Bengal).”
Abhishek’s questions
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday accused the Centre of lacking accountability over the Pahalgam terror attack and raised five questions on border security, foreign policy, intelligence failure, global diplomacy, the ceasefire “compromise” and its alleged inability to take the nation into confidence.
“It has been over 55 days since the Pahalgam terror attack. It is deeply concerning that in a democracy, neither the mainstream media, members of the opposition, nor the judiciary has stepped forward to raise these five critical questions before the Government of India,” he wrote on X.