Mamata Banerjee’s services delivery mechanism at the doorstep through “Duare Sarkar”, an initiative launched after her taking oath for a third term, got a fresh twist courtesy of a Trinamul Congress leader in Birbhum’s Bolpur.

On Monday, addressing party workers in Bolpur Municipality’s ward 1, from where the Trinamul leader Babu Das’ wife Sangeeta is the councillor, Das said, “We have given loads of development and love. I, Babu Das, I am telling in 2026 we will give Duare Kyalani (Beating at the doorstep) to those who work for BJP, try to stop Lakshmi Bhandar, try to instigate riots in this ward number 1. Our party workers, our women are ready for them.”

Das is close to the state correctional home minister and Bolpur MLA Chandranath Sinha.

Sukanta Hazra, Trinamul’s Bolpur town president, sat on the dais while Das made the statement.

Till February 20, the Mamata Banerjee government had held 104396 Duare Sarkar camps, which registered around 3.6 crore footfall.

Opposition parties have frequently voiced Birbhum’s history of violence and voter intimidation since the 2013 panchayat polls.

The Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal returned from Tihar jail recently. He was in prison for his alleged role in cattle smuggling case, had in 2013 instructed Trinamul supporters to set fire to houses belonging to the opposition and throw bombs at the police if they intervened.

Five years later, in 2018, under Mondal’s leadership, Trinamul won the three-tier panchayat seat as the candidates from the opposition parties could not file nominations.

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said Das’ speech represented the Trinamul’s mindset.

“Where is the controversy? This is Trinamul’s agenda, this is Trinamul’s political culture, this is Trinamul’s political programme. He might get a reward from the Trinamul and felicitated at Kalighat for his comments,” Bhattacharya said.

Trinamul’s Suri MLA and member of the party’s core committee for Birbhum, Bibhas Roy Chowdhury, said, “Whatever he said was his personal opinion. The party does not support his statement.”