West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in Home Minister Amit Shah, whom she accused of harming the nation the most for the sake of his own political interests.
She alleged that the recent communal violence in Murshidabad in West Bengal was pre-planned, and the Border Security Force and some other agencies controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the central government joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in orchestrating tension in the state, by facilitating illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
Three people were killed, and several others were injured as the protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, turned violent and not only resulted in clashes with the police personnel but also led to communal clashes at Suti, Samserganj, Dhulian and Jangipur in Murshidabad last week.
“I would request the PM to keep a check on Shah. He is harming the country the most to serve his political interests. Why is he (Shah) in such a hurry? He will never become the PM, and what will he do once Modi-ji leaves?” Banerjee said at a meeting with Muslim clerics of West Bengal in Kolkata. “The PM must see how his home minister is misusing central agencies. PM Modi must control him.”
The chief minister urged the prime minister not to implement the ‘atrocious’ new law. She, herself, announced recently that the new law would not be implemented in West Bengal.
She alleged that the BJP-led government in the centre enforced the new law hurriedly despite the situation in Bangladesh. She alleged that some central agencies had facilitated illegal migrants from Bangladesh to cross over to India.
“I came across news quoting the Home Ministry sources claiming the role of elements from across the border in the Murshidabad unrest. Is it not the role of the BSF to guard the border? The BSF is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The state government does not guard the international border. The central government can't evade responsibility,” said the chief minister.
She said that a compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be provided to each of the families of the deceased. She asked the chief secretary to initiate an inquiry into the BSF's actions.