West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | PM Modi accuses TMC of changing Bengal's culture through infiltration, calls Mamata govt 'anti-tribal'

Purulia (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a broadside against the TMC government in West Bengal, accusing it of changing the state's language and culture through infiltration, neglecting tribal areas and presiding over what he called "Maha jungleraj".

Addressing a rally in Purulia that has a significant tribal population, Modi sought to sharpen the BJP's political pitch in Junglemahal ahead of the 2026 assembly polls, framing the contest as one between "development and appeasement".

"Due to infiltration, Bengal's language and culture are witnessing a change," he said, alleging that the ruling party's politics had altered the state's social character.

Stepping up his attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government, Modi alleged that tribal identity and language were being ignored in favour of appeasement politics.

"The Santali language is being humiliated while a record budget is allocated for madrasa education. This is nothing but appeasement," he said.

The Prime Minister repeatedly referred to the TMC regime as "Maha jungleraj", accusing it of leaving tribal-dominated districts such as Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram deprived of roads, drinking water, jobs and other basic amenities.

"Under TMC's Maha jungleraj, tribal-dominated districts are lagging in development and basic amenities," he said.

Seeking to project the BJP as the natural political choice for the tribal belt, Modi accused the ruling party of grabbing tribal land through a network of local syndicates.

"The TMC syndicate has occupied the land of the tribals. Nothing gets done without paying cut money to the ruling party," he alleged.

Modi also accused the TMC of opposing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies because it "feared" a larger number of women legislators.

"The TMC feared that if more women MLAs were elected, they would raise their voice for women's rights. That is why it opposed the reservation for women. At the time of voting, you must punish TMC for this crime as well," he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that corruption and extortion had paralysed both governance and economic activities in the state.

"In TMC's jungle raj, nothing gets done without bribery. When bribery is forced, how will industry thrive? Therefore, the industry is also in dire straits here," he said.

Linking corruption with unemployment, Modi claimed that West Bengal had witnessed "dangerous" levels of joblessness during the TMC's 15 years in power.

Referring to the school jobs scam, he accused TMC leaders of destroying the future of thousands of youths.

"TMC ministers robbed the recruitment of teachers, defrauding thousands of young people," he said, alleging that thousands of schools in Bengal were functioning without teachers because school jobs had been "looted".

Claiming that anti-incumbency was visible across western Bengal, Modi said people in Purulia were increasingly demanding change.

"The entire Purulia wants change and is saying 'Paltano Darkar' (change is needed)," he said.

Modi asserted that wherever corruption and atrocities had reached their peak, people had eventually chosen the BJP as an alternative.

"The corruption and atrocities of TMC have terrorised the people of Bengal. But now people see the BJP as the only credible alternative," he said.

Making a direct appeal to votes, Modi said Bengal now needs not only a BJP-led government at the Centre but also one in the state.

"You have given me the responsibility of Prime Minister, now Bengal also needs a BJP chief minister," he said.

Projecting the BJP's "double-engine" plank, Modi claimed that development in Purulia would accelerate if both the Centre and the state were ruled by his party.

"When both the PM and the CM are from the BJP, Purulia's development will move at twice the current speed," he said, adding that he was confident that a BJP chief minister would take oath after the assembly elections.

Drawing a contrast with neighbouring BJP-ruled states, Modi said tribal communities had found political representation only under the saffron party.

"In Odisha and Chhattisgarh, we have made adivasis the chief ministers," he said.

The Prime Minister said the Centre had created a separate ministry for tribal affairs and allocated dedicated funds for tribal welfare, while the TMC government had ignored the region.

Seeking to strengthen the BJP's pitch on language and identity, Modi said his party respected every language and dialect.

He also said the National Education Policy gave greater importance to Indian languages so that children from poor, rural and tribal families could study in their mother tongue.

Modi said a BJP government in Bengal would strengthen Bengali, Santali, Kurmali and Rajbanshi languages, adding that it was the BJP government that had secured classical language status for Bengali.