West Bengal: Abhishek tears into BJP, Shah over ‘jumla patra’, ‘ghuspethiye’

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday launched a sweeping attack on the BJP’s election promises and Union home minister Amit Shah’s repeated references to “ghuspaithiye” (infiltrators), accusing the party of recycling “jumlas” (empty promises) while failing to deliver on jobs, security and governance despite being in power at the Centre for over a decade.

Addressing what the party described as an “explosive” press conference in Kolkata, the TMC national general-secretary held up the BJP’s manifesto — or 'Sankalp Patra' — and dismissed it as a repackaging of unfulfilled promises.

“A party that has governed India for over a decade, and has broken every single promise it has made to every community it has courted, has arrived in Bengal with a new set of promises,” Banerjee said. “Bengal is not fooled. Bengal has seen this film before. And Bengal knows exactly how it ends.”

Banerjee accused Shah of repeatedly invoking the issue of infiltration during election campaigns to divert attention from governance failures, arguing that border control falls under the Union home ministry. “Amit Shah is playing the same record over and over again. Every election, the BJP suddenly discovers ghuspaithiye,” he said.

Shah has frequently foregrounded the issue in campaign speeches across eastern India, particularly in Assam — where the BJP has been in power since 2016 — and West Bengal, promising to identify and deport alleged undocumented migrants.

Banerjee questioned why the issue continues to dominate BJP speeches despite the party’s long tenure in power both at the Centre and in Assam. “If infiltration is indeed taking place, whose failure is it if not the home minister’s, who has been in charge since 2019?” he asked.

The TMC leader also questioned what he described as the selective application of the term 'infiltrator', referring to the Centre providing shelter to ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after political developments in Dhaka.

“If we talk about infiltration, what is the status of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been staying in India for the past one-and-a-half years? Is she a Bangladeshi infiltrator?” Banerjee asked.

Sharpening his attack on the home minister’s record, Banerjee referred to major terror incidents last year, alleging lapses in security preparedness. “Whose failure is it that terrorists infiltrated a heavily guarded Pahalgam and gunned down 26 innocent tourists? Whose failure is it that a terror attack in the national capital claimed innocent lives?” he said.

Banerjee also criticised Shah’s remarks suggesting that governance in West Bengal would be aligned with the Centre if the BJP came to power in the state, describing it as an admission that decisions would be “remote-controlled from Delhi”.

Turning to the BJP’s employment promises, Banerjee questioned Shah’s announcement that a BJP government in Bengal would create one crore jobs annually for five years while providing Rs 3,000 monthly financial assistance to unemployed youth.

“In 2014, Narendra Modi promised two crore jobs every year across the country. Can the Modi government account for even 5,000 jobs created in Bengal over the past twelve years?” he asked.

He also questioned why similar unemployment assistance schemes had not been introduced in BJP-ruled states. “If the BJP is serious about supporting unemployed youth, why has it not implemented such schemes in double-engine states like Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand or Odisha?” he said.

Banerjee argued that the BJP’s promise appeared internally inconsistent. “If substantial employment is to be generated, why provide an unemployment stipend? And if stipends are required, what does that say about job creation?” he asked.

He also accused the BJP of attempting to replicate welfare schemes it had previously criticised in West Bengal. “After repeatedly attacking schemes like Banglar Yuba-Sathi and Lakshmir Bhandar, the BJP is now attempting to copy them. This is a cynical attempt to mislead voters,” Banerjee said.

The TMC has consistently argued that the BJP’s emphasis on infiltration and identity issues during elections is aimed at polarising voters, while deflecting attention from economic concerns such as unemployment and price rise.

Banerjee said the repetition of similar promises and narratives election after election suggests the BJP is relying on political messaging rather than demonstrable outcomes. “The people of Bengal have heard these promises before. This time, they will respond with their votes,” he said.

With PTI inputs