Biplab Kumar Deb, former Tripura Chief Minister and BJP Lok Sabha MP, unleashed a blistering critique of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on October 21, 2025, branding her a "demon" devoid of maternal tenderness and likening her to the infamous betrayer Mir Jafar. Speaking to reporters after prayers at the Indira Nagar Kali Bari temple, Deb accused Banerjee of eroding human values in Bengal, where he claimed murders, rapes, and arson have become commonplace without evoking any empathy from the leader. "There is no human value left in Bengal today. Human life seems meaningless," Deb stated, alleging that Banerjee's heart has been "surgically removed," rendering her indifferent to the state's plight. This tirade, delivered amid escalating political rhetoric ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, positions Deb—recently appointed as BJP's co-incharge for the state—as a frontline agitator in the party's bid to unseat the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime.

Deb's invective drew a historical parallel to Mir Jafar, the military commander who colluded with British forces to betray Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah during the 1757 Battle of Plassey, sealing Bengal's colonial subjugation. "Like Mir Jafar defamed his name so that no Muslim keeps it anymore, she has done the same. No one will want to name their daughter 'Mamata' anymore," Deb asserted, playing on Banerjee's name, which translates to "maternal affection" in Bengali. He lamented the perceived loss of innate feminine compassion, declaring, "We cannot imagine such behaviour from an Indian woman because women generally have a motherly affection and sense of service."

The comments echo Deb's reputation for provocative statements, from past jabs at "urban Naxals" to critiques of opposition figures, often amplifying the BJP's narrative of cultural and moral decay under TMC rule. This assault comes as Bengal grapples with recent controversies, including post-poll violence in 2021 that claimed over 50 lives and ongoing allegations of corruption in recruitment scams.

The BJP leader further accused Banerjee of systemic betrayal, fostering an environment rife with "unlawful activities and deep-rooted corruption" that demands the state's "liberation". He singled out TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata's nephew and party general secretary, as allegedly tied to land mafias, implying a nexus undermining governance. Deb portrayed the 2026 polls as a crusade "to restore human values and free Bengal from these demons," urging residents to rally against the TMC's 10-year incumbency.

This aligns with BJP's strategy to consolidate Hindu votes in a state where it secured 18.6% in the 2021 elections, up from 10.2% in 2016, by highlighting TMC's alleged failures in law and order—over 3,000 murders and 1,500 rapes reported in 2024 per NCRB data. Yet, such rhetoric risks alienating moderates, as similar barbs have previously drawn TMC backlash, including defamation suits.

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Deb's address underscores the BJP's aggressive pre-election playbook in West Bengal, a battleground pitting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national appeal against Banerjee's regional stronghold, where TMC commands 213 of 294 assembly seats. Analysts view the "Mir Jafar" analogy as a calculated invocation of Bengal's anti-colonial ethos to frame TMC as a modern betrayer of subaltern interests, potentially galvanising BJP's cadre amid internal surveys projecting 80-100 seats. As the saffron party ramps up organisational drives, including youth outreach via its IT cell, Deb's role as co-in-charge signals intensified incursions from neighbouring Tripura, where he orchestrated BJP's 2018 upset.

For Banerjee, facing a fractured opposition yet buoyed by welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar benefiting 2 crore women, the barbs offer fodder to rally her base around themes of "Bengali pride" versus "Delhi's interference". With polls 18 months away, this verbal skirmish foreshadows a fiercely polarised campaign, where personal attacks may eclipse policy debates on jobs and floods.

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