West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee fiercely criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the TMC’s Shaheed Diwas rally in Kolkata’s Esplanade East, accusing it of unleashing “terror” on the Bengali language and eroding Bengali pride. Addressing a massive crowd, she alleged a “massive conspiracy” against Bengalis, claiming over 1,000 people have been detained in BJP-ruled states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh for speaking their mother tongue.

“They dictate what we eat, intruding on our basic freedoms. Bengal won’t tolerate this!” Banerjee declared, vowing to fight for Bengali “ashmita” (pride). She announced TMC’s plan to protest every Saturday and Sunday after July 27 against the oppression of the Bengali language and promised to build a “Durga aangan” in Bengal, akin to the Jagannath Dham in Digha, to celebrate Bengali culture.

Banerjee also responded to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks linking Bengali speakers to Bangladeshi identity, warning, “You can’t control Assam but interfere in Bengal. If this continues, we’ll take the fight to Assam!” She threatened to lead protests in Delhi if Bengalis are arrested for speaking their language and criticized the potential removal of 40 lakh people from Bengal’s electoral roll, vowing to challenge such actions legally.

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TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee echoed her sentiments, branding the BJP “anti-Bengali” and questioning its inaction against Sarma’s comments. “If needed, we’ll speak Bengali in Parliament. We’ll never bow down,” he asserted, predicting the BJP’s electoral defeat in Bengal’s 2026 elections.

Praising TMC workers as the party’s “true assets” and likening TMC to a “banyan tree,” Mamata dismissed attempts by the BJP to weaken the party through agencies like the ED and CBI. “The challenge persists,” she said, referencing past struggles in Nandigram and Singur. She also highlighted Bengal’s role in India’s independence, noting that the national anthem originated from Bengali, crafted by Rabindranath Tagore.

The rally, held under tight security with Kolkata Police imposing traffic restrictions from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., underscored TMC’s resolve to mobilize Bengali sentiment against the BJP’s alleged overreach, setting the stage for a heated political battle ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls.

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