Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a sharp political attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing the party of going to court to protect illegal immigrants. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, the Prime Minister linked the TMC’s legal challenge to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls with what he described as an attempt to shield “infiltrators.”

Although Mamata Banerjee was not named directly in his speech, the reference was widely seen as aimed at the West Bengal Chief Minister. A day earlier, Banerjee had argued before a bench led by the Chief Justice of India against the SIR exercise, alleging that the Centre was selectively targeting her state ahead of elections and that the revision process could exclude genuine voters.

During his address, Prime Minister Modi described the Trinamool-led government in West Bengal as a “cruel government” that, according to him, prioritizes power over people. He alleged that the state administration was setting “new records of decline” across multiple governance indicators while remaining indifferent to the future and aspirations of its citizens.

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The Prime Minister further accused the TMC of covering up for illegal immigrants and questioned how such politics could be accepted by the country’s youth. Drawing comparisons with international practices, he said even some of the world’s most prosperous nations were taking steps to expel illegal immigrants, while certain political groups in India were, in his view, making organized efforts to protect them.

Raising concerns over employment and security, Modi claimed that illegal immigrants were depriving Indian youth of job opportunities, encroaching on tribal land, and posing risks to public safety. He said these issues directly affected livelihoods and the long-term future of the country’s younger generation.

The remarks come amid intensifying political rhetoric ahead of the West Bengal elections. Illegal immigration and the SIR process have emerged as key flashpoints between the BJP and the TMC, with the Prime Minister also using the same speech to accuse the Trinamool and its opposition allies of corruption and misgovernance.

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