West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a “blueprint of conspiracy” to create unrest in the state and pave the way for President’s rule ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Her comments came shortly after the Supreme Court sharply criticised the West Bengal administration over the gherao of judicial officers in Malda district.

Addressing rallies in Sagardighi and Suti in Murshidabad, Banerjee condemned the attack on seven judicial officers involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, while asserting that the Election Commission (EC) had failed to protect them. “My powers have been taken away and Bengal has been defamed. Nobody from the administration even informed me about the Malda incident,” she said, referring to the deletion of alleged genuine voter names from electoral rolls that triggered local agitation.

The Supreme Court had described the gherao as “deplorable,” pointing to the “complete failure of the state administration” and calling West Bengal the “most polarised state.” The apex court directed an independent probe by the CBI or NIA and instructed the Election Commission to requisition adequate Central Forces to safeguard judicial officers during the ongoing SIR process.

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Banerjee urged her supporters to remain calm and avoid violence, framing the BJP as a party relying on polarisation and muscle power after failing to secure electoral victories in the state. “Those trying to divide people in the name of religion must be defeated democratically,” she said, stressing that citizens must exercise their votes to hold responsible parties accountable.

She also criticised the Election Commission, claiming that it had already stripped her government of authority by transferring senior officials and posting its own officers. “All my powers have been taken away. I have never seen such an Election Commission,” Banerjee said, accusing the poll panel of complicity in failing to protect judicial officers.

Despite the political tension, Banerjee maintained that the right to protest should not extend to harming judges or officers. “People have every right to protest, but nobody should lay hands on them,” she said, underscoring her appeal for restraint while highlighting the broader political stakes in the run-up to the assembly elections.

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