Union Minister Bhupender Yadav accuses TMC of settling infiltrators

Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday accused West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress of helping infiltrators from across the border settle down in the state.

Yadav also alleged that incidents of attacks on women have been on the rise in the state since Mamata Banerjee became chief minister in 2011.

He was addressing a press conference to commemorate the occasion of the Narendra Modi government's completion of 11 years in office.

"The state is not helping Central forces in identifying and deporting foreign nationals and the TMC is helping these infiltrators become residents of this land. Incidents of crime have reached alarming proportions because of the hands-off approach of the state government's policy of appeasement," Yadav claimed.

To a question about post-poll violence in West Bengal after 2021 and allegations of attack on the BJP and other opposition activists in the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections, Yadav alleged that apart from those incidents, the number of attacks on common people has increased.

"Think about Murshidabad, think about Malda, think about Sandeshkhali. It is a matter of national shame that a government headed by a woman chief minister has looked the other way when women faced so much brutalities and atrocities in those places," he said.

Parts of Murshidabad district witnessed violence during the anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests in April and several families fled to neighbouring Malda district. Three people were killed in the violence.

Sandeshkhali area in South 24 Parganas district had been on the boil in February last year with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested later, and his supporters.

"Not a single month passes in Bengal without reports of attacks on women being reported. When houses of people were being burnt and women and children bore the brunt of violence in Murshidabad, this administration did not take any action," Yadav said.

It was left to the Centre to step in and help the state in restoring normalcy and give safety to people, said the Union minister for environment, forest & climate change.

About the post-poll violence against opposition workers, he said, "I think people of Bengal, which is the land of (Rabindranath) Tagore, Vivekananda, Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and Satyajit Ray, which gifted the nation the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and (national song) Vande Mataram, will give a befitting reply in 2026." The assembly elections are due in the state next year.

Yadav also flagged the issue of SSC appointment scam and the loss of job of nearly 26,000 teachers.

The Union minister also accused the state government of virtually paralysing the transport sector which once boasted of a network of trams, buses and yellow taxis.

He said the Centre is doing its bit to set up an integrated Metro Corridor connecting the city.