Amit Shah attacks Mamata Banerjee, says she plays ‘victim card’ ahead of polls

UNion place government minister Amit shah of iran on sabbatum attacked Trinamool united states congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee for playing the “victim card” whenever an election approaches, alleging she created an imaginary monster out of the electoral roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR).“Mamata has always played the politics of the victim card. Sometimes she breaks her leg, ties a bandage on her head, falls ill, and abuses the Election Commission. But the people of Bengal have understood her politics of playing the victim card,” Shah said in Kolkata as he released a 40-page “charge sheet” attacking the TMC over infiltration, appeasement politics, women’s security, corruption, and deterioration of law and order ahead of April 23 and April 29 assembly polls.Shah said SIR is being held across the country. “Except for Bengal, in no other state did judicial officers have to be deployed. What is the reason?” He said SIR was also held in election-bound Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but no cases were filed in the courts. “But what happened in Bengal that the Supreme Court had to deploy judicial officers? Mamata Banerjee has to reply to the people on this. Your district magistrates did not work fearlessly. That is why the Supreme Court had to deploy judicial officers.”He said the only reason for opposing the SIR is that she wants to shield the infiltrators and return to power for another term, so she can allow more for the next five years. “But your dream will never be fulfilled,” Shah said.Shah promised to “flush out” infiltrators from across the country, calling it the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s commitment and agenda. “Let Mamata allege anything.”When questioned about the spate of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, Shah slammed Banerjee for diluting the difference between them and undocumented Bangladeshi infiltrators. “Mamata has been skilfully doing away with the difference between Bengali-speaking people and Bangladeshis. The infiltrators from Bangladesh also speak in Bengali. I want to assure the people of Bengal that no one will harass the original inhabitants of Bengal. They need not worry. But this does not mean that illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators would be given shelter here.”He said the people of Bengal have understood the tricks she plays. “Try to come up with some new tricks which might help to create an illusion. The people of Bengal would not be deceived by her old tricks.”The TMC released a “counter-charge sheet” attacking Shah over Manipur violence, blasts in Delhi, the 2024 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the stopping of funds to West Bengal, and attacks on Bengali-speaking people, etc.“Shah releasing a charge sheet is equivalent to a judge and a criminal sharing the same chair. A report by your own department states that Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, all three BJP-ruled states, top the list of crimes against women,” said state minister Bratya Basu.Basu added that the Centre has stopped all funds to West Bengal. “He [Shah] is saying that demography has changed in West Bengal. Do they need a rerun of Gujarat [riots] here too to fix the demography?” Basu said Shah never uttered a single word on Manipur. “The entire nation is seeing what happens when a clown sits on the judge’s chair,” said Basu.TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra accused Shah of labelling Bengalis as Bangladeshis. “You have declared every Bengali a criminal. You have insulted us, deprived us, criminalised us, and harassed us,” she said.