Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the TMC government in West Bengal of being involved in the "state-sponsored infiltration" and corruption, and claimed that incidents of assault on women in Sandeshkhali and the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar hospital were pieces of evidence that women are "not safe" in the state.
Shah launched the BJP's membership drive in West Bengal and set a target of getting one crore members from the state. He called for a concerted effort to ensure the "election of a BJP government in the 2026 state elections with two-third majority", and asserted that this was the only way to address pressing issues of corruption and infiltration.
Shah outlined the party's objective to secure a two-third majority in the next assembly elections. "We have to form the next government in Bengal in 2026 with a two-third majority," he said.
Shah urged party members not to underestimate their influence in the state, stating, "Mamata didi should not think that we are sitting idle as we had got a few seats in Bengal". The Bengal BJP, which had set a target of winning 30 plus Lok Sabha seats from Bengal, had bagged 12, six less than in 2019.
West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats. Raising concerns for the safety of women in the state, Shah referred to recent incidents in Sandeshkhali and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, asserting that these exemplify the lack of security for women in West Bengal.
"Our mothers and sisters are not safe in Bengal," he said, calling for immediate action to ensure the safety and security of women in the state.
This was Shah's first visit to Bengal after the Lok Sabha polls in April-May, and also after the RG Kar incident, where a woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered, which triggered a national-wide protest.
