New Delhi : In a sharp jab at Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioned whether the Pahalgam attack was “executed by the Centre” after the Home Minister alleged that terror networks were operating in the poll-bound state. The Trinamool supremo labelled Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Dushyasahan and Duryodhana – the two antagonists from the epic Mahabharata.
Dushasana, a disciple of Shakuni, has come to Bengal to gather information. As soon as the elections come, Dushasana and Duryodhana start appearing,” Mamata said. While PM Modi visited Bengal on December 20, Shah is presently on a three-day visit to the state ahead of the 2026 Bengal elections. Reacting to the Home Minister’s assertion that Bengal had become a hub for terrorists, Mamata shot back, “If there are no terrorists in J&K, how did Pahalgam happen? Did you carry out the attack in Pahalgam? Who was behind the incident that happened in Delhi?”
The Pahalgam attack on April 22, carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar terrorists, left 26 tourists dead. In November, a “white-collar terror module”, funded by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, detonated a car near the iconic Red Fort in Delhi, killing 15 people. The Chief Minister alleged that people across the state were being harassed in the name of the exercise. She further claimed that the authorities were planning to strike off as many as 1.5 crore names under SIR, warning that marginalised communities like Rajbanshis, Matuas and Adivasis were being targeted.
Her comments came amid an escalating political exchange between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. Banerjee accused the Centre of making sweeping allegations without substantiated proof and suggested that such claims were politically motivated. She argued that law and order in the state was being deliberately maligned to influence public perception during the election season.
The Chief Minister further asserted that her government had consistently acted against extremist elements and maintained that Bengal had not become a safe haven for terror groups, as alleged by the Union Home Minister. She also criticised what she described as selective targeting of opposition-ruled states by central agencies and leaders. Banerjee’s remarks have added fuel to the ongoing political confrontation between the Centre and the Bengal government, with both sides trading accusations over national security, governance, and electoral politics.
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