Kolkata, Apr 12 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged the BJP has “struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal” to unseat the Trinamool Congress from power in the state.
She made the claims while ostensibly referring to a now-viral video in which Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir was purportedly heard saying he was in touch with BJP leaders to unseat her from power, and receiving Rs 200 crore as an advance to a Rs 1,000-crore deal to split the minority votes.
However, PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Addressing a rally in Bankura’s Onda, Banerjee said that while some leaders were dismissing the video as AI-generated, “the person seen in the clip had himself acknowledged its authenticity”.
“If it is AI-generated, then why is the person concerned admitting to it? Why are you suddenly defending him?” the TMC supremo posed.
Her remarks come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Murshidabad’s Jangipur, alleged the TMC had resorted to creating fake videos using AI, sensing defeat in the upcoming elections.
Hitting back, Banerjee said, “They have struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal to unseat the TMC from power in West Bengal.” The controversy deepened after Kabir gave conflicting statements about the video. He initially claimed it was AI-generated, only to later say that only a portion of a longer video had been circulated without any context, and the full clip would be released soon.
Banerjee also accused the BJP of attempting to polarise voters along religious lines. “They are misleading both Hindus and Muslims. Their character changes like a chameleon,” she said.
Addressing poll rallies at Paschim Bardhaman’s Asansol, Bankura district’s Chhatna and Onda and in Purba Bardhaman’s Khandagosh, the TMC supremo said, “The BJP is threatening our candidates, including ministers, seeking their support if it falls short of the majority mark after the polls.” The majority mark in the West Bengal Assembly is 148. The BJP won 77 seats in the 2021 polls.
Stepping up her attack, Banerjee alleged the BJP was conspiring to curtail people’s rights and warned that it might carry out delimitation and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the future.
Referring to the NRC exercise in Assam, she claimed that lakhs of names were deleted in the northeastern state and warned that a similar process might be carried out in Bengal if the BJP wins.
“To protect your rights, there is no alternative but to vote for the TMC,” she asserted.
“Take my words, the BJP is planning to bring in a delimitation exercise to divide West Bengal into three parts. Then, I do not know, it may merge parts of West Bengal with Bihar or Odisha, and torture Bengalis there,” she said.
Banerjee also alleged that central forces deployed in the state for the upcoming polls were “disrespecting” women in the name of conducting searches. Any misconduct by central forces should be met with immediate FIRs, she told the gathering.
Her comments came against the backdrop of actor Sreemoyee Chattoraj, the wife of outgoing TMC MLA Kanchan Mallick, taking to social media to allege that she was harassed by the central forces at a checkpost in Kolkata, rummaging through her personal belongings, including undergarments and sanitary napkins.
The chief minister also claimed that she was denied permission to hold a rally despite the venue being available, while quick clearance was given for PM Modi’s meeting.
She also accused the BJP of bribing voters before elections, and called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls the “country’s biggest scam” in recent times.
“The SIR is the biggest scam the country has seen in recent times. Everyone in the world knows that your government will topple in 2026. We will then scrap all the anti-people laws brought in by your government,” she added.
“The BJP bribes voters before the elections. But they forget their promises soon after the polling is over. That was seen in the Bihar elections,” Banerjee said.
She also questioned the BJP’s poll promise of filling up vacancies in the state government departments, asking, “What happened to his (Modi) promise of providing two crore jobs to youths?” The TMC chief further alleged the BJP would try to manipulate the polling process to win the election and urged people to remain alert and keep a tab on the voting machines.
Banerjee also alleged a “major conspiracy” by the BJP in the poll-bound state and claimed an “operation” would begin from midnight, without elaborating much about the matter.
She warned people that there might be attempts to influence voting and counting processes.
“Be alert about the voting machines. They are planning slow voting and slow counting. At first, they will show BJP is winning, but do not believe such claims. We will foil all their plans and win. No force can defeat us,” she said, expressing confidence that her party would retain power.
Banerjee also advised people to remain cautious about food and drinks while attending political events.
Her advice came in the wake of an incident in Jhargram where at least 16 people, while returning from a political rally, reportedly fell ill after allegedly consuming pesticide, mistaking it for ORS. Several of them, belonging to the Shabar community, were hospitalised, including a local TMC booth president.
“Be careful about what you eat, especially during elections. Do not consume anything given by strangers. Always check before eating,” she said at another rally in Chatna. PTI SCH NSD NSD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.