‘Vote for BJP to drive out infiltrators’: Modi’s poll pitch in Bengal

“This country can no longer tolerate infiltrators. We will not allow them to stay in India, and that is why our government has launched such a massive campaign against infiltrators. I am surprised that some political parties, including the TMC and Congress, have bowed down to appeasement politics. These parties, driven by their hunger for power, are promoting infiltration,” Modi said.

He asserted that to ensure infiltrators leave Bengal and the country, the TMC government must be voted out. “Only your vote can ensure that these infiltrators are driven out of the nation,” he added.

TMC Accused of Stalling Bengal’s Growth

Highlighting West Bengal’s vulnerability as a border state, Modi said infiltrators are “putting pressure on the economy and torturing our mothers and sisters.”

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The Prime Minister further accused the TMC of obstructing Bengal’s development despite the BJP presenting a “solid roadmap” for the state’s progress.

Modi Defends Bill to Bar Jailed Leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing them of shielding corruption and resisting reforms aimed at ensuring integrity in public life.

Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Modi indirectly referred to the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced in Parliament earlier this week. The proposed law seeks to bar prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.

Citing the provisions of the Bill, Modi said, “We decided to bring in a law that provides for dismissing a corrupt chief minister, or even the prime minister, if he or she spends 30 days in jail. But when we brought in a stringent law, the TMC, the Congress started protesting. They are angry because they are scared of facing punishment for their own sins.”

In an apparent dig at former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Modi remarked, “It is a shame that even a chief minister, after going to jail, has been running government from there.”

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Targeting the TMC in Bengal, he added, “Two TMC ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts.” The Prime Minister was referring to former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the teachers’ recruitment scam, and Jyoti Priya Mallick, arrested in the ration distribution scam.

“Those who are arrested on corruption charges, how can they be part of the government and remain in their posts? Modi will not allow this,” he thundered.

Bill to Close Loopholes in System

Defending the government’s decision, Modi said the new Bill was necessary to plug “glaring loopholes” in the system. “Look at the situation, nowadays some people have stooped so low that they are trying to run the government from jail,” he said.

Highlighting his government’s record, the Prime Minister added, “For the past 11 years, the country has been waging a determined battle against corruption. In this regard, we have taken a significant step forward by introducing an anti-corruption Bill in the Lok Sabha. Under existing laws, if a government employee is caught and incarcerated without securing bail within 50 hours, they are automatically suspended from their position. However, no such provisions exist for a chief minister, a prime minister, or a minister. This loophole has allowed some leaders to stoop so low that they attempt to govern from behind bars.”