Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday tore into the Trinamool Congress, accusing it of risking Bengal’s identity and national security by promoting infiltration for vote-bank politics, and asserted that only the BJP genuinely stands for Bengali ‘asmita’ (identity) and the pride of Bengalis.

In a fiery address at a packed rally in Durgapur, PM Modi called for an end to what he termed a regime of “lies, lawlessness and loot.”

“The Trinamool Congress (TMC), because of its vested interests, has put the identity of West Bengal at stake. For the sake of vote-bank politics, infiltration is being encouraged here. A complete ecosystem has been created to support infiltrators. This is a threat to both national security and Bengal’s security and identity,” PM Modi said, accusing the ruling party of “openly challenging constitutional institutions” and “defending illegal immigrants.”

Amid a growing political row over alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, PM Modi turned the tables on the TMC, declaring, “The real threat to Bengal’s dignity and future comes not from outside but from within, from a state government that thrives on lies, lawlessness, and loot.”