‘TMC betrayed sisters of Bengal yet again…’: PM Modi attacks party for blocking women’s reservation for political gain
The Statesman | 19 April 2026
Amid a charged political atmosphere following the contentious debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress of blocking greater political representation for women.
Addressing a public gathering in Bankura in West Bengal, Modi linked the stalled legislation to what he described as a broader pattern of denial of opportunities for women in the state, while pitching the BJP as the party committed to expanding women’s role in governance.
Referring to the demand for 33% reservation for women in legislatures, Modi said the Centre had taken steps to bring the provision, including efforts to ensure its implementation timeline. He alleged that opposition parties, particularly the TMC and the Congress, did not want more women from Bengal entering Parliament and state assemblies because the daughters of Bengal were challenging their “Maha Jungle Raj.”
According to the Prime Minister, the developments in Parliament reflected a deliberate attempt to block the law. He told the gathering that women in Bengal had once again been let down, accusing the ruling party in the state of working against their interests.
The Prime Minister also criticised the TMC over its stance on tribal issues, claiming the party had shown disregard towards tribal communities. He contrasted this with the BJP’s support for elevating a tribal leader to the country’s highest constitutional office and gave the country its first tribal woman President, saying it reflected his party’s commitment to inclusion.
Modi further alleged that the TMC and Congress had opposed the idea of a tribal President, and accused the state leadership of disrespecting the office during official visits.
He said, “The TMC-Congress played a game to defeat the tribal President candidate. They did not want India’s President to be from the tribal community. Today, the whole world respects President Droupadi Murmu, but the anti-tribal TMC insults her. Here in Bengal, when the President came, the whole country saw how she was insulted by TMC. Will the sisters of Bengal, the tribal community, ever forget this insult to a President?”
Continuing his attack, Modi accused the TMC government of favouring “infiltrators” and undermining constitutional principles by offering benefits on religious lines. He said local communities, including the Kudmi community, were being ignored while political priorities were driven by vote-bank considerations.
PM Modi said, “This is the same TMC that breaks every law and rule to benefit the infiltrators. This is the same TMC that is busy giving reservations on the basis of religion, destroying the spirit of community. Should TMC be punished or not? TMC is not ready to listen to our Kudmi Samaj here. It listens to the infiltrators and not the Kudmi Samaj. TMC wants to give reservations to its vote bank against the Constitution… I will tell every sister and daughter of Bengal that TMC must be punished. You must punish TMC severely. The ‘Maha Jungle Raj’ deserves severe punishment…”
He urged voters, particularly women, to hold the state government accountable, calling the current system one that needed to be “punished”.
Framing the upcoming elections as a turning point, Modi said the state was on the verge of a political shift. He claimed that fear-driven politics would be replaced by governance based on trust if the BJP secured power.
In a strong closing remark, he warned those involved in alleged illegal activities to surrender, asserting that strict action would follow if his party formed the government.
PM Modi said, “These Bengal elections are going to create new history. The TMC’s era of fear is about to end. The BJP’s era of trust is about to begin. What results are coming on May 4th? A glimpse of this can be seen in the language of the TMC’s top leaders in Kolkata. Their threats, their hooliganism, are the exit poll before the 4th… Those who used to scare the people of Bengal till now are themselves afraid of the power of the Bengal Tiger. Who is the Bengal Tiger? Bengal Tiger, is the people of Bengal… I give one last chance to all the syndicates and goons of the TMC. Surrender yourselves at your respective police stations before April 29th, or else when the BJP comes to power here, we will not spare anyone… ”