Saffron flag will wave in Bengal on May 4, countdown for TMC goons will begin: Yogi Adityanath
The Statesman | 23 April 2026
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the saffron flag will fly in West Bengal on May 4 and after that, the countdown for Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons will begin.
Taking an indirect dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, he said the “aunt-nephew duo” wants to erase Bengal’s identity. Referring to remarks about Urdu, he said no one can dare play with Bengali identity. TMC members should understand that Bengal’s identity is linked to Maa Kalibari, not Kaaba.
CM Yogi addressed public meetings in Jorasanko, Chakdaha, and Udaynarayanpur assembly constituencies of West Bengal. Despite alleged intimidation by TMC workers and the scorching heat, thousands gathered — many carrying towels and umbrellas — to listen to him. A large number of people held posters reading, “Yogi ji, bring the bulldozer, we are with you.”
CM Yogi said, “The first phase of voting is scheduled for April 23, and BJP is set to win 80% of the seats in this phase. When the results are declared on May 4, the saffron flag will be hoisted in Bengal. Bengal will once again establish its identity as ‘Sonar Bangla’. We must protect Bengal’s identity and stop those promoting extremism at all costs.”
He appealed to voters to use the power given to them by democracy wisely. Bengal stands at the threshold of change. Like Uttar Pradesh, if a double-engine government is formed, a new era of development, security, and cultural resurgence will begin in Bengal.
CM Yogi said, “Mamata Didi says ‘Khela Hobe’; I say, ‘This time the game ends and development begins.’” He alleged that the Bengal government has been looting funds sent by Prime Minister Modi for development, and that this will stop. Festivals like Ram Navami and Durga Puja will be celebrated with full enthusiasm, and anyone who creates obstacles will face consequences.
The strength of voters will free Bengal from hooliganism. “Amar Sonar Bangla will become TMC-free Bengal. Darkness will fade, the sun will rise, and the lotus will bloom.” Just as Article 370 was permanently removed in Kashmir, he said, Bengal must also be freed from the grip of TMC, Congress, and Communists, whom he accused of fostering lawlessness and mafia rule.
CM Yogi said, “Bengal has made an unparalleled contribution to nation-building through the penance, sacrifice, and efforts of great personalities born on its soil. In literature, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali was the first Indian work to win the Nobel Prize. At Gurudev’s heritage premises, statues or photos of him and Bharat Mata should have been installed, but TMC workers allegedly occupied the place and put up Mamata Didi’s photograph instead.” He termed this an insult to Indian values and Bengal’s identity.
CM Yogi said that Bengal’s land is fertile and rich in water resources. The youth here are talented, farmers are hardworking, and traders and entrepreneurs are diligent. There was a time when people from across the country came to Bengal for employment, but first Congress looted it, then Communists drained it, and for the past 15 years, TMC goons have been trying to push Bengal into poverty.
The land of knowledge is now lost in the darkness of unemployment. A state that was once the growth engine of India’s economy has seen over 7,000 large industries and thousands of MSME units shut down in the last decade.
More than 30 lakh youth have become unemployed. Production of paddy and fish has declined. Potato farmers are distressed due to lack of fair prices, yet Mamata Didi remains unmoved. TMC, he said, has become synonymous with terror, mafia rule, and corruption.
Highlighting Bengal’s condition, CM Yogi said that cow slaughter is rampant there. Mamata Didi, he alleged, is irritated by the name of Lord Ram. She does not permit Durga Puja freely and restricts processions, even imposing curfews during the festival.
TMC goons extort money from traders. He added that before 2017, Uttar Pradesh faced similar chaos – riots, curfews, and unrest. Members of TMC’s ally, the Samajwadi Party, used to collect “goonda tax.” Taking Lord Ram’s name would invite violence. But today, he said, such disturbances are not possible in UP. Festivals like Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Kanwar Yatra, Durga Puja, and Saraswati Puja are celebrated openly.
People of UP are now living in a new era of “Ram Rajya” – no curfew, no riots, everything is peaceful. If any mafia tries to rise, a bulldozer crushes their illegal empire and it is converted into housing for the poor. Those who threaten the safety of women and traders face strict consequences, and illegal encroachments on the poor are dealt with decisively.
CM Yogi said, “The whole world came to Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, and Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh. Such respect for heritage is possible only under a double-engine government.”
While these cities have been developed and beautified in Uttar Pradesh, he alleged that in Bengal, TMC goons are encroaching upon the ancestral land of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. In UP, he said, any mafia attempting such acts would have properties of generations confiscated and used to build homes for the poor.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the current TMC government is playing with the sentiments of the people. He referred to a mayor who allegedly said that half the population in Bengal would be made to speak Urdu. In response, he said Urdu should be spoken where it is the medium of education, while Bangla should be spoken in Bengal.
Referring to a statement by a TMC MP – “Kaaba in the heart and Medina in the eyes” – he countered by saying that Bengal’s heart belongs to Mahakali, and its vision reflects Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Belur Math.
In Udaynarayanpur, CM Yogi met the mother of late BJP worker Subodh Jeet on stage and shared her grief. He said that by killing Subodh, TMC goons have created thousands like him. He added that he learned TMC workers were trying to prevent the BJP candidate’s rally – refusing permission for tents or arrangements.
He then decided to hold the rally standing in the open sun, postponing several other programs to attend. Calling BJP workers brave, he boosted their morale and said that after May 4, the countdown for TMC goons will begin and they will be answered. He saluted the enthusiasm of voters standing in the scorching heat.
Despite threats and obstruction, people gathered with determination, invoking Maa Dakshineswar Kali and following the legacy of Bengal’s martyrs. He expressed confidence that the BJP would win all assembly seats in Howrah district.
At the rallies, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to voters to ensure the victory of BJP candidates – Vijay Ojha (Jorasanko), Tapas Roy (Maniktala), Santosh Pathak (Chowringhee), Purnima Chakravarty (Shyampukur), Partha Choudhury (Beleghata), Priyanka Tibrewal (Entally), Bankim Chandra Ghosh (Chakdaha), and Prabhakar Pandit (Udaynarayanpur) – by a large margin.