West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seen during a roadshow on April 5, 2026 | Photo credit: PTI
Infiltration from Bangladesh, which shares a 2,216-km border with West Bengal, is a regular feature of Bengal’s election campaign. But on Monday (April 5, 2026), Pakistan, which is 2,200 km from the state, dominated the political discourse with senior Trinamool Congress leaders including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighting Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent remark calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation.
At a public meeting in Bethuadahari in Nadia district on Monday (April 5, 2026), Ms Banerjee referred to Mr Asif’s remark that Kolkata would be attacked if the two countries came to blows again. She wanted to know why Prime Minister Modi did not respond to the remark when he addressed a public meeting in Cooch Behar district on Sunday.
“How can a Pakistani minister talk about attacking Kolkata? Why didn’t Modi say anything yesterday? Why couldn’t he say that strict action will be taken? Why are you silent? Why no action against Pakistan?… If he is talking about attacking Kolkata, we will not accept it,” Ms Banerjee said.
The Trinamool Congress chief also demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation. “You (Prime Minister) target Bengal during election rallies, but when Pakistan talks about attacking Bengal, you don’t utter a word. You should resign,” she said at an election rally in Nadia district. She added that “if the Prime Minister does not resign, the people would”.
Council elections LIVE
Attack on Calcutta
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned on Saturday (April 4, 2026) that his country would respond to any “future misfortune” by India by striking Kolkata.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee also spoke in a similar vein, emphasizing the Pakistani minister’s remark.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh are silent on this brazen threat. They are sitting in Pakistan and threatening to attack Kolkata while Modi is busy campaigning in Cooch Behar asking people to remove TMC,” Banerjee said while addressing a rally in Siliguri.
The Trinamool leader said that the Union Home Minister refers to the people of West Bengal as Bangladeshis, but when “Pakistanis threaten to attack Calcutta, they sit as mute spectators”. The Diamond Harbor MP said that “Modi is the only leader who uses the army, central forces and agencies against his political opponents”.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 15:09 IST
