Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the foundation stone laying and inauguration of several development projects in Singur on January 18, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 18, 2026) accused the Trinamool Congress of imposing a “syndicate tax” on all development in the state and said investment and business will not come to West Bengal as long as the Trinamool Congress government remains in power.
“Industries will be set up and investments will come to West Bengal when the law and order situation improves. But in West Bengal, rioters and mafias have free rein. The police are hand in hand with criminals. You know that all development is subject to syndicate tax,” the Prime Minister said at a public meeting in Singur.
There was a lot of excitement among BJP rank-and-file about the Prime Minister’s public meeting at Singur as the place has become synonymous with capital flight from the state. Tata Motors decided to withdraw its small car plant from Singur during the Left Front government regime in 2008 due to protests against forcible land acquisition led by Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee.
Amrit Bharat Trains
But Mr. Modi did not touch on the development that rocked the state’s politics nearly 18 years ago, nor did he promise any fresh investment in Singur. At a government event earlier in the day, Mr. Modi announced development projects worth over ₹830 crore in the state and flagged off Amrit Bharat trains connecting Kolkata to other parts of the country.
At a public meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized “asol poriborton (real change)” and repeated the slogan “Paltano Dorkaar, Chai BJP Sorkaar (Need change, I want a BJP government)” he had coined at a public meeting in Malda on Saturday (January 17). “It is necessary that the maha-jungleraaj of TMC should leave West Bengal and susashan (good governance) BJP should come to power,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Modi accused the Trinamool Congress government of “playing with national security by helping infiltrators”. “TMC is playing with national security. They sit on dharnas to protect infiltrators. TMC likes infiltrators because they are their loyal vote bank. TMC can protect infiltrators to any extent,” the prime minister said.
“Illegal Infiltration”
Addressing a public meeting in Malda on Saturday (January 17), the prime minister highlighted “illegal infiltration” and said it was changing the demographics of the state.
Touching on the issue of border fencing, Mr. Modi said that the TMC government is not providing land to erect fencing along the border. “For the past few years, the Center has been writing to the TMC government for land for border fencing, but the state permission has not done anything,” Mr. Modi said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah made similar remarks while addressing a press conference in Kolkata on 30
In a public meeting, the Prime Minister tried to draw parallels between the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that people will throw out people who stand in the way of implementing welfare programs for the country’s poor.
“There was a similar government in Delhi which did not allow central schemes to be implemented. They did not listen to us and were only interested in politics. People have now sent their chief minister home. This cruel government which is not implementing Ayushman Bharat needs to be taught a lesson,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the Trinamool Congress government was against the establishment of PM SHRI schools and a scheme for fishermen called Pradhan Mantri Matysa Sampada Yojana. Mr Modi was on the second day of his visit to the state and on Saturday (January 17) announced several railway projects in the state, including the first Vande Bharat Express train connecting West Bengal and Assam. On Sunday (January 18), the Prime Minister said that the last 24 hours have been crucial for rail connectivity in West Bengal and “something that was not done in 100 years has been achieved in 24 hours”.
The Trinamool Congress reacted strongly to the Prime Minister’s comments, especially regarding investments in the state.
“Singur does not take kindly to liars. Never, never will. This is a country that has buried the politics of corporate land grabbing. So when PM @narendramodi stood in Singur today and claimed that no investment will come to Bengal, he not only misrepresented the facts but insulted the intelligence of Bengali people,” TMC posted on social media.
West Bengal’s ruling party has pointed out that Singur is back on the major industrial map and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approved a ₹500 crore state-of-the-art warehouse project on 11.35 acres in Singur.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 19:00 IST