Following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s release of a 40-page ‘charge sheet’ against the 15-year TMC rule, West Bengal Minister Bratya Basu launched a fierce counter-offensive. Labeling Shah’s claims as a “bundle of lies,” Basu released a counter-charge sheet from the TMC’s side, highlighting the grim state of women’s safety and governance in BJP-ruled states across India.

Exposing BJP’s Record on Women Safety: Responding to Shah’s allegations of deteriorating law and order in Bengal, Bratya Basu cited NCRB data to turn the tables. “Before lecturing Bengal, the Home Minister should look at the states governed by his own party. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan consistently top the charts for crimes against women. Why is the Home Minister silent on the safety of mothers and sisters in those states?” Basu questioned.

Attacking on Manipur and Federalism: The TMC’s counter-charge sheet highlighted the central government’s perceived silence on the Manipur crisis. “A man who couldn’t protect Manipur for months is now talking about security in Bengal. The entire nation has seen how a clown looks in a judge’s chair,” Basu remarked, using a sharp metaphor to criticize the Home Minister’s priorities. He also accused the Centre of economic blockade by withholding thousands of crores in legitimate dues for schemes like MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana.

Controversy over Demography Comments: Basu took strong exception to Amit Shah’s remarks about the “changing demography” of West Bengal. He asked whether the BJP is planning a “rerun of Gujarat” in Bengal to forcibly change the population structure. He asserted that the TMC government has always protected the secular fabric of the state, unlike the “divisive politics” promoted by the saffron camp.

As the political heat rises ahead of the April elections, the TMC has made it clear that they will fight the BJP’s narrative by exposing their national record. This war of ‘charge sheets’ has set a combative tone for the upcoming two-phase polls in West Bengal.