Abhishek Banerjee shares meal with migrant workers, answers their queries

Trinamul Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday described the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections as a "vote of protest" and a "vote to punish" the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), launching a sharp attack on the Centre and the saffron party's leadership.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Addressing a rally at Old Malda in Malda district, Banerjee referred to a series of recent incidents, including the alleged assault on a street food vendor during a'Gita Path' programme in Kolkata and the harassment of migrant workers through notices for SIR (Special Intensive Revision) hearings.

"Even with 70 BJP MLAs in this state, such attacks are being carried out on an ordinary patty (snack) seller. If they come to power, have you thought about how terrifying and widespread such attacks could become against the people?" he asked.

Comparing BJP's present representatives to garbage, Banerjee said, "The time has come to throw away all this trash. This is a vote of protest, a vote of retaliation. All the garbage must be cleaned out and dumped into the Ganges."

Referring to a recent incident involving Goutam Barman, a BJP booth president from South Dinajpur, Banerjee said that the Maharashtra Police had allegedly jailed him after branding him a Bangladeshi. "When his family approached Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumder, he did nothing. We stepped in, provided legal assistance, and brought him back," Banerjee claimed, adding, "A party that cannot protect its own booth president ~ how will it protect West Bengal?"