West Bengal polls: Mamata Banerjee rebuts Amit Shah’s ‘victim card’ claims; says ‘have returned from the brink of death’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday voiced offense regarding senior BJP leader Amit Shah's recent comments concerning the injury she sustained during the 2021 Assembly elections, urging him to review the clinical records which documented the severity of her leg injury'.

On Saturday, Shah released a political "chargesheet" against the TMC administration. He had charged the ruling party's leader with "always played the politics of the victim card".

"Sometimes she talks about her injury; sometimes she abuses the Election Commission. But the people of West Bengal now understand her victim card politics very well," he had said.

In response, Banerjee said: "They are saying that I roam around with a bandage during the polls. I have returned from the brink of death repeatedly. Go and get the report of the doctor."

In her speech at an election rally in Purulia district's Manbazar, Banerjee remarked that he ought to be indicted "for his past deeds". She refrained, however, from naming Shah directly.

"Did you deliberately injure my leg during the 2021 elections? I campaigned in a wheelchair. Are you planning to kill me?" she said, sharpening her attack against the BJP.

‘People won't be able to eat non-veg under BJP’

Banerjee launched a fierce offensive against the BJP on Sunday as the 2026 state elections approach, charging the opposition with orchestrating communal unrest. She asserted that the people would be prohibited from eating non-vegetarian meals should the BJP secure a victory.

Furthermore, she doubled down on her claims against the saffron party, citing instances of harassment directed at Bengali-speaking residents in other regions.

She said: "Fish is not eaten in BJP-ruled states. If the BJP comes, you won't be able to eat meat or eggs. BJP is one-sided; they don't believe in any religion. These people incite riots. They come to power by inciting riots, and they come to power by killing people. Most attacks on tribal people, attacks on women, happen in BJP-ruled states. Our Bengali-speaking people are attacked in other states. We don't oppress anyone."

The TMC has frequently criticized the BJP regarding the treatment of Bengali migrant laborers elsewhere, transforming the issue into a primary campaign strategy for the 2026 West Bengal polls.

Earlier on Sunday, Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal voiced anxieties over illegal entry from Bangladesh, pointing to unsecured borders and insufficient barriers in particular zones. He backed Home Minister Amit Shah's demand for increased fencing to mitigate the problem. Addressing reporters, Jaiswal remarked that the West Bengal border's accessibility to Bangladesh has been exploited by intruders for several decades.

"The Bangladesh border adjoins Bengal, for 30-40 years, infiltrators have been taking advantage of this, and they try to infiltrate through the routes where there is no fencing...The Home Minister has rightly expressed concern that fencing is needed to stop infiltration," Jaiswal said.