NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued its blatant politicisation of the recent military escalation with Pakistan, as Home Minister Amit Shah called for the removal of the Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal on Sunday.

The call followed a rally by PM Narendra Modi in the opposition-ruled state, where CM Banerjee urged him not to exploit the sindoor, sacred to conservative Hindu women, to extract political benefit.

“You seem to be treating all Hindu women as your spouse,” CM Banerjee had said, asking the prime minister to apply the vermilion powder that depicts a woman’s married status to his wife.

Earlier, the chief minister had disallowed Yusuf Pathan, a former cricketer, from being included in the Indian squads traveling across the world to canvass support for India’s issues with Pakistan.

Amit Shah assails Mamata Banerjee over her criticism of Modi; calls for her ouster in next year’s polls

She had said it was the party’s prerogative to choose who should go. A bevy of Muslim men have been included in the diplomatic squads to showcase India’s secularism, des­c­r­i­bed as phony under Mr Modi’s watch.

On Sunday, Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on Ms Banerjee, accusing her of “stooping low” by opposing Operation Sindoor and the Waqf Amendment Act to appease the Muslim vote bank, and alleged that the Murshidabad riots were “state-sponsored”, The Hindu reported.

Addressing party leaders and workers in Kolkata, Mr Shah gave a clarion call to uproot the All India Trinamool Congress government from power in the 2026 assembly elections.

There is widespread belief that the uptick in conflict with Pakistan was timed to milk narrow nationalism for elections due in Bihar in October; that’s where Modi headed after the Pahalgam killings on April 22.

Ms Banerjee had recently accused the Centre of politicising Operation Sindoor for electoral gains.

Mr Shah alleged, without showing any evidence, that Pakistan-backed terrorists killed innocent citizens in front of their families after asking them about their religion.

Turning his attention to the Murshidabad violence that erupted during protests over the contentious Waqf Amendment Act, Mr Shah alleged that it was “state-sponsored”.

“The way a TMC minister incited the violence, it can be said that the Murshidabad riots were State-sponsored, which caused injustice to the Hindus…Mamata Banerjee’s minister abused the BSF, and the party’s leaders were standing there and encouraging the rioters,” he claimed.

“If BSF personnel had been deployed, Hindus would have been protected. It was only after BJP workers approached the high court that the BSF was finally sent in,” Mr Shah said.

The home minister also accused the ruling party of facilitating illegal cross-border movement from Bangladesh.

“The Bengal elections will not only decide the future of the State, but it is also linked to the security of the country. Mamata Banerjee has left Bengal’s borders open for Bangladeshis. Infiltration is taking place with her blessings. Only the BJP government can stop this,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2025