Delhi CM Rekha Gupta after offering prayers at the Kalighat Kali Temple, in Kolkata, Sunday, February 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday (February 22, 2026) targeted the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, alleging that it was stalling the Special Intensive Revision and allowing cross-border infiltration to perpetuate its rule in the State.
“She [Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee] wants to perpetuate this [cross border infiltration] and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a Chief Minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls,” Ms. Gupta said.
The Delhi Chief Minister was in Kolkata to participate in the ‘Nari Sankalp Yatra’ organised by the BJP’s women’s wing. Addressing the gathering, Ms. Gupta targeted the Trinamool Congress government on several counts, including accusing it of appeasement politics and raising concerns over the safety and security of women in the State.
Senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have in their public appearances in West Bengal also raised the issue of cross-border infiltration.
Ms. Gupta referred to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at R.G. Kar Hospital and the sexual assault of a woman medical student at Durgapur, and said that the West Bengal government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
Drawing a comparison between former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ms. Gupta said, “People have already voted out ‘Bhaiya’ [Mr. Kejriwal]. Now it is your turn to bid farewell to ‘Didi’.”
The Trinamool Congress hit back by sharing data from reports of the National Crime Records Bureau. “In total cases of crimes [IPC + SLL], Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom. In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who’s second? Your own Delhi. ‘Double Engine’ Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens,” the Trinamool posted on social media.
The Trinamool Congress also said that in terms of development indicators such as infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate, West Bengal performs better than several BJP-ruled States.
Published – February 22, 2026 10:21 pm IST
