Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (January 17, 2026) claimed that large-scale “illegal migration” has altered the demography of West Bengal, even as he assured refugees who have taken shelter in India due to religious persecution in neighbouring countries that they have nothing to worry about.
Addressing a public meeting at Malda district, Mr. Modi claimed that illegal migration is being perpetuated by the “patronage and syndicate” of the Trinamool Congress, and is also provoking riots in Malda and Murshidabad.
“Differences are emerging in language and dialect. Due to the increasing population of infiltrators, riots have started occurring in many areas of West Bengal, including Malda and Murshidabad,” the Prime Minister said. Both districts have a significant minority population, and have witnessed communal flare-ups over the past few years.
‘No reason to fear’
Noting that developed and prosperous countries which have no shortage of money are removing infiltrators from within their borders, Mr. Modi emphasised the necessity of removing infiltrators from West Bengal. Once the BJP comes to power in the State, he added, the government would take “big action” to crack down on infiltrators and stop “llegal migration”.
At the same time, the Prime Minister also reassured refugees, particularly those from the Matua and Namasudras communities, that they have been provided protection under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
“They have no reason to fear. The Constitution has provided them rights to stay in India. Modi has provided them full protection under the CAA,” he said.
Eye on polls
With State elections scheduled in the next few months, the BJP leadership, including Mr. Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have been raising the issue of illegal infiltration. At a press conference in Kolkata on December 30, 2025, Mr. Shah accused the Trinamool-led West Bengal government of allowing infiltration as a policy to strengthen its vote bank.
Coining a new slogan, ‘Paltano Dorkaar, Chai BJP Sorkaar (Need change, want BJP government)”, the Prime Minister said that the BJP will restore the old glory of West Bengal when it comes to power in the State.
He said that the Trinamool Congress was ‘heartless’, as its leaders were siphoning off funds meant for the poor people of West Bengal. Noting that the BJP has formed governments in the neighbouring States to the east and northeast, the Prime Minister said it was now the turn of “West Bengal to bless the vision of development”.
“For many decades, the politics of eastern India was dominated by parties steeped in regressive political ideology. But in the last few years, the situation has changed. Bihar, Odisha, and Assam have given historic support to the BJP-NDA alliance, which has transformed the trajectory of development,” he said.
Trains to forge crucial links
Earlier in the day, in Malda, the Prime Minister inaugurated about half a dozen trains for poll-bound States, including the first sleeper train, the Vande Bharat Express, connecting West Bengal and Assam.
At the public rally in Malda, Mr. Modi raised several issues including the forced migration of youths from Malda and Murshidabad, the plight of the mango and silk farmers of Malda, as well as erosion caused by the rivers Ganga and Fulahar in the district. Referring to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, which has highlighted corruption in Malda flood relief, the Prime Minister assured citizens of concrete embankments if the BJP comes to power.
The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to West Bengal and on Sunday (January 18), he will address a public meeting at Singur in Hooghly district. Singur is synonymous with the agitation against forcible land acquisition for industrial purposes, forcing Tata Motors to shift its small car factory out of West Bengal, during the regime of the Left Front government in 2008. Trinamool Congress chairperson and current Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had led those protests almost two decades ago.
Published – January 17, 2026 09:56 pm IST
