PM Modi slams TMC over education, corruption; urges people to choose BJP for 'Viksit Bengal' in 2026

Durgapur (West Bengal) [India], July 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC), calling on people to give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a chance to form an "honest, hardworking, and strong" government in West Bengal in 2026 assembly polls.
Addressing a public rally in Durgapur, PM Modi accused the TMC government of presiding over a "double attack of crime and corruption," especially in the education sector.
"Whether it's primary education or higher education, the system is being ruined at every level. The TMC government has handed over Bengal's education to crime and corruption, and is doing a double attack on it. Thousands of qualified teachers are unemployed today because of TMC's corruption," he said.
PM Modi's remarks come amid continued protests over the 2024 Calcutta High Court order that cancelled teacher appointments in a massive recruitment scam. On July 14, SSC-qualified teachers under the banner of 'Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha' marched towards the state secretariat Nabanna, demanding justice.
Alleging that the future of thousands of children is at stake due to a shortage of teachers, the Prime Minister said, "This has brought crisis upon thousands of families. TMC has pushed both the present and the future of Bengal into darkness."
PM Modi also raised concerns about safety on college campuses, citing recent incidents of sexual harassment.
Referring to the RG Kar Medical College case, which sparked widespread protests, he said, "The party that talks about 'Mother, Soil, Humanity' is causing pain and rage due to the injustice faced by daughters. Even hospitals in West Bengal are no longer safe. When a doctor daughter was subjected to atrocities, the TMC government got busy protecting the accused."
He further accused the TMC, Left, and Congress of ignoring the Bengali language. "It was the BJP government that granted classical language status to Bangla. TMC and Left supported Congress for years in Delhi, but didn't care to do so," he said.
Targeting the industrial decline in Bengal, PM Modi said the youth were being forced to migrate due to a lack of jobs.
"West Bengal was once a hub of development. It was a thriving centre for businesses, attracting people from across the country seeking opportunities. Cities like Durgapur, Bardhaman, and Asansol played key roles in the nation's growth. But now, industries are shutting down, and the youth are leaving in search of better opportunities. We must bring Bengal out of this crisis," he said.
He appealed to people of West Bengal to elect the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, promising development, jobs, and good governance.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects during his visit. He laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts worth around Rs 1,950 crore, which will provide PNG connections to households, commercial establishments and industrial customers, and provide CNG at the retail outlets and also create employment opportunities in the region.
PM Modi also dedicated to the nation the Kolkata section (132 Km) of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, part of the ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline, also known as the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) Project.
He also dedicated to the nation Retrofitting Pollution Control System-Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) of Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation, worth over Rs 1,457 crore. (ANI)