Kolkata, 02 March (H.S.) : Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Monday accused the Trinamool Congress of threatening Bharatiya Janata Party supporters with cancellation of government welfare benefits if they attended the party’s ongoing “Parivartan Yatra” in West Bengal.

Majumdar alleged that messages circulating in Trinamool-linked WhatsApp groups warned that BJP workers and supporters participating in the rally in Mathurapur would be identified and deprived of benefits under schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Yuva Sathi. He claimed the instructions were aimed at booth-level leaders, directing them to mark attendees for future action.

Sharing a screenshot of an alleged WhatsApp conversation on social media platform X, Majumdar described the move as “anti-social, vindictive and politically motivated,” and accused the ruling party of attempting to create fear among rural voters. According to him, such threats represent an attack on democratic rights and are fostering an atmosphere of intimidation in the countryside.

The BJP leader urged people to preserve evidence of any such threats and called on citizens to respond democratically to what he termed political vendetta. His remarks come as the BJP intensifies its statewide outreach campaign ahead of the Assembly elections.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to flag off the Parivartan Yatra in Mathurapur later on Monday, marking a key step in the party’s election campaign in the state.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh