TMC counters BJP’s Operation Sindoor narrative amid 2026 election tensions.
Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has launched a strategic campaign to counter the political advantage gained by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through Operation Sindoor, a military strike conducted on May 7, 2025, targeting terror bases in Pakistan.
With the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections looming, the TMC is working to reclaim the narrative, accusing the BJP of politicising the operation for electoral gains while highlighting the Central Government’s security failures.
Operation Sindoor, the retaliatory strike following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, destroyed nine terrorist bases and eliminated more than 100 terrorists.
The BJP has leveraged the operation to fuel nationalistic fervour, organising Tiranga Yatras in Kolkata and other towns and cities in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have spearheaded the BJP’s campaign, with Shah accusing Banerjee of opposing the operation to “appease the Muslim vote bank” during a rally in Kolkata on June 1, 2025, while linking her to the recent Murshidabad riots.
The TMC’s counter-campaign focuses on three fronts.
First, the party has reaffirmed its support for national security, while carefully avoiding giving any credit to the BJP-led Central Government. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee joined a multi-party delegation to brief nations like Indonesia on India’s anti-terror stance.
A five-member TMC team, including Derek O’Brien, also visited Srinagar and Poonch to support families affected by cross-border shelling.
Mamata has repeatedly stated her support for the armed forces, emphasising the TMC’s alignment with national interest.
Second, the TMC has accused the BJP of exploiting Operation Sindoor for votes.
On May 31, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh called the BJP’s strategy an “insult to Bengal,” while Mamata criticised Modi for trivialising the sacred symbol of sindoor.
On June 6, TMC MLA Narendranath Chakraborty stirred controversy by labelling the operation a “staged drama,” though he later claimed his remarks were misinterpreted.
In a video clip that went viral on social media on Friday, Chakraborty is seen telling an audience, “The way they (the Bharatiya Janata Party) have started this Sindoor Khela (game of vermilion), it seems that the entire episode is a staged drama. This warmongering by the BJP is nothing but a game. In Operation Sindoor, PM Modi has played with the emotions of patriotic people, including women.”
He alleged, “A group of miscreants came three days after all the protection was withdrawn in Pahalgam. They singled out and shot dead 27 people after asking them if they were Hindus, wore sindoor, and could recite Kalma. You are aware of this story.”
Chakraborty also claimed, “Now they have come out to play with sindoor, which runs in the blood of Bengalis. If they play with sindoor, they need to be taught a proper lesson. They have to be thrown into the dustbin for playing with the sindoor of mothers.”
He argued, “The perpetrators are yet to be found. The fact is they are never found because this is a game plan to play ‘Hindu, Hindu’ and polarise the Hindu vote bank. It is a script to spark a communal tussle between Hindus and Muslims to stay in power and continue to rule the country.”
Third, the TMC has highlighted the Central Government’s failures, with leaders like Chandrima Bhattacharya demanding Shah’s resignation for failing to prevent the Pahalgam attack.
However, the TMC’s campaign has faced challenges. The BJP has seized on controversial statements, with leaders like Suvendu Adhikari demanding NIA probes into the Trinamool Congress’s “anti-national” remarks.
Slamming Chakraborty, the BJP’s Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari pointed out on his X handle that Chakraborty “has prior knowledge or insights into such a heinous act; it is imperative that the NIA take him into custody for questioning to uncover the source and credibility of his information.”
He added, “I urge the NIA to act swiftly and summon Narendranath Chakraborty to ascertain the facts. The people of India have the right to know the truth behind his statements and whether they point to any larger network.”
Separately, a leader of the BJP’s minority cell filed an FIR against the Trinamool MLA.
In the FIR, the complainant called for action against Chakraborty, alleging he had made an “anti-national statement belittling the valour and sacrifice of armed forces and encouraging Pakistan-sponsored terrorists to destabilise India.”
Public sentiment, as reflected on social media platforms, remains divided, with some praising the TMC’s stance and others criticising it for undermining national security.