Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has triggered a fresh political controversy after making remarks that have been described as a blend of historical revisionism and overt communal fear-mongering. Speaking at her dharna against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, which her party alleges is a “silent, invisible rigging” and a precursor to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Banerjee delivered a speech that has drawn sharp rebukes from opposition parties, civil society figures and political analysts.The controversy centres on a statement made during the Kolkata sit-in, where Banerjee addressed the historical presence of the Muslim community.“They say that we brought the Muslim people here. If anyone brought them, then question Gandhi ji during the time of Independence. Question Nehru ji. Question Rajendra Prasad. Question Ambedkar. You weren’t even born back then!”Switching to Bengali, she then issued a stark warning, “It is because we are here that you all are doing well. And if we are not there, if such a day ever comes, it will take only one second – when a community unites, when they surround you – in one second, they will finish you off completely!” Banerjee’s suggestion that the Muslim community was “brought” to India by 20th-century leaders is being viewed as a gross distortion of historical fact. Such claims ignore over a millennium of Islamic presence in the subcontinent. In West Bengal specifically, the Muslim community has been an inseparable part of the social fabric since the medieval era. By framing a community that constitutes roughly 27% of the state’s population as political imports rather than indigenous stakeholders, Banerjee has been accused of legitimising the very ‘outsider/ invader’ narratives she frequently attributes to the BJP.Dharna against the Special Intensive Revision where Banerjee made the remark. Photo: Joydeep SarkarThis framing inadvertently reinforces right-wing narratives that portray Bengal’s Muslims as ‘Rohingyas’ or ‘infiltrators’. By tying a community’s presence in India to the actions of political figures, it challenges the constitutional idea that citizenship and belonging are not contingent on religious identity.The second half of her statement, the “one second” warning, has triggered even deeper alarm. By telling an audience they are only safe because of her administration, Banerjee has positioned an entire community as a latent, predatory threat. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar was quick to seize on this, saying, “What we used to say about how much danger Hindus are in has now been proven by the Hon’ble Chief Minister herself. We never used the phrase ‘a few seconds.’ She said it and increased fear among Hindus. This is direct politics of communal provocation.”The fallout has extended beyond party lines. Both the Congress and the Left have condemned the remarks as a desperate attempt to polarise voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Accusing the chief minister of playing a division card, former Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged, “The chief minister is playing the politics of division. What she said is objectionable and condemnable. When she speaks like this, it means she holds such beliefs.”Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sujan Chakraborty said the remarks followed a pattern of provocative statements aimed at polarising voters.“Her disciple Humayun Kabir made similar instigating comments just before the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 to polarise voters. Now, she herself is making similar statements. This is dangerous for West Bengal,” Chakraborty said.The controversial outburst is also being analysed as part of a broader trend of intensifying religious polarisation in West Bengal’s politics.Dharna against the Special Intensive Revision where Banerjee made the remark. Photo: Joydeep SarkarFacing an aggressive Hindutva campaign by the BJP, Banerjee has increasingly moved toward what can be described as a “soft Hindutva” political strategy. Beyond traditional patronage of religious festivals, her government has begun directing substantial public resources toward large-scale religious infrastructure projects.The state has committed significant public funds to projects such as the Rs 250-crore Jagannath Temple in Digha, the Rs 262-crore “Durga Angan” complex in New Town, and the proposed Mahakal Temple in Siliguri featuring a 216-foot idol. Although officially promoted as cultural tourism initiatives, these projects reflect a clear political pivot toward religious symbolism aimed at countering the BJP’s electoral gains among Hindu voters.“Firstly, it fuels competitive communalism, which is harmful in parliamentary politics. By attaching an aggressive label to the minority community, she implicitly certifies their political strength. At the same time, she sends a message to the majority community that she alone can control that supposed aggression,” observed political analyst Subhamoy Mitra. For many in West Bengal’s civil society, the deeper concern is that rhetoric from the highest levels of government can normalise suspicion between communities.“The way the chief minister spoke about a ‘community’ reveals what she actually thinks. Since the time of Partition there has been tension between two religions, but the majority of people from both communities have healed those wounds and chosen to live together. Now she is reopening those old wounds and practising divisive politics,” said social activist Miratun Nahar. As the 2026 elections approach, the concern remains that once suspicion between communities is normalised by the highest levels of government, it risks permanently damaging the fragile trust that has sustained West Bengal’s communal coexistence for decades.