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KOLKATA: PM Narendra Modi used a fog-forced virtual rally in Bengal Saturday to pursue two parallel damage-control efforts – shoring up support among Matua voters unsettled by an electoral roll revision and repairing political fallout from his recent “Bankim da” reference in Parliament.PM Modi was to address a public meeting at Taherpur in Nadia district but his helicopter could not land because of heavy fog. He returned to Kolkata airport and spoke virtually for 18 minutes.The Matua community – electorally crucial in Nadia and North 24 Parganas – has shown signs of unease over EC’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls. At the same time, Trinamool Congress has targeted Modi and BJP over his Lok Sabha reference to Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay as “Bankim da”, calling it proof that the party was culturally alien to Bengal. Calling Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay “Rishi Bankim babu”, Modi praised the author of ‘Anandamath’ and creator of ‘Vande Mataram’, saying Bengal and Bangla had enriched Indian history and culture. “Vande Mataram was one such contribution and the entire nation is celebrating its 150th anniversary,” he said. “Bengal was blessed with a sage like Rishi Bankim babu, who sowed seeds of emancipation in British-ruled India.”He paid tribute to Matua icons Harichand Thakur, Guruchand Thakur and Baroma, praising the community for “taking their philosophy of social development forward” and crediting Harichand Thakur with teaching “the virtue of karma”. He also invoked Sri Chaitanya, describing him as an icon of love and compassion.Modi linked SIR to infiltration, an emotive subject in border districts adjoining Bangladesh, including Nadia and North 24 Parganas. “I can see them shouting ‘go back Modi’ slogans,” he said, referring to TMC supporters. “But they are tight-lipped when it comes to saying ‘go back’ to infiltrators. The infiltrators, who are trying to control Bengal, are close to Trinamool’s heart. That is why they are trying to save infiltrators and opposing SIR.”The speech did not directly address Matua fears linked to SIR. In Nadia, more than 2.7 lakh voters – over 6% of the electorate – have been flagged as “unmapped”, unable to establish linkage with the 2002 voters’ list. In North 24 Parganas, over 7 lakh voters – about 8.8% – fall in that category. Matua elders say a substantial share of those numbers belongs to their community.BJP functionaries acknowledged Matua support played a major role in the party’s strong performance in 2021 assembly polls and 2024 general elections, and have issued assurances to calm anxieties. Some senior members privately expressed surprise that Modi did not directly engage with the issue.Modi also pitched BJP as the sole alternative for Bengal’s development after virtually inaugurating construction of a four-lane highway. He contrasted NDA’s landslide victory in Bihar with what he called “mahajangalraj” in Bengal, blaming Trinamool for stalled growth.
