Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Singur on Sunday has sparked political debate after he avoided mentioning the Tata Motors factory issue, despite heightened expectations among locals and repeated claims by state BJP leaders that the industrial giant would return to the area. At the high-voltage meeting held at the former Tata Motors site, PM attacked the Trinamool Congress government on issues such as corruption, law and order, and infiltration. However, he made no reference to Tata Motors or any concrete plan for reviving industrial activity in Singur.
Locals Disappointed Over Industrial Silence
The Prime Minister only remarked that investment would come to West Bengal “once law and order improves,” a statement many locals viewed as vague and politically motivated. Residents who attended the rally expressed disappointment, saying they had hoped for clarity on employment and industrial revival. Speaking to ABP Anand, a local woman said she had expected Modi to announce steps to revive the long-shuttered factory. “There are many poor people here without work. We hoped he would say a factory would come back,” she said.
Job Hopes Raised, Promises Unmet
Others echoed similar sentiments, pointing out that many educated youth in the area remain unemployed and were looking for assurances on job creation. Several attendees returned from the rally dissatisfied, despite earlier enthusiasm fueled by BJP leaders’ repeated assertions that Tata Motors would return if the party came to power in West Bengal. In recent days, BJP leaders including Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had publicly claimed that Tata Motors could be brought back to Singur after the 2026 Assembly elections.
TMC Slams Rally As ‘Jumla’
Majumdar had promised that a BJP government would ensure the return of industry to the region, while Adhikari referenced Tata Motors’ exit from Singur to Gujarat as a historic mistake. However, Modi’s silence on the issue drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress. State minister Becharam Manna termed the rally a “jumla meeting,” alleging that the Prime Minister deliberately avoided the Tata issue because the land in Singur is privately owned by farmers and cannot be repurposed without acquisition or purchase.
Singur has remained a politically sensitive symbol in West Bengal since the land acquisition controversy that led to Tata Motors exiting the state. While political rhetoric around industrial revival continues, the absence of concrete assurances during Modi’s rally has left many residents disillusioned.