'What kind of Rath Yatra in February?' asks Abhishek, calls it “chariot of fraudsters”

Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP’s Rath Yatra programme, mocking its timing and calling it a “chariot of thieves and fraudsters.” Addressing a ‘Scheduled Dialogue’ (Tafsil Dialogue) meeting at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata, he questioned the scheduling of the yatra in February, stating that Rath Yatra traditionally takes place in the months of Asharh and Shravan. He asserted that the BJP must be brought below 50 seats in the upcoming elections.

Issuing a strong warning, Abhishek said the BJP leaders should “preserve the chariot carefully,” alleging that they would have to “return to Gujarat on that very chariot.” He added that “the almighty will show the results in the coming days,” indicating confidence in an electoral setback for the party in the state. He further claimed that if the BJP is halted in Bengal, it would struggle to remain in power at the Centre.

The remarks came as the Trinamool Congress announced a focused outreach programme targeting 84 Assembly constituencies dominated by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. The party plans to launch special campaigns after Dol (Holi), deploying vehicles with small teams to conduct door-to-door outreach.

Abhishek alleged that the BJP persecutes Scheduled Castes and Tribals, citing crime data from BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. He also claimed that the BJP intends to amend the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar and curtail the rights of Scheduled communities.

Highlighting the state government’s welfare initiatives, he pointed to schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar, stating that financial assistance under the programme has increased from ₹1,000 to ₹1,700 over five years. Urging party workers to intensify grassroots efforts, he cautioned against complacency and asked them to maximise booth-level margins through sustained door-to-door campaigning.