The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government of compelling school students and self-help group (SHG) workers to attend a public rally in Singur, Hooghly district. BJP leaders, Amit Malviya and Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that the attendance of students and workers at the rally was enforced. Malviya, the BJP’s Information Technology Cell Chief, shared a video showing school students at the rally, claiming it as an exploitation of children for political purposes.
Malviya criticized the government for allegedly pressuring schoolchildren to attend the rally, stating that this tactic reflects the ruling party’s desperation. He emphasized that using students for political events is unacceptable and undermines the integrity of the education system. According to Malviya, the government’s shift to involving schoolteachers in mobilizing students indicates a concerning trend of exploiting educational institutions for political gains.
The BJP further highlighted that the government’s alleged coercion of schoolchildren and workers to attend rallies signifies a decline in the popularity of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Malviya pointed out that such tactics erode trust in government-run schools and negatively impact the education sector. Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, also shared an audio clip where a Trinamool Congress leader purportedly threatened a Self-Help Group member with the withdrawal of welfare benefits unless they attended the rally.
