PM Modi targets TMC over education system, calls for change in Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi centered his campaign pitch in West Bengal on education issues on Jan 18, accusing the Trinamool Congress government of damaging the state’s education system through corruption and mismanagement and urging voters to support the BJP for reforms.

Addressing a rally in Singur, Modi alleged that schools and colleges in the state were under the control of mafias and corrupt networks, claiming that students and teachers were paying the price for what he described as years of poor governance.

“Under TMC’s rule, daughters are not safe, and the education system is also in the grip of mafias and corrupt elements,” the Prime Minister said, linking concerns over campus safety and alleged irregularities in recruitment and administration.

He added that a vote for the BJP would help curb violence in educational institutions and prevent situations where teachers lose their jobs due to policy failures.

Modi said West Bengal was being left behind even as education infrastructure was expanding in other parts of the country.

“While thousands of modern PM SHRI schools are being established nationwide, TMC is denying children in West Bengal access to quality education. It is time to replace the TMC government to secure a better future for the youth of Bengal,” he said.

Referring to education reforms and social change, the Prime Minister invoked social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, calling on young people and women to play a central role in transforming the state’s education landscape.

“He had made women’s power and youth power the medium of change; now, the sisters and daughters of Bengal, the young people, will have to raise their voices,” Modi said.

The PM also connected education outcomes to broader development, arguing that states with BJP governments had benefited more from centrally funded schemes.

He said the BJP’s model of governance focused on creating opportunities for students through improved schooling, skills, and access to welfare programs.

Before the rally, Modi laid the foundation stone for and flagged off development projects worth more than ₹830 crore in Singur, including rail- and port-related infrastructure, which he said would support economic growth and employment prospects for the youth.

The remarks come as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, with education, jobs, and youth opportunities emerging as key issues.