Kolkata, Jun 18 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Centre for its decision to observe June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day), calling it a “mockery of democracy”, and accused the Union government of dismantling democratic institutions.
Banerjee also alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is “actually running the country” and demanded that he be officially declared as the Prime Minister since PM Narendra Modi is “always travelling”.
She announced that her government would not observe June 25 as Constitution Murder Day, as asked by the Union Home Ministry.
“Who is actually the Prime Minister of India — Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? It’s not Narendra Modi who’s running the country, it’s Amit Shah. Modi keeps travelling, and everything has been handed over to Shah. Just declare him the Prime Minister officially. He’s already running the government by proxy,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat Nabanna.
“We will not observe June 25 as Constitution Murder Day. This is nothing but hypocrisy. Those who do not respect the Constitution are now preaching about its morality. It is a mockery,” the CM said.
The Centre last year declared June 25 to be observed annually as Constitution Murder Day to mark the anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975—a move criticised as an attack on democratic processes.
Banerjee questioned the BJP’s democratic credentials, citing alleged efforts to undermine the Constitution.
“Given the way the BJP is trying to change and weaken the Constitution every day, we could observe 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' daily,” Banerjee claimed.
She said everyone knows what happened during Emergency and how people rejected it.
"You may observe it as Emergency Day. Why label it as Democracy Murder Day? Is democracy alive today? It’s being strangled every single day. A false religious narrative is being pushed. If rebuilding Parliament is your logic, then by that standard, every day qualifies as Democracy Murder Day. Play your politics, but stop twisting facts and spreading lies,” she said.
Banerjee highlighted recent political episodes under the current regime to buttress her point.
“Was toppling of elected governments in Maharashtra and Bihar not an attack on the Constitution? ... They have ensured that the pillars of democracy—be it the Election Commission or the media—are no longer independent," she said.
“We don’t need lectures on democracy from those who are bulldozing the federal structure and democratic ethos every single day,” Banerjee said.
The TMC supremo also took a swipe at the BJP over its economic policies and questioned why the November 8, 2016 demonetisation drive was never marked as a black day.
“They destroyed economy in the name of demonetisation. Democracy was murdered during demonetisation. People stood in queues for days, and many died. Why isn’t that day marked as Black Money Day?” she asked.
Expressing concerns over aviation safety, Banerjee also raised the recent Ahmedabad plane crash and demanded a more robust probe mechanism.
“So many people are dying in crashes. One could be an accident, but if there’s a pattern, it must be investigated. The Ahmedabad crash is being looked into by bureaucrats—there’s not even a single FIR. In our time, railway accidents were probed by a dedicated safety committee. Why isn’t there such a committee for aviation?” she questioned.
Referring to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Banerjee slammed the Centre for not convening a special session of Parliament to discuss that or responding to five questions posed by opposition parties.
She asked, "Why a day was never observed to condemn terrorism?”
The CM also wondered why the Centre seeks to observe a day to mar the Emergency in 2025.
“The Emergency ended in 1977, and 2024 marked its 50th year. Why observe it in 2025? What’s the motive?” she asked.
Accusing the Centre of selling national assets and eroding federal values, she said, “Railways, airlines—everything has been sold. The people will give a fitting reply. Stop interfering in our federal rights. The state government is elected—the Governor is nominated. Would the Centre accept if the President bypassed Amit Shah and started taking all decisions?”
Banerjee also expressed displeasure at a letter from the Uttar Pradesh Special Secretary to the West Bengal Department of Culture, instructing that June 20 be observed as ‘Paschimbanga Diwas’ across all Raj Bhavans.
“Who chose this date? India became independent on August 15. How can the Centre dictate Bengal’s foundation day? This is an insult to Bengal. Bangla Diwas will be celebrated on 1st Baisakh, the Bengali New Year, as decided by our Assembly (in 2023),” she said.
She also lashed out at the national media, accusing it of being heavily compromised.
“If the BJP does something, it’s fine; if others do the same, they are shut down,” she said.
Banerjee also charged the BJP with targeting Bengali-speaking people in saffron party-ruled states.
“Just because someone is speaking in Bengali and is from Bengal, you are labelling bona fide Indian citizens as Bangladeshis and pushing them to Bangladesh. This is unacceptable,” she asserted.
Banerjee was referring to a recent incident in which seven migrant workers from West Bengal were wrongly apprehended in Maharashtra and deported. They have now been repatriated.