Tarakeswar: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “misusing” government machinery for political campaigns.

Addressing a poll rally in Hooghly district’s Tarakeswar, Banerjee alleged that Modi indulged in “illegal campaign” for the BJP through his address to the nation regarding the women’s quota bill.

“They (BJP) misused the government machinery yesterday for political campaigns. We condemn this and will file a complaint (to the Election Commission),” she said, accusing the PM of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

In an address to the nation on Saturday, a day after a bill to implement 33 per cent women’s reservation in legislatures from 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha, Modi warned the Congress and its allies that the women of India will severely punish them for “the sin of foeticide”.

Banerjee said, “You (PM) have to answer to the people of India that you are doing an illegal campaign for your party.”

The TMC chief said that the women’s reservation bill was passed in September 2023, and asked why the central government has not yet implemented it.

Questioning how many times the “same bill needs to be passed,” Banerjee claimed that the BJP-led government latched the delimitation bill with the women’s quota legislation tabled in the Lok Sabha.

“They had the audacity to bring the bill in the Lok Sabha despite not having the requisite numbers to pass it,” she said, claiming that the BJP’s “downfall” has started.