Fresh Legal Heat for Mamata Banerjee: FIR Filed Over Communal Remarks Ahead of Bengal Polls

West Bengal: A fresh FIR has been registered against TMC chief Mamata Banerjee over remarks she allegedly made during a political rally in March 2026. The case was registered on Friday after a complaint filed by a Kolkata resident was treated as an FIR by Kolkata Police. The complaint relates to a speech in which Banerjee had reportedly warned that, “If a particular community comes together, it can have dire consequences for others.” 

The complainant alleged that the statement had the potential to create divisions among communities and could disturb public peace.

Complainant Says Speech Could Fuel Communal Tension 

According to the FIR, the complaint was originally submitted at Hare Street Police Station. The complainant argued that the remarks made during the rally were capable of promoting communal disharmony and public unrest. The issue was also raised earlier through a complaint submitted on May 20 at Netaji Nagar Police Station in South Kolkata by local resident Tushar Kanti Das. In his complaint, Das alleged that Banerjee's statement could generate fear, misunderstanding and tension among different communities across West Bengal.

He claimed that while warning voters against what she described as the Bharatiya Janata Party's "misleading publicity," Banerjee made comments suggesting that a particular community could face adverse consequences if voting patterns changed. According to the complainant, the statement was vague in its reference and could be interpreted in a manner that creates apprehension and insecurity among citizens.

Another FIR Was Registered Against Mamata in May

This is not the first FIR registered against Banerjee in recent weeks. In May this year, another FIR was lodged against the TMC chief for allegedly hurting religious sentiments following a complaint filed by advocate Rinki Chattopadhyay Singh at the Siliguri Cyber Crime Police Station on May 20.

The lawyer alleged that police initially refused to register the case and accepted the FIR only after repeated follow-ups.

According to her complaint, two separate remarks made by Banerjee, one during a religious event in 2025 and another at a Dharmatala protest ahead of the Assembly elections, had deeply hurt the sentiments and beliefs of "millions of Sanatani Hindus across India and the world."

The complaint further stated that during the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election campaign, Banerjee allegedly made a provocative statement suggesting that if a particular community attacked Hindus, "their 12 ta beje jabe"(a Bengali colloquial expression implying severe consequences).

Advocate Singh argued that such remarks were aimed at influencing voters through fear and intimidation and could encourage social unrest and communal disharmony. Following the complaint, police registered an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 351(1) relating to criminal intimidation and Section 352 for intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace.

With the latest FIR now registered over her March 2026 rally speech, Banerjee faces multiple legal complaints linked to statements made ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.