Mamata alleges BJP 'struck Rs 1,000-crore deal' to unseat TMC from power in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday alleged the BJP has "struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal" to unseat the Trinamool Congress from power in the state.
She made the claims while ostensibly referring to a now-viral video in which Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir was purportedly heard saying he was in touch with BJP leaders to unseat her from power, and receiving Rs 200 crore as an advance to a Rs 1,000-crore deal to split the minority votes.
However, PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Addressing a rally in Bankura's Onda, Banerjee said that while some leaders were dismissing the video as AI-generated, "the person seen in the clip had himself acknowledged its authenticity".
"If it is AI-generated, then why is the person concerned admitting to it? Why are you suddenly defending him?" the TMC supremo posed.
Her remarks come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Murshidabad's Jangipur, alleged the TMC had resorted to creating fake videos using AI, sensing defeat in the upcoming elections.
Hitting back, Banerjee said, "They have struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal to unseat the TMC from power in West Bengal."
The controversy deepened after Kabir gave conflicting statements about the video. He initially claimed it was AI-generated, only to later say that only a portion of a longer video had been circulated without any context, and the full clip would be released soon.
Banerjee also accused the BJP of attempting to polarise voters along religious lines. "They are misleading both Hindus and Muslims. Their character changes like a chameleon," she said.
Addressing poll rallies at Paschim Bardhaman's Asansol, Bankura district's Chhatna and Onda and in Purba Bardhaman's Khandagosh, the TMC supremo said, "The BJP is threatening our candidates, including ministers, seeking their support if it falls short of the majority mark after the polls."
The majority mark in the West Bengal Assembly is 148. The BJP won 77 seats in the 2021 polls.
Stepping up her attack, Banerjee alleged the BJP was conspiring to curtail people's rights and warned that it might carry out delimitation and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the future.
Referring to the NRC exercise in Assam, she claimed that lakhs of names were deleted in the northeastern state and warned that a similar process might be carried out in Bengal if the BJP wins.
"To protect your rights, there is no alternative but to vote for the TMC," she asserted.
"Take my words, the BJP is planning to bring in a delimitation exercise to divide West Bengal into three parts. Then, I do not know, it may merge parts of West Bengal with Bihar or Odisha, and torture Bengalis there," she said.
Banerjee also alleged that central forces deployed in the state for the upcoming polls were "disrespecting" women in the name of conducting searches. Any misconduct by central forces should be met with immediate FIRs, she told the gathering.
Her comments came against the backdrop of actor Sreemoyee Chattoraj, the wife of outgoing TMC MLA Kanchan Mallick, taking to social media to allege that she was harassed by the central forces at a checkpost in Kolkata, rummaging through her personal belongings, including undergarments and sanitary napkins.
The chief minister also claimed that she was denied permission to hold a rally despite the venue being available, while quick clearance was given for PM Modi's meeting.
She also accused the BJP of bribing voters before elections, and called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls the "country's biggest scam" in recent times.
"The SIR is the biggest scam the country has seen in recent times. Everyone in the world knows that your government will topple in 2026. We will then scrap all the anti-people laws brought in by your government," she added.
"The BJP bribes voters before the elections. But they forget their promises soon after the polling is over. That was seen in the Bihar elections," Banerjee said.
She also questioned the BJP's poll promise of filling up vacancies in the state government departments, asking, "What happened to his (Modi) promise of providing two crore jobs to youths?"
The TMC chief further alleged the BJP would try to manipulate the polling process to win the election and urged people to remain alert and keep a tab on the voting machines.
Banerjee also alleged a "major conspiracy" by the BJP in the poll-bound state and claimed an "operation" would begin from midnight, without elaborating much about the matter.
She warned people that there might be attempts to influence voting and counting processes.
"Be alert about the voting machines. They are planning slow voting and slow counting. At first, they will show BJP is winning, but do not believe such claims. We will foil all their plans and win. No force can defeat us," she said, expressing confidence that her party would retain power.
Banerjee also advised people to remain cautious about food and drinks while attending political events.
Her advice came in the wake of an incident in Jhargram where at least 16 people, while returning from a political rally, reportedly fell ill after allegedly consuming pesticide, mistaking it for ORS. Several of them, belonging to the Shabar community, were hospitalised, including a local TMC booth president.
"Be careful about what you eat, especially during elections. Do not consume anything given by strangers. Always check before eating," she said at another rally in Chatna.
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Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi
Beijing (PTI): US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport.
The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US.
Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term.
President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday.
The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, she said, adding that the US plans to host the Chinese leader for a reciprocal visit later this year.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Scott Bessent completed the final round of trade negotiations in South Korea, details of which are not known.
The talks focused on trade and tariffs, Artificial Intelligence and technology, Taiwan and US' arms sales to Taipei, Iran and West Asia security and rare earths and supply chains.
Trump's schedule included a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a complex of imperial temples where emperors would pray for a good harvest.
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Ahead of his departure for Beijing, Trump told the media in Washington he would be talking with Xi about trade more than anything else.
He plans to sign more deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft. The two countries also plan to set up a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries.
From a trade point of view, China looks to reap a rich harvest as Trump is accompanied by top CEOs of US multinational giants, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who have well-entrenched business in China.
Apple has regained the top spot in China's competitive smartphone market as of early 2026, driven by a 28 per cent surge in iPhone shipments.
In April, Tesla's China-made vehicle sales (including exports) reached 79,478, a 36 per cent year-over-year increase, signalling a production rebound.
The top US business leaders will be allowed to mingle with their Chinese counterparts at an exclusive international business club, according to Chinese officials.
The global focus on the summit, however, would be on any possible outcome that could end the US-Israeli-Iran war and end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of Trump's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made his first visit to Beijing after the war and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
The US watched his visit closely as China is the largest importer of Iranian oil and shares strategic defence ties with Tehran, and has considerable influence over Iran.
After talks with Araghchi, Wang called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, even as it appreciated Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a prime demand of Trump to end the war.
Commenting on Wang-Araghchi talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told. And that is what you are doing in the Strait, which is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."
China's anxieties over the Gulf war increased, especially after Trump imposed a blockade of Iranian ports, restricting Iran's oil exports to China.
Bert Hoffman, former World Bank country director for China, said China wants the Iran war to end because it has many partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. "So they don't like to see wars, they like to have stability," he said.
In its editorial on Trump's visit, state-run Global Times said Xi has held multiple telephone conversations and meetings with him, which have helped correct the course of the bilateral relationship and steer it clear of hidden dangers at critical moments.
For China-US relations to truly stabilise and improve in the future, the most fundamental step is to fully and faithfully implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, it said.
From China's point of view, the Taiwan issue was expected to figure prominently in the talks.
Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during their telephone talks, that the US should make the right choice about the self-ruled Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as part of its own and has been ramping up military pressure on the island with periodic military drills around the island.
VIDEO | Beijing: US President Donald Trump arrives in China for high stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2026
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