'Yogi biggest Bhogi': Mamata Banerjee's stampede jibe over UP CM's Murshidabad riot remarks (WATCH)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a scathing counterattack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, following his controversial comments on the recent communal violence in Murshidabad.

Speaking at a meeting with Muslim clerics in Kolkata, Mamata dismissed Yogi’s criticisms and accused the BJP of orchestrating unrest across Bengal in the name of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Hitting back hard, she called Yogi the “biggest Bhogi” — a sharp play on his monk-like image — and reminded him of the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj that claimed over 30 lives during his tenure.

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“Yogi is saying big things. But he is the biggest Bhogi (materialist). What happened at the Mahakumbh? People died. In his state, people are being killed in fake encounters,” Mamata said, adding, “He doesn’t allow rallies in UP. In Bengal, people are free. Don’t lecture us on democracy.”

‘Burning Bengal’ or scripted chaos?

Yogi Adityanath, addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, had accused Mamata of calling rioters “messengers of peace” and claimed “Bengal is burning.” He said only sticks can “rein in” the rioters and warned that the state government had allowed anarchy to spread under the guise of secularism.

“Laato ke bhoot baaton se nahi maante,” the UP CM had said, triggering sharp reactions from TMC and civil rights groups.

In response, Mamata alleged the Murshidabad violence was pre-planned and orchestrated to create communal tensions. She also accused BJP-backed media houses of circulating fake videos to stoke unrest and tarnish Bengal's image.

“Out of eight videos they circulated, some were from Karnataka, some from Bihar, some from Rajasthan. Not even Bengal. We have caught them. They should be ashamed,” Mamata said.

TMC distances itself from violence, reaffirms stand against Waqf law

Mamata also made it clear that TMC had opposed the Waqf Amendment in Parliament.

“If we were behind the violence, why would TMC leaders’ houses be attacked? We took a strong stand against the law,” she told the gathering of Imams and Muslim intellectuals.

She reiterated that TMC is at the forefront of the fight against the amended law, which she believes is aimed at undermining minority rights.

Violence, arrests and rising tension

The violence in Murshidabad erupted last week when police stopped Indian Secular Front (ISF) supporters from attending an anti-Waqf Act rally in Kolkata, addressed by Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique. Over 210 people have been arrested, and several police vehicles were torched in Bhangar, South 24 Parganas.

Normalcy has returned to some parts, including the Basanti Highway, but tensions remain high.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, passed earlier this month, empowers the government to streamline the registration and monitoring of Waqf properties. Critics, however, say the law centralises control and disenfranchises state-level autonomy and historic practices like Waqf by user.