'To Silence Me, You Will Have to Kill Me': Mamata Banerjee's defiant message amid TMC crisis
Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has issued a defiant video message amid the ongoing political crisis within her party, declaring that attempts to intimidate or silence her would not succeed.
"If you want to silence me, you will have to kill me," Banerjee said in the video, accusing the BJP of trying to weaken the TMC through political pressure and defections.
The statement comes as the TMC grapples with internal dissent following its defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, with several senior leaders leaving the party and joining the BJP. The latest political setback saw former Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik switch allegiance to the BJP.
In her message, Banerjee asserted that she would continue fighting despite the challenges facing her party and urged TMC workers to remain united. She alleged that efforts were being made to break the party but maintained that the TMC would withstand the political pressure.
The remarks come amid growing speculation over divisions within the Trinamool Congress, with reports of rebel factions and defections triggering concerns about the party's future after losing power in West Bengal.
Banerjee has repeatedly accused the BJP of engineering attempts to split the TMC, while BJP leaders have dismissed the allegations, attributing the defections to internal dissatisfaction within the party.
