Modi, Mamata spar over fish as Bengal poll campaign heats up

Modi and Mamata clash over fish production amid escalating West Bengal election campaign tensions, each accusing the other of political deceit.

As the election campaign gained momentum in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (April 9, 2026) targeted each other on a number of issues, but fish production and consumption emerged as an unusual threat in the political slugfest between the two leaders.

Speaking at the coastal town of Haldia in State’s Purba Medinipur district, the Prime Minister spoke of West Bengal not being self-sufficient in fish production.

“West Bengal has a huge potential for fish cultivation and seafood. This is the power of Medinipur. But in Bengal, even though there is such a huge demand for fish, still the State is not self-sufficient for this. They have to get it from outside,” Mr. Modi said.

The remarks by the Prime Minister assume significance because there has been an influx of Hilsa fish in West Bengal from Gujarat over the past few years.

Chief Minister Banerjee was quick to respond and said that the State was becoming self-sufficient in fish production, but the BJP does not allow people to eat fish. “I heard that today, he (PM) said that there is no fish production in Bengal, while Bihar is producing more and exporting. But you do not allow people to eat fish in Bihar. Here we purchase fish from markets and eat,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a gathering in North 24 Parganas. The remarks by Ms. Banerjee came in response to a remark by Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Vijay Kumar Sinha who had vowed a clamp down on shops selling meat and fish in vicinity of religious places and educational institutions.

While the BJP has been trying to dispel fears among a section of the electorate about imposing vegetarianism in the State, Ms. Banerjee has been saying almost at every rally that the BJP will not allow people of the State to eat fish.