West Bengal to Introduce Law Confiscating Assets of Corrupt Officials, CM Says
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the state assembly on the final day of the budget session that his government will bring a law to confiscate and auction properties of corrupt officials and politicians.
Speaking on Monday, Adhikari said, “A bill is being introduced in this session to confiscate and auction assets of corrupt officials.” He cited recent anti-corruption raids, including the recovery of gold from a house linked to a former mayor’s friend, and vowed that “no thief will be spared.”
Adhikari also criticised the current state of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), describing remaining MLAs as “lamp posts” who failed to oppose the party’s leadership. He contrasted his own protests against the party with others’ silence. “I had the guts, and I protested,” he said.
The session saw emotional moments when Panihati MLA Ratna Debnath, mother of the RG Kar victim, broke down in tears after the chief minister assured justice for her daughter.
Adhikari distinguished between the “old guard” of the TMC—referring to veteran leaders Sovandeb Chatterjee and Samar Mukherjee as “gentlemen in politics”—and local strongmen, whom he warned would face strict action. He named Jahangir Khan, Saukat Molla, Dilip Mondal, Sona Pappu, and Raju Naskar as individuals who “will not be spared.”
The speech prompted a walkout by some opposition MLAs, including Ritabrata Banerjee. Watching them leave, Adhikari said, “The Kalighat TMC is here, and those who call themselves the real Trinamool have walked out.”
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh then rose to support the action against corruption but urged that defectors be included. Adhikari responded that the opposition’s internal problems were their own doing. He also addressed a dispute over an alleged fake signature case, promising action if evidence was provided.
Reassuring minority communities and the public, Adhikari said “no bhadralok (gentleman) or untainted person will be touched,” and called for modernising minority education so students could become doctors and engineers.
Without naming former chief minister Mamata Banerjee or TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Adhikari referenced past denials of permission to hold rallies. “Today, you are sitting at home listening to my speech,” he told the opposition.
He concluded that the TMC’s political era in Bengal had ended, saying, “I was on the streets in 2011 to bring you to power, and I was also on the streets in 2026 to remove you.”
