West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, declared that antisocial elements had long held unchecked dominance in the state and asserted that the government would legislate whatever measures are necessary to root out criminal activity. Speaking to reporters in Newtown, Ghosh framed the issue as a systemic threat to Bengal's economy and public order.

What Ghosh Said on Crime and Law Enforcement

'In Bengal, antisocial elements had complete dominance for a long time. All these people, in collusion with political forces, have severely troubled the general public here. Terms like 'Tolabaji', 'Syndicate' and 'Cut-money' are heard exclusively in Bengal. Because of this, industries and businesses here have suffered, and the public is distressed,' Ghosh said.

He added that the administration was already tightening its grip on law and order, and that even police personnel would be held accountable. 'This crime culture must be stopped at all costs, and the government is making all necessary preparations for it,' he said. The remarks are notable for explicitly extending accountability to the police force — a signal that the crackdown is intended to be institutional rather than selective.

Ghosh on the New Education Policy

Shifting focus, Ghosh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ending decades of inaction on education reform. He noted that debates over the direction of Indian education had persisted since Independence, but no government had acted on them until Modi introduced the New Education Policy (NEP) after extensive consultations, seminars, and public opinion-gathering.

'It is now being implemented step-by-step across states. Once fully implemented, society will reap its benefits, though it will take some time,' he said. The NEP rollout has been uneven across states, with some, including Bengal, moving at a slower pace than others.

On TMC's Internal Feud

Asked about visible fissures within the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Ghosh said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had no interest in wading into the opposition party's internal affairs. 'Whether old, new, good or bad, we don't want to get into the internal matters of the Trinamool Congress. They should take their issues to the Election Commission and resolve them. The Commission is looking into it,' he said.

This came a day after the rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee announced candidates for bypolls to two Assembly seats in West Bengal, escalating its confrontation with the Mamata Banerjee-led camp. The rival faction has asserted its right to contest under the official TMC name and symbol; the Election Commission of India (ECI) has yet to adjudicate the competing claims.

Broader Context

Ghosh's remarks on crime culture land against a backdrop of persistent concerns about extortion networks and political patronage in Bengal, issues that have featured prominently in both judicial proceedings and central government reports. This is not the first time a BJP leader has raised these specific terms — 'Tolabaji' and 'Syndicate' have been recurring flashpoints in Bengal's political discourse for several years, and critics argue that enforcement action has repeatedly stalled at the political interface. Whether the latest legislative push translates into structural change will depend heavily on the state's law enforcement apparatus, whose own accountability Ghosh has now publicly flagged.