West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed an election rally in Manikchak, Malda district, on April 4, 2026, where she criticized the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly harassing innocent locals following a violent incident involving judicial officers. Banerjee claimed that the true culprits, associated with two communal parties, have escaped while the NIA has detained around 50 innocent individuals under the guise of investigations. She urged the public to focus on re-inclusion applications for those wrongfully removed from the electoral rolls, rather than approaching judicial officers handling ongoing cases. The incident in Mothabari involved a violent protest that led to seven judicial officers being held hostage. In response, 35 arrests have been made by the State CID, and the NIA has been tasked with probing the matter following directives from the Supreme Court, which criticized the West Bengal administration's handling of the situation. Banerjee warned against political provocations, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting that they aim to incite violence and misuse central agencies.