West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made strong accusations against BJP-ruled states, alleging the illegal detention and harassment of Bengali-speaking people. Banerjee claims these actions are akin to a "super-Emergency," exceeding even the excesses of the historical Emergency period. She asserts that Bengali migrant workers are being specifically targeted under the guise of National Register of Citizens (NRC) initiatives, facing mistreatment, torture, and even forceful deportation to Bangladesh.
Banerjee alleges that a secret notification issued by the central government in February to BJP-ruled states directs them to arrest Bengali-speaking individuals, allowing for detention for up to a month even on mere suspicion. She contends that this directive is being used to harass Bengali speakers, including those visiting relatives. She has challenged the authorities to detain her as well, stating she would continue to speak Bengali.
These allegations have emerged in the context of detentions of migrant workers in states like Odisha, eviction drives in Delhi, and notices from Assam's Foreigners Tribunal to residents of Bengal. Banerjee views these incidents as a deliberate pattern of linguistic profiling and unlawful detention, aimed at branding Bengali speakers as illegal immigrants. She has particularly highlighted instances where members of the Matua community and Rajbanshi community, who are not Muslim, have also been targeted. She cited instances of Matuas being detained in Pune and Rajbanshis being pushed back to Bangladesh, also mentioning people from Nadia being detained in Chhattisgarh. She also mentioned Assam government sending NRC notices to people in Cooch Behar.
In response to these alleged incidents, Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata, braving the rain to demonstrate against what she describes as the harassment of Bengali speakers. She has appealed to Bengali migrant workers to return to West Bengal, assuring them of their safety in their home state. She further questioned whether West Bengal is not considered a part of India, emphasizing the sacrifices made by Bengalis for the nation's freedom. Banerjee has warned the BJP of facing "dire political consequences" if the alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking people does not cease immediately. She asserted that there are nearly 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal working in other parts of the country, who have valid identity documents like Aadhar, EPIC and PAN cards, and she would not tolerate any disrespect meted out to them on flimsy grounds.
The BJP has refuted these allegations, with Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, accusing Banerjee of shielding illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators. Adhikari alleges that the Trinamool Congress is using the narrative of Bengali identity to protect these infiltrators and has changed the demographic character of Bengal. He has demanded a "Rohingya-free voter list".
Banerjee has threatened to counter the BJP with agitations in states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, where detentions have been reported. She has also accused the central government of influencing the Election Commission of India to achieve its political aims across states and questioned the timing of these actions, suggesting they are politically motivated ahead of elections. Assembly polls in Bengal are due next year and the poll body has decided to conduct a Special Intensive Revision of voter lists in the state. She has alleged that this is part of a conspiracy to delete the names of valid voters, especially the migrants and the underprivileged.
