West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has intensified her criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the saffron party of targeting Bengali speaking individuals in what she describes as "linguistic terror." Banerjee, on Sunday, posted a video on X showing alleged police brutality against a migrant family from Malda's Chanchal, West Bengal, in Delhi. She labeled the incident "atrocious" and "terrible," claiming it exemplifies a broader pattern of persecution against Bengalis in BJP-ruled states.
In her X post, Banerjee wrote, "See how Delhi Police brutally beat up a kid and his mother, members of a migrant family from Malda's Chanchal. Even a child is not spared from the cruelty of violence in the regime of linguistic terror unleashed by BJP in the country against the Bengalis!" The video, which has not been independently verified, depicts a man accusing Delhi Police of assaulting his wife and infant son. Banerjee's post did not specify when the video was recorded, but it has fuelled her ongoing narrative of targeted harassment against Bengali speaking communities.
For several weeks, Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have alleged that Bengali speaking migrant workers are facing harassment, detention, and even deportation in BJP governed states such as Haryana, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi. On July 24, Banerjee claimed that West Bengal Police received reports of detentions in Gurgaon, Haryana, under the guise of identity checks, and alleged illegal "pushbacks" of Bengali-speaking citizens with valid documents into Bangladesh from states like Rajasthan.
The TMC has launched a "Bhasha Andolan" (language movement) to protest these alleged injustices, with rallies held across West Bengal on July 27. Banerjee is set to lead a march in Birbhum district on Monday, July 28, which she has termed the "second language movement," drawing parallels to the historic Bengali language movement in erstwhile East Pakistan. The protests are planned to continue until the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, signalling a strategic focus on Bengali identity politics.
The Chief Minister has also cited a report by Human Rights Watch, which she claims highlights the "harassment, persecution, and illegal deportation" of Bengali-speaking Indian citizens in BJP-ruled states. She quoted Elaine Pearson, HRW's Asia Director, stating that the BJP is "fuelling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengalis from the country, including Indian citizens." The report allegedly points to systematic abuses following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, though the BJP has dismissed these claims as baseless.
BJP leaders have countered Banerjee's allegations, accusing her of shielding illegal Bangladeshi immigrants for political gain. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's IT cell, responded to Banerjee's claims on X, stating, "You are LYING. Those being questioned are illegal Bangladeshis, who perhaps speak Bangla but are NOT Indian citizens." He further alleged that Banerjee's administration enables illegal migrants to obtain documents like Aadhaar, facilitating their integration as TMC voters. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, has demanded a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists to screen out what he claims are 1.5 crore illegal Bangladeshis in the state.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate over migration, citizenship, and linguistic identity. While Mamata Banerjee's campaign emphasises the protection of Bengali pride, BJP calls it vote-bank politics.
