KOLKATA: The detention and alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in several BJP-ruled states have sparked a major political row in West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the Centre and state BJP governments of targeting Bengalis under the guise of national security.
Reviving its potent Bengali identity plank that helped thwart the BJP's advance in the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC is now turning what began as isolated complaints into an emotive political flashpoint ahead of the 2026 polls.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a massive protest march in Kolkata on July 16, as the party accuses BJP-ruled states—including Odisha, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat—of “institutional profiling,” “linguistic discrimination” and “criminalisation of poverty.”
The trigger was the deportation of at least seven Bengali-speaking individuals in June from Maharashtra and other states, allegedly without proper verification or notification to the Bengal government. They were later repatriated after diplomatic and legal intervention confirmed their Indian citizenship.
TMC slams BJP over ‘targeting’ of Bengali workers in other states
Last week, Odisha Police detained 444 workers from West Bengal on suspicion of being illegal immigrants; 50 were released after furnishing documents.
In Delhi’s Jai Hind Colony, a Bengali-majority neighbourhood, electricity and water supply were snapped following a court order citing power theft—further fueling outrage.
“There are over 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal who live with dignity. But Bengalis are being treated like infiltrators in BJP-ruled states,” said TMC MP Samirul Islam. “Speaking Bengali does not make someone Bangladeshi. This is nothing short of humiliation.”
TMC leaders have claimed that over 22.5 lakh Bengali-speaking workers are employed across India in sectors like construction, brick kilns, factories, and informal jobs. By targeting these individuals, the BJP is showing “a deep-seated hatred for Bengalis,” the party alleges.
“Our people are being criminalised simply because they are poor and speak Bengali,” said TMC leader Firhad Hakim. Minister Manas Bhunia added, “This reflects the BJP’s anti-Bengali mindset. The people of Bengal will answer this insult at the ballot box.”
Sociologist Supriya Basu termed the events “a cultural imposition attempt,” saying, “Targeting migrants over language is part of an effort to push a North Indian Hindutva model into Bengal.”
The BJP, however, has defended the crackdown, citing national security and illegal immigration. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that over 300 of the 444 detained in Odisha had “fake or unverifiable documents.” Newly appointed Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya went further, alleging a TMC-orchestrated infiltration plan.
“These people work in other states and return to Bengal to vote for Mamata Banerjee. This is a demographic and national security threat,” Bhattacharya said. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the TMC of “protecting infiltrators and playing the victimhood card.”
While the Congress and CPI(M) have condemned the arbitrary arrests, they have distanced themselves from the TMC’s identity-based narrative. “Migrant labour rights are non-negotiable. But TMC’s emotive rhetoric is meant to deflect from its own failures,” said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.
Political observers say the TMC has found a new rallying point after months of political pressure. “In Bengal, pride often trumps policy,” said analyst Suman Bhattacharya. “The TMC was being cornered on several fronts, but it now has a potent counter-narrative.”
After its 2021 landslide, the TMC had shifted focus to national expansion, toning down its regionalist tone and inducting non-Bengali faces like Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Azad. But with the Hindutva narrative gaining ground and Assembly elections less than a year away, the party appears to be returning to its core electoral message—Bengali pride.
Whether the issue will once again ignite a “Bengali vs outsider” wave or lead to a fragmented verdict will depend on how the parties sustain their competing narratives in the months ahead.