BHUBANESHWAR: A day after 444 suspected Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants were detained for verification in Odisha's Jharsuguda, the Trinamool Congress alleged they were migrant workers from West Bengal being held illegally, sparking a political row over the verification drive.
Responding to the allegations, the Odisha government said it understood the concerns raised regarding the holding of individuals in Jharsuguda but asserted that safeguarding national interest and security remained paramount and cannot be compromised.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar, Mahua Moitra, alleged that migrant workers from West Bengal were illegally detained in Jharsuguda. In a video message posted on X, Moitra said 23 workers from her constituency’s Panighata area were detained in Odisha as part of a documentation verification drive.
"This video is to bring to the urgent notice of the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, and the DGP of Odisha that 23 workers from my Lok Sabha constituency in Mirzapur village under Panighata panchayat in Nadia district are currently illegally detained in an interrogation centre by Orient police station in Jharsuguda district," she said.
She claimed that a total of 444 Bengali-speaking workers from West Bengal are being held in Jharsuguda district, of which 23 are from her constituency. Moitra asserted that all the 23 people have valid documents with them.
Similarly, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam claimed that the Odisha government recently detained over 200 migrant workers from various districts of West Bengal including Murshidabad, Birbhum, Malda, Nadia, Purba Bardhaman and South 24 Parganas on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.
Meanwhile, a senior Odisha Police officer said the 444 persons under scrutiny lack valid documentation to establish their residency or citizenship, which necessitated a thorough verification process to ascertain their identities.
“Without verifiable documents, it is imperative to cross check records to confirm whether individuals are Indian citizens or foreign nationals. This process is critical to protect our borders and ensure the safety of our nation,” said Northern Range IG, Himansu Kumar Lal.
These individuals are held in designated facilities with access to adequate food, water, hygiene and medical care, in line with humanitarian standards.
The verification is being conducted meticulously by senior officers via a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and with multiple layers of scrutiny to ensure no Indian national is wrongfully detained or harassed. Every effort is made to uphold the rights of Indian citizens while maintaining the integrity of the process, he added.
Persons with valid documents are already returning or are in the process of returning to their place of stay. “We urge the public to refrain from speculation and trust the authorities to carry out this process transparently and fairly,” said Lal.
"For further details or to report any concern, local authorities can be contacted on mobile phone number 9437178799," he added.
Odisha Police said the verification process was not about targeting any community or region but about upholding the rule of law and ensuring the security of the nation.