KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hailed a development in the Supreme Court where a direction has been issued to hear the plea of the migrant workers on priority in the Calcutta High Court, which she termed as a “huge relief to the detained workers."
During hearing of a petition filed by the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board alleging detention of Bengali-speaking migrant workers on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals, a bench of the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Calcutta High Court to take up the matter expeditiously and clarified that pendency of these proceedings would not come in the way of the high court adjudicating the habeas corpus petition.
Welcoming the development in a post on X, Banerjee said, “Today (29 Aug 2025), the Hon'ble Supreme Court heard a PIL on the detention of migrant workers from Bengal. The Apex Court acknowledged Bengal's historic role as a border State - a land that has given refuge, strength, and culture through generations. A direction has been issued to hear the plea of the migrant workers on priority in the High Court - this comes as a huge relief to the detained workers.”
The West Bengal Government and the Trinamool Congress have alleged that Bengali speaking workers from West Bengal are being harassed and tortured on suspicion of being Bangladeshis in different BJP-ruled states. Banerjee herself has repeatedly attacked the BJP over the issue.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi of the Supreme Court on Friday outlined the “same legacy of cultural and linguistic heritage” shared by Bengali and Punjabi speaking Indians with the neighbouring countries speaking the same language but divided by borders.
Welcoming the observation of the apex court, Banerjee said, “The recognition of Bengal's unique context gives hope to countless Bengali-speaking workers across our motherland, whose labour and sacrifice strengthen families across India. I stand firmly by them. We repose full faith in the judiciary to ensure dignity, fairness, and constitutional justice for every worker from Bengal.”
According to political observers, today’s development at the top court has come as a shot in the arm of the Trinamool Congress, which has intensified its attacks on the BJP over the ‘Bengali identity’ issue before the Assembly elections in West Bengal due April-May, next year.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today also asked the Centre whether it wanted to build a border wall like in the US to prevent illegal immigrants from entering India.
Earlier, On August 14, the Supreme Court refused to pass any interim order on the PIL with regard to the detention of alleged Bangladeshi nationals.
The PIL said, "Instant petition challenges the legality of such detentions of migrant workers, particularly in light of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Letter dated May 2, 2025, which authorises inter-state verification and detention of suspected illegal immigrants."
The plea said migrant workers from West Bengal, predominantly employed in low-income and informal sectors in various states, are facing systemic social exclusion based on linguistic basis, economic insecurity, and precarious living conditions in detainer states.