Mamata Banerjee alleged that Bengali-speaking Indian citizens are being harassed and labelled as “foreigners” in BJP-ruled states.
She accused the Election Commission of introducing NRC "through the back door" via the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The CM claimed a conspiracy to delete names of genuine voters and urged people to protect their linguistic and constitutional identity.
On July 16, Banerjee led a protest march over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. Thousands of people participated in the march, which began from College Square in central Kolkata and ended at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. The march took place against the backdrop of a series of recent incidents pertaining to the detention of 444 suspected Bangladeshi nationals in Odisha's Jharsuguda, while Mamata claimed that several of them were from Bengal.
Recent eviction drives in Delhi, and a notice served to a farmer in Cooch Behar by a foreigners' tribunal in Assam also triggered the protest march.
Soon after, Banerjee publicly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Assam government for allegedly trying to push the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal, where it had no jurisdiction.
While citing an NRC notice issued by the Assam Foreigner’s Tribunal to a Cooch Behar villager Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, Banerjee said, “This is nothing short of a systematic assault on democracy. It is proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction.”
Prior to this, on May 5, she also raised serious concerns over what she described as a “disturbing pattern” of harassment targeting Bengali-speaking individuals in neighbouring Odisha.
What Were Mamta’s Claims?
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched an attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing them of targeting Bengali-speaking Indian citizens.
Speaking at a government event in Kolkata, Banerjee reiterated her allegation about migrant workers from West Bengal being harassed in parts of India for speaking in Bengali and labelled as foreigners despite possessing valid Indian identification documents.
On Thursday, the Trinamool Congress chief said that while the Union government had the authority to act against illegal immigrants, "branding people as foreigners just because they speak Bengali is unconstitutional", as per PTI.
Showing an image of a 10-Rupee note from 1912 bearing Bengali script, Banerjee said, “We are now having to provide proof whether we are Indians or not... One must remember we are citizens of this country and Bangla language is our pride.”
The chief minister claimed that some migrant workers had already been forcibly sent to Bangladesh, despite holding legitimate documents. “More than 2,000 people have been brought back to their homes,” she said, adding that many were being targeted in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat.
She further warned citizens against filling out forms related to voter ID or electoral processes. “Your name may get deleted from the voter list and thereafter you may get served an NRC notice.”
Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission is introducing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) "through the back door" via the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. “It is a conspiracy of the double-engine government to delete names of genuine voters,” she said, referencing the BJP’s central and state governments.
TMC leaders had previously expressed similar concerns saying, “This is just NRC in disguise. The BJP is trying to communalize and polarize voters under the pretext of voter list revision,” a TMC spokesperson said, accusing the party of exploiting historical trauma for political gain ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
She urged citizens to ensure their names are present on the electoral rolls and warned that having just an EPIC (voter ID) card may no longer suffice.
Banerjee asserted that Bengali-speaking individuals were being branded as Bangladeshi or Rohingya, and raised concerns over the erosion of pride in one’s mother tongue. “Is it a crime to speak in one’s mother tongue?” she asked. She also emphasised that the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" was written in Bengali, and said that the language’s very existence was now being questioned.
She noted that many, including herself, were born at home and may not have birth certificates, a requirement under some identification protocols, asking whether the rule-makers themselves had all documents in place.
On Wednesday she also led a massive protest rally in Jhargram, condemning the alleged attacks on Bengali-speaking migrants outside the state.
The rally, themed around the narrative that Bengali language and identity "will never be silenced," was led by the TMC boss.
Banerjee walked nearly 3 km through the tribal heartland, joined by TMC leaders, cultural personalities, and citizens waving placards that read 'Banglar Apoman Sojjyo Hobe Na' (Insult to Bengal won't be tolerated) and 'Bangla Amar Ma' (Bengal, my mother).
The protest comes in the wake of alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants in various parts of the country.
