West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday led a large protest march in Kolkata, raising strong objections to the alleged targeting and detention of Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
Addressing the crowd after leading a three-kilometre procession from College Street to Esplanade, Banerjee warned that if attacks on Bengalis continued, state-wide and nationwide protests would follow.
“If you target us in Delhi, there will be protests in Delhi and here. If you target us in Maharashtra, there will be protests in Maharashtra and here also. Do not belittle us in any way,” she said.
TMC Flags Detention of Bengali Migrants
The Chief Minister alleged that around 1,000 Bengali-speaking people have been detained in various states. She claimed the Centre had secretly issued notifications to BJP-ruled states encouraging such detentions under suspicion.
“The poor go out for work and are jailed just for speaking in Bengali. Why this hatred? West Bengal is part of India,” she said, highlighting that over 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal live and work across India, all with valid documents like Aadhaar, PAN, and voter ID.
Bengali Identity and 2026 Polls
The timing of the protest is notable — coming just five days before TMC’s annual July 21 rally — and marks a shift toward “Bengali identity” politics, which had played a key role in the 2021 Assembly elections.
TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, joined the rally. The party is aiming to re-energize its base ahead of the 2026 West Bengal elections by raising concerns over the treatment of Bengalis outside the state.
Reports of Bengali migrants being harassed have emerged from Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, and recently in Pune, where TMC MPs have raised concerns about the treatment of the Matua community migrants.
Mamata Slams Election Commission Over Voter List Removals
Mamata Banerjee also accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting in favour of the BJP. She cited alleged voter suppression tactics, including reports that 35 lakh names were being removed from voter rolls in Bihar, and warned of similar attempts in West Bengal.
“When there are elections, they remove names, and the EC is there to help them. I don’t disrespect the EC, but if they act like BJP agents, we will not spare them,” she said.
Banerjee claimed this is how the BJP gained ground in Delhi and Maharashtra, and now the same strategy is being tried in Bihar and Bengal.
“We will not give up a single inch of land without a fight,” she declared.
