Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the BJP and governments led by the party, accusing it of discrimination against Bengali-speaking citizens in the state.
In a fiery speech, she alleged that people were being harassed based on language, identity, and political bias. She recalled the recent incidents and alleged that people from Bengal were being harassed in states like Maharashtra and Assam.
“The Assam government has sent notices to Bengalis living in Bengal. What is happening?” she said, urging people to resist such divisive moves.
Speaking at the rally, she expressing outrage over arrests of Bengali-speaking individuals in other states, saying, “If someone works, suddenly you arrest them and take them away. Show that document. You’re taking his elderly mother, his wife, his children to jail. Did they deter him? They spoke in Bengali.” She claimed that Bengalis were being punished simply for using their mother tongue.
Furthermore, she accused the Election Commission and BJP of selectively removing names of Bengali voters while allowing outsiders to vote in Bengal. “With a Bangla man, three Gujarat names, two Delhi names, and four Rajasthan names are appearing. What’s going on?” she questioned, claiming the BJP was trying to shift the electoral balance ahead of 2025.
“They are dreaming with the numbers on the voter list,” she later added.
The Chief Minister, along with Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee and several party leaders, led a massive protest march in Kolkata today, raising strong allegations of harassment against Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.