Protests erupt outside Kasba Police station as 3 arrested in alleged Kolkata college gang rape
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking in the state Assembly on Tuesday, raised strong objections to alleged discrimination against Bengali speakers in BJP-ruled states. “In some places, people are being stopped from speaking in Bengali. Is speaking Bengali a crime?” she questioned. She emphasized that Bengali is a constitutionally recognised language and must be respected equally across the country.
Banerjee also highlighted that West Bengal has welcomed a large population of migrant workers from other states. “Remember that 1.5 crore migrant labourers live in Bengal,” she said, pointing out that the state has never imposed linguistic restrictions on outsiders. She said it is important to maintain mutual respect for all languages and communities.
Referring to the linguistic heritage of Bengal, Banerjee asked, “In which language did Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore speak?” stressing that the Bengali language has deep historical and cultural roots. She urged all states to treat regional languages with equal dignity and questioned the growing intolerance towards linguistic diversity.
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Protests erupt outside Kasba Police station as 3 arrested in alleged Kolkata college gang rape