'Speaking Bengal a crime?': TMC slams PM Modi after 300 migrant workers branded 'bangladeshis' in Rajasthan

TMC has accused BJP-ruled states of "persecuting" Bengali-speaking migrant workers and branding them as Bangladeshis
Over 300 Bengali workers were allegedly detained in Rajasthan for merely speaking Bengali, whose release was reportedly secured after CM Mamata Banerjee's intervention
TMC asked whether "speaking in Bengali a CRIME, PM @narendramodi?"

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Samirul Islam on Monday raised serious allegations, claiming that Bengali-speaking migrant workers are facing "persecution" in BJP-ruled states and are being wrongly branded as Bangladeshis. This comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously flagged similar concerns, highlighting a growing political flashpoint between the TMC and the BJP.

In a strong post on X, MP Islam stated, "These migrant workers are being detained without any police records. Authorities are not even contacting the state government to verify their citizenship. What, then, is the motive of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah?" The official AITC handle also amplified this message, questioning whether "speaking in Bengali a CRIME, PM @narendramodi?"

The party's post specifically cited an incident where "over 300 Bengali migrant workers from Itahar were detained in @BJP4India-ruled Rajasthan, branded 'Bangladeshis' just for speaking Bengali!" The TMC credited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "intervention" for securing their release, asserting that "Bengal will never tolerate this attack on our identity!"

Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had informed the media that she had received information about 300-400 Bengali-speaking migrant laborers allegedly being confined in a building in Rajasthan during the day, despite possessing valid documents proving their Indian citizenship. This incident appears to be a key trigger for the renewed allegations by the TMC.

The issue of Bengali-speaking migrant workers being wrongly apprehended is not new. Earlier this month, seven migrant workers, including a woman from West Bengal, who were mistakenly identified as Bangladeshis and subsequently pushed back through the Indo-Bangladesh border, were eventually repatriated after their Indian citizenship was verified. This previous incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by these workers.

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Bengali migrant workers