CM Mamata to lead Siliguri rally during Aug 17–21 over alleged abuse of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit North Bengal between August 17 and 21, where she is expected to lead a major protest rally in Siliguri. According to senior Cabinet sources, the rally is part of an ongoing state-wide campaign against the alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The visit may also include a tour of surrounding hill areas, depending on weather conditions.

This will be the third protest in the series initiated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The first rally was held in Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district, a location with historical and cultural significance. The second is scheduled for August 6 in Jhargram, a tribal-dominated area in South Bengal. A Cabinet member stated that the Chief Minister intends to ensure regional balance in the campaign by including North Bengal in the protest route.

Siliguri, a major urban center in Darjeeling district, is being considered a key location for the third rally. The region holds political importance due to the BJP's strong electoral performance in recent years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won six out of the seven parliamentary seats in North Bengal. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the BJP secured a majority of the region’s 54 seats.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari recently said that the BJP expects to win at least 40 out of those 54 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections. The TMC’s protest campaign is being positioned as a response to these political assertions, while also aiming to address the alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking workers outside West Bengal.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has described the ongoing protest series as a “Bhasha Andolon” or language movement, drawing references to struggles for linguistic identity. Critics have raised questions about the appropriateness of the comparison, referencing the original Bhasha Andolon of East Pakistan which played a key role in the eventual formation of Bangladesh.