Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest Rally Against Detention Of Bengal Migrant Workers

This came after Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday claimed that eight migrant workers from Nadia district were forcibly picked up Police in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Chhattisgarh this week, even as their families maintained they have valid Indian documents.

Mamata Banerjee leads protest rally in Kolkata. (Photo:ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, and other party leaders and workers on Wednesday took out a protest march in Kolkata against the detention of migrant workers from West Bengal, allegedly labelled as undocumented Bangladeshis for their deportation.

This came after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday claimed that eight migrant workers from Nadia district were forcibly picked up by Chhattisgarh Police this week.

"Eight construction workers from Nadia, employed in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, were forcibly picked up by @vishnudsai's @CG_Police. No information was shared with their families, the GoWB, or even @WBPolice. Their phones were seized. They were thrown behind bars. This is STATE-SPONSORED ABDUCTION. Let BJP be warned: Respect existence or expect resistance. We will not let our people be criminalised, dehumanised, or silenced," TMC posted on X.

As per media reports, all eight people were detained for not being able to produce identity cards even after a month of entering Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon area. They were reportedly released on Monday evening.

Earlier, TMC, through its official X handle, has released a video featuring TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, alleging a "witch hunt" against Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

The party claims that Bengali workers are being harassed, detained, and deported across borders, while legitimate Indian citizens are receiving NRC notices solely for speaking Bangla.

TMC accused BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari of labelling these individuals as "Rohingyas" to communalise the issue and deflect from what they describe as a systematic targeting of Bengalis.

The party further stated that Adhikari and his associates are "enemies of Bengal and Bengalis" and predicted their rejection in the 2026 elections. No official response has been received from the BJP or Suvendu Adhikari at the time of reporting.

Meanwhile, opposition voices have also raised concerns. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury recently wrote to the President of India, expressing grave concern over the ongoing harassment, illegal detention, and physical abuse of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in states like Odisha and Maharashtra.

(With ANI Inputs)