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Key Points

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised serious concerns about 300 Bengali workers detained in Rajasthan. She alleges these workers are being unnecessarily held on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. Banerjee has directed her Chief Secretary to engage with Rajasthan authorities for their immediate release. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between linguistic identity and immigration suspicions in BJP-ruled states.

Key Points: Mamata Slams BJP Over Bengali Workers' Rajasthan Jail Ordeal

  • 300 Bengali workers detained in Rajasthan on nationality suspicion
  • Mamata seeks intervention from Prime Minister
  • CM directs Chief Secretary to resolve issue
  • Alleges systematic harassment in BJP-ruled states
2 min read

300 Bengal workers 'unnecessarily' languishing in Rajasthan jails: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee demands release of 300 Bengali workers detained in Rajasthan on suspicion of being Bangladeshis

"I do not know the mindset of the Prime Minister about the Bengalis - Mamata Banerjee"

Kolkata, June 24

Around 300 migrant workers from Itahar in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal are “unnecessarily” languishing behind bars in Rajasthan just because their mother language is Bengali and are being suspected as Bangladeshis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.

As the Chief Minister was in the Assembly on the last day of the monsoon session of the House, she was informed by her party legislators from Itahar, Masaraf Hussain on the development that 300 workers from that constituency are being kept behind bars on suspicion of being Bangladeshis.

The Chief Minister said that BJP-ruled states are especially having problems with Bengali-speaking workers.

"I do not know the mindset of the Prime Minister about the Bengalis. If necessary, I will speak to him about the matter. But surely Bengali-speaking people are facing problems in the BJP-ruled states. Does this mean that Tamil-speaking people should be sent to Sri Lanka and Nepali-speaking people should be sent to Nepal?" the Chief Minister said.

She also said that she had directed Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to interact with the Rajasthan government and ensure that the jailed migrant workers are brought back.

She pointed out that her party would be organising protest programmes against the harassment of Bengali-speaker people in the BJP-ruled states.

Earlier, addressing the House, the Chief Minister complained of the reluctance of the Union government to initiate a formal Indo-Bhutan Joint River Commission with a representative from West Bengal.

"Every year, North Bengal is flooded because of the water released from Bhutan," she said.

The Chief Minister also blamed Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing water without giving prior intimation to the West Bengal government, which is resulting in a flood-like situation in certain pockets in West Bengal.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun P.
This is absolutely shameful! Our own citizens being treated like criminals just for speaking Bengali? Rajasthan police should verify documents properly instead of making assumptions. India is a diverse country and we should respect all languages. 🇮🇳
P
Priya M.
While the situation is unfortunate, we must also acknowledge that illegal immigration is a genuine concern. The solution lies in better verification systems, not in targeting all Bengali speakers. Both state governments need to work together on this.
R
Rahul K.
Mamata didi is right about the Bhutan water issue too. Every year North Bengal suffers due to unplanned water release. Why can't we have proper coordination with neighboring countries? First fix our own problems before pointing fingers at others.
S
Sunita R.
As someone who has worked in Rajasthan, I can say language barriers do create misunderstandings. Maybe we need a national migrant worker registration system with biometric IDs to prevent such incidents. Jai Hind!
V
Vikram S.
Why is everything made into a political issue? Instead of protests, the focus should be on getting these workers released and compensated. Both BJP and TMC are guilty of politicizing human suffering. Shame!
N
Neha T.
The flood situation in North Bengal needs urgent attention. We spend crores on smart cities but can't manage basic water management with neighbors? Priorities all wrong. Hope these workers get justice soon 🙏

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