Rajbanshis, Matuas tortured in other states: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that Rajbanshis and Matuas were subjected to torture and harassment in other states and people from a particular religion were also being targeted.

Speaking at an event in Kolkata, while taking a dig at the Centre over giving political asylum to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, without naming anyone, the CM said, "I don't comment on Centre's policies or when someone is kept here in India from the neighbouring country. There are political reasons and other reasons also. But why are you targeting Bengali-speaking people?"

Banerjee said that the Bengali migrant workers could go anywhere to work. "While Bangladesh is a neighbouring country, why will you say that people talking in Bengali are Bangladeshis? Rohingyas are from Myanmar. How can they learn Bengali?" Banerjee said while responding to BJP's allegation on Rohingyas. BJP has been alleging that Rohingyas have entered Bengal from Bangladesh and their names have been enrolled in the voter list, with the help of Trinamool Congress.


Attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre, she said that caste, creed and religion cannot be reason for deleting names from a voter list. "Those who are Indian citizens and are voters of Bengal will vote here. Why will you discriminate against the voters of Bengal on basis of caste, creed and religion," Banerjee questioned. "A notification says that Bengali-speaking people will be deported. Our migrant workers are skilled. In India, one can travel anywhere," she said.

On X, Trinamool wrote, "Bengalis are being detained, branded as 'outsiders', and even deported while carrying valid documents in hand. From NRC notices to map erasure, the attacks aren't random, they're deliberate. It's time we connect the dots."

'Harassed by police in Haryana'
Trinamool also claimed migrant workers from Coochbehar, working in Gurugram, were being harassed by police in Haryana. Senior leader Partha Pratim Roy claimed several workers from Sitalkuchi block of Cooch Behar district, working as labourers in Gurugram in Haryana, were subject to police atrocities.