Won't allow 'linguistic terrorism': Mamata Banerjee vows to fight for Bengali identity

Kolkata: Kindling the ‘Bengali Asmita’ spirit and calling for a second ‘Bhasha Andolon’ (language movement) in Bengal ahead of the 2026 polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that she will not tolerate “linguistic terrorism” and asserted that the fight for Bengali identity and language will continue.

Addressing the 33rd Martyr’s Day in Kolkata on Monday, she said that if Bengali-speaking people/ migrants are arrested in various states, the protest will move to New Delhi. “If linguistic profiling doesn’t stop, the resistance movement will reach Delhi. Remember, I have done Singur and Nandigram movements,” she stated.

She said Trinamool will win the 2026 assembly polls with more seats than the previous polls and they will also oust the BJP government at the Centre in 2029.


“There will be second language movement (first was the Bhasha Andolon in Bangladesh) against BJP's linguistic terrorism,” Banerjee said. While addressing a huge crowd at the rally in Kolkata, she directed the party workers to start a ‘language movement’ against the attacks on Bengalis from July 27 and continue it till the 2026 assembly polls.

The ‘Bhasha Andolan’ in erstwhile East Pakistan, was a political movement, seeking the recognition of Bengali as an official language of the country. This movement saw a lot of bloodbath and then Bangla was recognised as a state language.

During her speech, Banerjee touched on a wide range of issues –– from NRC notices in West Bengal to the ‘targeting’ of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states, including the alleged attempt to put them in detention camps. She urged the migrant workers to come back to Bengal and work here, and claimed that 1.5 crore workers from other states work in Bengal.

“Have you forgotten that Bengal is a land of poet Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya and a land which brought freedom movement to the country. The ‘Jai Hind’ slogan was given by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose while the national anthem was written by Rabindranath Tagore,” Banerjee said reigniting “Bengali Asmita”.

“A notification has been issued to put migrants in detention camps for more than a month in BJP-ruled states. Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being tortured and harassed in Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Haryana,” she alleged. “How can you deprive the people from drinking water and disconnect their electricity?”

Banerjee slams Assam CM

Slamming Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his recent comment on Bengali-speaking people on X, Banerjee said, “Sarma cannot manage his own state but is interfering in the affairs of West Bengal. I urge our leader Sushmita Dev to organise a massive protest in Assam. We will all join the protest.”

“Why did the Assam government send NRC notices to residents of Cooch Behar in Bengal,” she asked. Recently, a Rajbanshi resident Uttam Brajabashi had received notice from Assam government and he was present on the dais on Monday.

Banerjee claimed that the Central government was being controlled by American President Donald Trump. “The American President controls the BJP-led central government. Why did you not capture PoK,” Banerjee questioned.

Praise by Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Monday was all praises for the efficient traffic management by Kolkata Police on Monday, when lakhs of people gathered in Kolkata from across the state to take part in the Martyr’s Day rally by the Trinamool Congress.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed, “The roads were maintained very well. I always say that I have full faith in the Kolkata police.” The court had directed the Kolkata police to ensure that there was no traffic congestion and disruptions on Monday morning.