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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the BJP is trying to remove names from the voter list by labelling people 'Bangladeshis' before the 2026 Assembly elections in the state. She hurled the accusation from the stage at Dorina Crossing and highlighted her image as the one fighting to protect the identity of Bengalis.
During her rally against the harassment of Bengali migrant workers in other states, while walking with a massive TMC crowd in her trail from the College Square to the Dorina Crossing stage, Mamata raised her voice against the BJP and the central government, criticising the harassment of migrant workers who speak in Bengali.
Also, she mentioned that the BJP has a political agenda before the elections. Mamata said that the same plan has been made in Bihar as well, a state which is going to witness its Assembly election this year. Mamata said, "I heard about Bihar, where they (BJP) have reduced 30.5 lakh votes. This is how the BJP won in Maharashtra and Delhi. Otherwise, it would not have won. The same plan is going on in Bihar too." She upped the ante ahead of the 2026 Assembly election and warned, "We will not give up even an inch of land without a fight."
She also sent a veiled message to the Centre, "If we have 22 lakh Bengali migrant workers working abroad, then we will say that we have 1.5 crore here. But we respect them." Mamata alleged, "Centre has issued a secret notification. It says that anyone suspected of speaking Bengali will be arrested and put in detention camps." Mamata alleged that the 22 lakh migrant workers of Bengal are also being targeted in the same way.
Mamata said, "Are you calling people Bangladeshi Rohingyas for speaking in Bengali? Bangladesh is a separate country, while the Rohingyas live in Myanmar. Those who are residents of Bengal, who have documents, Aadhaar cards and PAN cards, are you calling them Rohingya?"
The Chief Minister said, "22 lakh Bengali workers, who are poor, go to work. If they worked in Bengal, they would be much better off. They will make Bengali labourers work, and if they speak Bengali, they will be taken to detention camps. Is Bengal not part of India?"
According to political analysts, Mamata wants to use the 22 lakh migrant workers of Bengal as a tool to send a message to the BJP before the 2026 election. Taking a dig at the BJP, Mamata said, "There is a proverb, a thorn is bigger than a bamboo."
Mamata also took a dig at the Centre on the issue of immigration. She said, "Who is responsible for guarding the border? I challenge the BJP that calls people Bangladeshi and Rohingya. BSF controls the border, the Union Home Minister controls CISF and CRPF. Even if someone comes by plane, that too is the responsibility of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation."
