Mamata Banerjee leads protest march alleging harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 16 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee and several party leaders, led a massive protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday, raising strong allegations of harassment against Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.
Senior ministers, MLAs, and grassroots workers participated in the demonstration, which was billed as a show of solidarity with Bengalis living outside West Bengal.
In its post on X, the Trinamool Congress said, " BJP's assault on Bengali identity is no longer covert, it's brutal, deliberate, and fuelled by hate. Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee hit the streets today in fierce defiance. Every injustice will be met with resistance."
Over the past few days the party has highlighted various instances claiming that Bengali speaking people were being targeted in BJP rulesd states.
The party claimed that innocent Bengali migrant workers were being targeted in Double-Engine states.The part alleged that six members of the Matua community from North 24-Parganas, including minors, were illegally detained and harassed by Maharashtra Police despite possessing valid ID documents.
The party also claimed that despite having valid documents and verified IDs, Bengali-speaking residents of Delhi's Jai Hind Colony were harassed, humiliated, and branded as 'illegal'.
On July 12, the Trinamool Congress slammed the remarks by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma that "writing Bengali as mother tongue in the Census documents will quantify the number of foreigners in Assam".
"Bengali is the 7th most spoken language in the world. Yet, under @BJP4India's rule, Bengali-speaking Indians are subjected to racial profiling, targeted harassment, and systematic persecution," Trinamool Congress' X handle had posted on X.
"By branding Bengalis as "illegal Bangladeshis," @himantabiswa has disgraced the very office he holds. He must apologise immediately," the party added.
In response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Trinamool Congress of portraying his government's firm stance against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims as anti-Bengali.
He said the alleged attempt is nothing but a desperate ploy to shield Muslim infiltrators from the neighbouring country.
"Assam has been waging a relentless war against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims for several decades," Sarma said in a post on X.
"The recent attempt by the @AITCofficial to distort my media remarks and portray our stand as anti-Bengali is nothing but a desperate ploy to shield Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh," he added.
Wednesday's rally is an attempt by the TMC to use the emotive issue to corner the BJP ahead of state elections due for 2026. (ANI)