Kolkata: Invoking ‘Bengali asmita’ as her rallying cry for the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a fierce attack on the BJP, accusing it of waging “linguistic terrorism” against migrant Bengalis.
Addressing a massive Martyrs’ Day rally in the heart of Kolkata, Banerjee also announced the launch of a “Bhasa Andolon” (Language Movement) across Bengal starting July 27, warning that if linguistic profiling and the torture of Bengali-speaking people continue in BJP-ruled states, a massive protest will be taken to Delhi.
With fiery resolve, she vowed to wage an unyielding battle to defend the Bengali identity and mother tongue — a fight, she declared, that would not stop until the saffron party was ousted.
The first Language Movement took place in 1952 in erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh), when protesters demanded that Bengali be recognised as one of the official languages of Pakistan.
Chalking out a roadmap for her party, Banerjee said that the ruling Trinamool Congress will come to power with more seats in the 2026 Assembly elections, and then a march to Delhi will begin to oust the BJP from power at the Centre.
“There will be a language movement against the BJP’s terrorism on the Bengali language. The protest will be carried out in every block on each Saturday and Sunday till the elections are held to protest the attack on Bengali-speaking language in BJP-ruled states,” Banerjee said.
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Banerjee not only sharpened her ‘Bengali asmita’ (pride) pitch but also delivered a strong message that she will resist and stop attacks on the people of Bengal in other states and will take the protest to the national capital.
“We will win more seats in the 2026 Assembly polls, and then march to Delhi to defeat the BJP,” Banerjee added.
Speaking about electoral roll revision, she said: “The BJP and the Election Commission are conspiring against Bengal. They want to do in Bengal what they did in Bihar through SIR. In Bihar, they deleted the names of 40 lakh voters. If they try it here, we will gherao them. We will never allow it.”
She further stated: “The Maharashtra election was manipulated by the ECI.”
The TMC supremo also launched a vitriolic attack on PM Modi, saying: “Will you arrest those who speak in Bengali. How many people will you put in a detention camp? You will never be able to win the hearts of the people by reading out two Bengali words from the teleprompter. You are making tall claims here. Why did you fail to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir this time? Where has India reached? The US President has been controlling you.”
She also said: “Why didn’t you protest when the US President sent back Gujaratis in two planes? They did not send back any Bengalis as they knew they would not be able to run without the talents from Bengal. Please see your face in the mirror. Remember, we are not afraid of any threats.”
Incidentally, Modi has recently attended a programme in Durgapur, from where he attacked the TMC government on a range of issues.
“You are putting people in jails (read detention camps). When people of India put you people in jail, what will you eat there? You have been in power in Delhi for 11 years. What development did you carry out? You failed to secure 2 crore employment, to give Rs 15 lakh also,” Banerjee added.
Assuring the people of Bengal that she would not let anyone go to the detention camp, Banerjee stated: “We have brought back those who were put in detention camps in BJP-ruled states through legal means.”
“People are being put in detention camps for a month. A super emergency is going on. One BJP leader was saying that the names of 17 lakh Rohingyas have to be removed from the list. Where did he get the figure from when the UN had earlier said that in the world, there were around 10 lakh Rohingyas? It can go up to a maximum of 12-13 lakh. Where do Rohingyas come from? Where was BSF?” Banerjee asked.
Incidentally, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari earlier attacked the state on the Rohingya issue. “I have started many movements in my life so far, and I have taken them to the finishing line. There will be no exception to this this time also. We will not accept linguistic terrorism against Bengalis. You (BJP) are now taking the names of Maa Kaali, Maa Durga, instead of Lord Ram. We have set up Jagannath Dham in Digha. We will also set up a Durga Angan in a similar manner,” she remarked.