TMC flags ‘pattern of violence’ against Bengali migrants in BJP-ruled states

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) denounced what it called a “troubling pattern” of violence against Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states after the body of a 38-year-old woman was recovered in Gujarat.

The victim was identified as Sonamoni Bairagya, a resident of East Burdwan, who had migrated to Gujarat in search of work after economic distress at home, allegedly due to the “suspension of MGNREGA in Bengal”.

Her body was found inside a restaurant where she was employed as a hotel attendant. While the exact cause of death is under investigation, the TMC accused the BJP of failing to ensure the safety and dignity of migrant labourers.

The TMC statement branded the episode “a scathing indictment of law-and-order failure” and linked it to other recent incidents involving Bengali migrants. “Politics that blurs the line between Bengalis and Bangladeshis,” the party said, has fostered an atmosphere of mistrust and hostility that endangers ordinary citizens.

In one such incident, a young migrant worker returning from Bengaluru to Murshidabad was allegedly asked to produce identity documents like his PAN and Aadhaar mid-journey and was then pushed off a moving train, resulting in serious injuries.

The TMC says the assault reflects the growing perils faced by Bengali workers travelling through or working in BJP-led states.

Another case cited by the party involved the death of Bappa Sheikh, a young migrant from Birbhum, who died while working in Chennai. Local reports say Sheikh had been earning a living as a mason in the city, and the circumstances of his death have left his family demanding a thorough probe.

The developments follow earlier controversy over the murder of Sukhen Mahato in Pune - an incident that sparked debate over identity-based violence.

The BJP has rejected claims of systematic targeting of Bengalis, while the TMC insists such events point to a wider pattern of discrimination.