TMC: ‘BSF threatened to shoot migrants...’

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday lashed out at the BJP and the Central government for repeated incidents of arrest of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from Bengal in other states and forcibly pushing them towards the Bangladesh border.

The latest incident occurred in Maharashtra where Bengali migrant workers from Murshidabad were held by Maharashtra police, handed over to BSF and forcibly pushed toward the Bangladesh border. TMC also alleged that armed BSF personnel threatened to shoot the migrant labourers if they turned back. Murshidabad police intervened and the workers were released after valid citizenship documents were released.

In a post on X, Trinamool Congress said: “Linguistic rights are enshrined in our Constitution. But to Bangla-birodhi @BJP4India, speaking Bangla is a CRIME.” The ruling party in Bengal also asked: “Why does the BJP harbour such deep-rooted contempt for our land, our language, and our people?”

Trinamool Congress further stated: “Bengali workers from Murshidabad were rounded up by Maharashtra Police, handed over to the BSF, and forcibly pushed toward the Bangladesh border. Armed BSF personnel threatened to SHOOT THEM if they turned back. They refused to even glance at their Aadhaar or PAN cards, treating Indian citizens like infiltrators for the crime of speaking Bangla. Only after the Murshidabad Police intervened, submitting valid citizenship documents, were the workers released.”

Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam on Monday alleged that Bengali-speaking migrant workers are facing “persecution” in BJP-ruled states and being branded as Bangladeshis. “These migrant workers are being detained without any police records. Authorities are not even

contacting the state government to verify their citizenship. What, then, is the motive of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah?” said Islam in a post on X.