Trinamool accuses Centre of ‘illegal’ deportation of Bengali migrant workers

Kolkata: The alleged deportation of two Birbhum families has sparked political controversy, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) targeting the Union government and accusing it of violating constitutional rights.

“The Calcutta High Court has delivered yet another damning rebuke to the Centre. The Court has directed the @narendramodi Govt. to file an affidavit detailing how two families of Bengali migrant workers were sent from Delhi to Bangladesh,” TMC posted on its official X handle on Friday. The party alleged that citizens were wrongfully pushed across the border without any deportation order.

The post further claimed that Delhi Police arbitrarily labelled the families as “Bangladeshi” without consulting the West Bengal government, even though state officials had verified their residential documents. TMC described the incident as “a betrayal of the Constitution” and “an abuse of police power.”

The controversy follows a Calcutta High Court order directing the Centre to disclose where the detainees were “pushed back” and the precise location of deportation. A division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobrata Mitra rejected the Centre’s argument that the High Court lacked jurisdiction, ruling that maintainability would be decided with the main case. The families involved are from Birbhum. One petition concerns Sonali Bibi, her husband, Danish Sheikh, and their eight-year-old son, who were detained in Delhi and allegedly sent to Bangladesh in June. Sonali, now eight months pregnant, has relatives anxious about the citizenship status of her unborn child. Her father, Bhodu Sheikh, has filed a habeas corpus plea. A separate plea was moved for Sweety Bibi, 32, and her two sons aged six and 16, allegedly deported at the same time.

While the petitioners’ counsel argued no deportation order existed, the Centre maintained that the claims were mala fide, asserting that no valid documents such as Aadhaar or voter ID were produced. Earlier this month, TMC pushed through a resolution in the West Bengal Assembly condemning atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also TMC chairperson, has launched a “language movement” to protest alleged targeting of Bengali migrants, announcing at the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally that weekend protests would continue until the 2026 Assembly polls.