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Bengal launch helpline amid migrant worker harassment row; BJP floats counter helpline
Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal were reportedly detained in several states including Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi
Kolkata: The West Bengal Police has launched a helpline to support Bengali-speaking migrant workers amid rising tensions over their alleged harassment in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led states.
In response, the BJP has termed the move politically motivated and accused the state police of targeting Bengali Hindus, and the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has launched a parallel helpline for Bengali Hindus in West Bengal.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday hit out at the BJP after the Gurugram administration in Haryana detained 52 Bengali-speaking migrant workers on suspicion that they were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and sought background verification reports from the Bengal government.
“If you face problems while working in another state from Bengal, contact the state police helpline. We are receiving reports from various sources that many people from Bengal working in other states are facing various problems and becoming victims of harassment,” the West Bengal police wrote on X.
“We appeal to citizens from Bengal who go to work in other states and face any kind of problem, or their families, to immediately inform your local police station. You can also inform the district control room. Additionally, for the convenience of families, we are launching a helpline. The number is 9147727666. This number can only be used for WhatsApp. You can send a message with the necessary information, including your name and address. We will verify each piece of information and coordinate with the concerned state to take necessary action,” the state police added.
Adhikari countered the Trinamool Congress (TMC) narrative on X saying, “This post is completely politically motivated. This post has been made to confuse the Bengalis living in different parts of India on a work basis, so that they become upset. Indian Bengalis and Hindu refugees are not facing any problem in the entire land of India.”
Also Read: 400 Bengali migrant labourers tagged as Bangladeshis, being held in Rajasthan: Mamata Banerjee
Migrant workers from West Bengal were reportedly detained in several states including Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Delhi, among others. Assuring the public not to panic, Banerjee said, “It is our duty to protect citizens. If the BJP thinks this is how it can delete the names of voters and win elections, as it did in Delhi and Maharashtra, then it is making a big mistake.”
Banerjee also announced that her party would begin its year-long “Bhasha Andolan” (language movement) on July 27 in protest against the detention of Bengali-speaking individuals in BJP-ruled states. She has directed her party leaders to hold rallies every weekend until the state elections scheduled in 2026.
Banerjee alleged that several migrants were detained even though they had valid documents, such as Aadhaar and PAN cards, and deported to Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) in June. The West Bengal police brought some of them back after verifying their Indian identity, she said.
Also Read: Mamata Banerjee announces agitation for Bengali-speaking people from July 27
BJP legislator Adhikari, meanwhile, urged citizens in Bengal to share information about illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas residing in the state. “Bengali Hindus residing in West Bengal are often harassed by the police. If Bengali Hindus and Indian Hindus, who are residing in West Bengal, face any kind of harassment by Mamata’s police, they can inform me over email with details,” Adhikari wrote on X.
Addressing a programme at Tamluk in Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari said: “If around 50 lakh names were excluded in Bihar, Bengal could have as many as 1.25 crore such names. All Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal will be pushed back after the SIR.”
“The BJP has been alleging that lakhs of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are residing in West Bengal. Till date, however, Adhikari has not been able to show a single such person. A false narrative is being created. If Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are staying in any part of India, the question arises how did they enter the country through international borders? Who protects these borders?” state vice president and spokesperson of the TMC, Jay Prakash Majumdar, said.
