Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised the NRC notice served by a foreigners’ tribunal in Assam on Cooch Behar resident Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, urging all Opposition parties to unite against the BJP’s “divisive” politics.

The chief minister’s remarks prompted the Trinamool Congress to launch multiple protests in Cooch Behar district to reach out to the Rajbanshi community — considered a decisive voting bloc in several north Bengal districts — to corner the BJP in its stronghold ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.

“I am shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam has issued an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi, resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar for over 50 years. Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a “foreigner/illegal migrant,” Mamata wrote on her official social media handle.

She alleged that the notice to Brajabasi proved that the BJP dispensation in Assam “is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction”.

“A premeditated attempt is being made to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities. This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people and exposes BJP’s dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal’s people,” Mamata added.

“This alarming situation calls for urgent unity among all Opposition parties to stand up against BJP’s divisive and oppressive machinery. Bengal will not stand by as the constitutional fabric of India is torn apart.”

Brajabasi, a 50-year-old farmer from Cooch Behar, received a notice from a foreigners’ tribunal in Assam’s Kamrup district, asking him to prove his citizenship. The tribunal claimed that he had entered Assam without proper documents and was “suspected to be a foreigner or infiltrator” by the Assam authorities. As the tribunal set July 15 as the deadline for him to prove his citizenship, Brajabasi approached the Cooch Behar district magistrate, seeking help from the state government to get relief from the legal crisis.

A source in Trinamool said the notice to a member of the Rajbanshi community had become a major political weapon for the ruling dispensation against the BJP, as it planned to launch a massive campaign in all north Bengal districts, particularly in areas where Rajbanshi voters form a significant portion of the electorate.

“We will reach out to Rajbanshi voters to inform them about the harassment faced by Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, and how the BJP is acting vindictively against their community. We will tell them that the BJP wants to oust them from the country by branding them as foreigners or infiltrators,” Trinamool MP Samirul Islam said.

A source said the notice from the foreigners’ tribunal had caused considerable discomfort to the BJP, which has enjoyed strong support from Rajbanshi voters since the 2019 general election. If the Rajbanshi community turns against the BJP, the party could face serious electoral setbacks next year.

Of 54 Assembly constituencies in north Bengal, 24 are dominated by Rajbanshis, who often determine the electoral outcome. Currently, the BJP has 19 MLAs and Trinamool has five in Rajbanshi-dominated areas.

Recognising the political significance of the issue, Trinamool wasted no time and staged demonstrations in at least five locations in Cooch Behar district on Tuesday. The marches were held in Cooch Behar town, Tufanganj, Sitalkuchi and other places.

The All Kamtapur Students’ Union, which represents the Rajbanshi community, threatened to launch a massive agitation against the BJP’s alleged attempt to harass a man who had never visited Assam.

“We will not tolerate the harassment of our Kamtapuri-Rajbanshi people. We will take up this issue strongly, as Rajbanshis are more Indian than even Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Kaushik Barman, president of the students’ outfit.

Sensing the potential political fallout among Rajbanshi voters, the BJP claimed that the entire narrative promoted by Mamata was fabricated.

“False narrative being peddled by@MamataOfficial regarding an alleged notice issued by one FRO court from Assam. But the fact of the matter is @CMOfficeAssam has already taken a decision to keep Koch-Rajbangshi out of NRC process rather state cabinet took firm stand to withdraw all pending cases against the Koch-Rajbangshi community as far as the NRC is concerned. Attn @Pijush_hazarika @ DGPAssamPolice to take strong action against those who are igniting social disharmony in West Bengal,” Jagannath Chattopadhyay, a BJP state general secretary, wrote on his X handle.

However, Trinamool questioned: Why, then, is Uttam Kumar Brajabasi being harassed and asked to prove his citizenship?