Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday came down sharply on the Centre over the ongoing harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers being tagged as Bangladeshi nationals, quoting the recent report by internationally acclaimed Human Rights Watch (HRW).

As fresh reports of 52 migrant labourers facing harassment in BJP-ruled Haryana emerged, Mamata referred to the HRW findings on her official X handle.

“The internationally reputed and New York-based multi-country NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also now highlighted the issue of harassment, persecution, and illegal deportation of Bengali-speaking people of India by the BJP governments in various States,” she posted.

Referring to the US-based human rights organisation’s report, Mamata claimed it validated her long-standing concerns. “Bengali-speaking Indians (of different castes and communities) are being arbitrarily abused and pushed out in a concerted manner by the BJP establishment,” she stated.

The HRW, in its Thursday report, accused the BJP government of targeting Muslims for political purposes and unlawfully deporting hundreds of ethnic Bengali Muslims to Bangladesh after identifying them as illegal immigrants.

Elaine Pearson, director of HRW’s Asia wing, stated: “India’s ruling BJP is fueling discrimination by arbitrarily expelling Bengali Muslims from the country, including Indian citizens.”

The rights body called upon Indian authorities to immediately stop such
deportations, alleging that many of those expelled were Indian citizens from states bordering Bangladesh.

Mamata, quoting Pearson’s remarks on X, added that “the authorities’ claims that they are managing irregular migration are unconvincing.”

She further alleged, referring to HRW’s findings, that “this has been happening systematically in the BJP-ruled states of Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Delhi, following a directive by the Ministry of Home, Government of India.”

Calling the situation shameful, she posted, “Shame!! Now, even international human rights organizations have started taking note of the linguistic terrorism unleashed in India. This must stop at once!!”

Citing a report from the Border Guard Bangladesh, HRW claimed that at least 1,500 Muslim men, women, and children were deported to Bangladesh between May 7 and June 15. Among them were at least 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. India has not issued any official figure in this regard.

Reacting strongly to both the HRW report and Mamata’s statements, BJP’s Bengal co-in-charge Amit Malviya took to X to question her motives. “Is Mamata Banerjee now playing into the hands of George Soros? On one hand, she’s seemingly inviting foreign interference in India’s internal affairs. On the other hand, she’s echoing the exact narrative pushed by organizations like Human Rights Watch — a body heavily funded by George Soros, notorious for its anti-India bias,”

The saffron ecosystem regularly accuses Soros, a New York-based investor and philanthropist known for his liberal activism, of sponsoring criticism of the
Modi government.

Accusing Mamata of again “stoking unrest”, Malviya added: “…just as she did during the CAA protests, all for narrow political gains. India belongs to Indians, not to the puppets of foreign lobbies.”

Nadia migrants

Nadia police confirmed the release of detained migrant workers from Haryana after verifying their identities. Amarnath K., superintendent of police, Krishnanagar police district, told reporters that 110 Bengali-speaking migrant workers from Nadia had been detained across Haryana, Gurugram, Faridabad, Maharashtra and Odisha.

“As of this moment, communicating with respective states and stakeholders, no migrant worker from our jurisdiction remains detained,” Amarnath said.

The SP said that to ensure prompt information sharing and facilitate quick releases, the police urged migrant workers’ kin to inform local police stations in case
of detentions.

Police have launched a WhatsApp helpline (9147727666) for Bengali-speaking migrant labourers who face harassment outside the state and their kin.

Saini attacks Mamata

Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini on Saturday accused his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee of appeasing and protecting infiltrators.

“It is utterly deplorable that a chief minister, driven by appeasement and vote-bank politics, stoops so low as to compromise the country’s security,” Saini wrote on his social media post.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Samirul Islam shot back: “The Haryana chief minister should remember that people of Bengal have been harrassed in his state and all those who speak Bengali are not all Bangladeshis. Our fight under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee will continue.”

Additional reporting by Kinsuk Basu and Snehamoy Chakraborty