Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday raised concern over the alleged atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers and said that they were labelled as Bangladeshis and tortured in various parts of the country.
"Is Sunali a Bangladeshi? You used BSF to deport a pregnant woman. We filed a case and the court said she has to be repatriated. How can Bengali-speaking people be Bangladeshis? Sunali Khatun is Indian and despite having every document, she was deported to Bangladesh. The Supreme Court has now given an order for her return," Banerjee said while lashing out at the Centre.
Khatun, her husband and eight-year-old son; Sweaty Biwi and her family - who were deported to Bangladesh in June - were granted bail on Monday and released from a Bangladeshi jail in Chapai Nawabganj.
"We will speak in Bengali even if you kill me. Nobody can stop me. Those who came here during Independence, why do you call them Bangladeshis. Even in Odisha, we are being harassed. I like it when people speak in their own languages. Then why do you attack and harass us in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh?" she said.
Talking about the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, Banerjee vowed that she will not allow anyone to touch people's properties, adding that she does not practice religion-based politics. Addressing a public meeting in the minority-dominated Malda's Gazole, the CM said, "We have moved the Supreme Court over this and we will not allow anyone to touch these properties... I will not allow anyone to touch any religious places in Bengal, be it of Muslims or Hindus, Sikhs or Christians."
Asserting that she was not opposed to special intensive revision of electoral rolls or census, Banerjee said she only opposed "the hurry with which it is being done ahead of elections in 2026". "We have never been against SIR or census. It takes time. So what is your hurry? You (BJP) earned crores through demonetisation and now in the name of SIR, you want to do votebandi," she said.
"Is Sunali a Bangladeshi? You used BSF to deport a pregnant woman. We filed a case and the court said she has to be repatriated. How can Bengali-speaking people be Bangladeshis? Sunali Khatun is Indian and despite having every document, she was deported to Bangladesh. The Supreme Court has now given an order for her return," Banerjee said while lashing out at the Centre.
Khatun, her husband and eight-year-old son; Sweaty Biwi and her family - who were deported to Bangladesh in June - were granted bail on Monday and released from a Bangladeshi jail in Chapai Nawabganj.
"We will speak in Bengali even if you kill me. Nobody can stop me. Those who came here during Independence, why do you call them Bangladeshis. Even in Odisha, we are being harassed. I like it when people speak in their own languages. Then why do you attack and harass us in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh?" she said.
Talking about the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, Banerjee vowed that she will not allow anyone to touch people's properties, adding that she does not practice religion-based politics. Addressing a public meeting in the minority-dominated Malda's Gazole, the CM said, "We have moved the Supreme Court over this and we will not allow anyone to touch these properties... I will not allow anyone to touch any religious places in Bengal, be it of Muslims or Hindus, Sikhs or Christians."
Asserting that she was not opposed to special intensive revision of electoral rolls or census, Banerjee said she only opposed "the hurry with which it is being done ahead of elections in 2026". "We have never been against SIR or census. It takes time. So what is your hurry? You (BJP) earned crores through demonetisation and now in the name of SIR, you want to do votebandi," she said.
