Centre Moves to Extend President’s Rule in Manipur, Appoints New Chief Secretary Ask ChatGPT
Former Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh had been transferred to this post shortly before the imposition of President’s Rule in January this year
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government on Wednesday, accusing it of orchestrating the illegal detention and deportation of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from various BJP-ruled states. Addressing a massive rally at Kolkata’s Esplanade after leading a 3-km protest march in heavy rain, Banerjee alleged that the Centre had issued a secret order in February authorizing detention based merely on suspicion of Bangladeshi origin.
“In February this year, they issued a secret notification that allows detaining anyone found suspicious in the name of Bangladesh migration,” Banerjee claimed. “We will challenge this in court. It amounts to illegal detention and is worse than the Emergency.”
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‘If You Detain Bengalis, Bengal Will Politically Detain You’
Banerjee, accompanied by senior TMC leaders including Abhishek Banerjee, warned the BJP of a "political backlash" if it continues targeting Bengalis. “If you put Bengalis in detention camps, the people of Bengal will put you in political detention,” she declared to loud cheers.
She slammed the BJP for allegedly harassing poor migrant workers, stating, “They call Bengalis for their skills and then throw them in detention camps. It’s shameful. The BJP is anti-poor and anti-Bengali.”
Delhi Deportation Allegations and Identity Pitch
The TMC chief also hit out at the BJP government in Delhi over reports of Bengali-speaking migrants being detained and deported. “What do Delhiwallahs think — that they have a zamindari over India? If someone speaks Bangla, does that make them a Bangladeshi? I will not tolerate this. Inch by inch, we will fight.”
With the 2026 Assembly elections on the horizon, Banerjee appears to be reinforcing the identity narrative. “There are 22 lakh migrant workers from Bengal across the country. They have Aadhaar and PAN cards. How dare the BJP treat them like outsiders?” she questioned. “If this continues, I’ll speak only in Bengali. I dare you to arrest me.”
TMC Prepares Migrant Detention Data
Banerjee claimed her government has collected data on over 1,000 migrant workers from Bengal allegedly detained or jailed in BJP-ruled states simply for speaking Bangla. “We’re still identifying how many have been pushed back to Bangladesh,” she said.
Allegations Against Election Commission
Targeting the Election Commission, the West Bengal CM alleged that the EC has been “complicit” in helping the BJP win elections by manipulating voter rolls. “They deleted 35.5 lakh names in Bihar. They did the same in Maharashtra and Delhi. Now they want to try the same trick in Bengal — but we won’t allow it.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
Concluding her fiery address, Mamata Banerjee expressed confidence that the people of Bengal will stand with the TMC in 2026. “We may be wounded, but we are united. We are ready to answer every attack,” she said.
