Mamata hits streets at Santiniketan to protest 'language terrorism'
Holding a portrait of Tagore, Banerjee, who led the march of hundreds of her followers, was flanked by her senior cabinet minister Firhad Hakim and Bolpur MP Satabdi Roy.
On July 21 during a Shahid Diwas rally in Kolkata, the CM had announced to renew the language agitation or Bhasha Andolon, from Birbhum. She said the language agitation would continue across the state until the 2026 assembly elections.
The 3-km march from Santiniketan Guest House to Jamboni bus stand was, however, a silent rally in this rural area of district of Birbhum.
Before proceeding to rural Bengal, Banerjee accused the states ruled by BJP governments of unleashing a "linguistic terror" on Bengali-speaking people, alleging that they were manhandled by Delhi Police.
She also posted a purported video clip on social media X of a child and his mother, who she said were part of the migrant family from Chanchal in Malda, allegedly being assaulted by the Delhi Police.
'Atrocious!! Terrible!! See how Delhi Police brutally beat up a kid and his mother, members of a migrant family from Malda's Chanchal. See how even a child is not spared from the cruelty of violence in the regime of linguistic terror unleashed by BJP in the country against the Bengalis!' she said.
Ahead of her street protest, Banerjee held an administrative meeting for Birbhum district where she also expressed surprise that some 1,000 BLOs ( block level officers) were taken to Delhi for election- related training.
"This is surprising that though these BLOs are from the state government, neither the state government nor the chief secretary knew their assignment. The EC takes charge of a state administration once an election schedule is announced. But before that, you all are state government employees," Banerjee said.
The TMC has been campaigning against SIR, saying a similar attempt would be made in Bengal to "remove voters."
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