Latest news with #BangladeshiMuslims
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Samik, Suvendu seek Bihar-like SIR, say Bengali culture under attack in state
1 2 Kolkata/Siliguri: Bengal BJP, which held rallies in north Bengal and Kharagpur on the same day Trinamool organised its marquee Martyrs' Day event, alleged that Bengal's culture was under attack in the state. It also said that the electoral rolls in the state should be scrutinised and revised on the lines of Bihar to weed out fake and illegitimate voters. At its march to Uttar Kanya — the secretariat branch in north Bengal — BJP chanted slogans protesting attacks on women. Addressing the rally, state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: "We need SIR in Bengal. We will not allow Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims on the electoral list. Trinamool failed to get votes in north Bengal. In south Bengal, it resorted to false voting." Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya alleged that Trinamool had attacked the legacies of Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. "It attacked 'Vande Mataram' and now its netas are talking of Bengali pride. When (former Delhi CM) Madan Lal Khurana wanted to make 'Vande Mataram' mandatory at schools, (TMC MP) Saugata Roy opposed that. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo It is the same song that inspired thousands of freedom fighters," Bhattacharya said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata He also claimed Rohingya were being sheltered in a number of districts in Bengal. "Those who attacked Hindus in Bangladesh have entered Bengal now. We will cleanse the electoral rolls... names of illegal voters will be struck off," he said. Bhattacharya also criticised CM Mamata Banerjee for her 'Ram, Baam, Shyam' comment — a veiled attack at an alleged understanding between CPM, BJP and Congress — at the July 21 rally. "She doesn't know how many of her party workers and supporters are approaching us. We have said earlier too that it is time to keep aside political differences and fight to dislodge Trinamool. I am even appealing to those who choose NOTA.. . It is time to be decisive about the future of Bengal," he said.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Oppn in Bengal takes jibe at CM Mamata Banerjee's 'Second Language Movement'
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration of beginning weekend protest programmes against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states from this month, which she described as another "Bhasha Andolon" (Language Movement) has attracted jibes from all opposition parties in the state, including BJP, CPI-M, and Congress. Historically, "Bhasha Andolan" was a political movement in what was then East Pakistan, advocating for the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of the country, which ultimately led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation after erstwhile East Pakistan was liberated from Pakistan in 1971. West Bengal Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari, said that this declaration from the Chief Minister was backed by her intention to back illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators. He also demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) act against the Trinamool Congress for supporting Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators. "Not a single Rohingya or Bangladeshi Muslim should be in the voters' list. We cannot support their inclusion in the voters' list. The Election Commission must cancel the registration of Trinamool Congress as a political party for supporting such people. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee needs the support of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators to win elections," BJP leader Adhikari said. State BJP President and Rajya Sabha member, Samik Bhattacharya, said that more than protecting the interest of the original Bengali-speaking Muslims in West Bengal, the Chief Minister is more interested in protecting the Bengali-speaking Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh. "Bengali-speaking Indian Muslims in border areas of West Bengal are losing jobs to Bangladeshi Muslims, who have entered the country illegally. The true Bengali-speaking people are leaving West Bengal in search of jobs, and at times, they are being mistaken for Bangladeshi Muslims. Who is responsible for this? Illegal Rohingyas have been given a place to live in West Bengal. Fake job cards and voter cards are being issued to them. The Election Commission is taking action and deleting such fake voters. But Mamata Banerjee is supporting them for her vote bank politics," Bhattacharya added. BJP's IT Cell Chief and the party's central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, issued a statement where he claimed that the speech of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday was reflection of her fear that, if the special intensive revision (SIR) by the Election Commission is implemented in West Bengal properly, and free and fair elections are held, the Trinamool Congress will be defeated in 2026 state polls. "As usual, Mamata Banerjee is resorting to lies and fear mongering -- talking about "detention camps" and imaginary conspiracies. But the truth is this: She knows her reign of terror is nearing its end. And it is the curse of Bengal's people, especially its women, that will bring her down," Malviya's statement said. Senior CPI-M leader and the party's central committee member, Sujan Chakraborty, took a jibe at CM Mamata Banerjee for announcing a 'Bhasa Andolan' to fight against the BJP. "By calling her fight against the harassment of Bengali-speaking people as "Bhasa Andolan" (the Language Movement), Mamata Banerjee has reduced the importance of the actual Bhasa Andolan. Not every fight can be branded as the language movement," Chakraborty said. Another CPI-M Central Committee member, Minakshi Mukherjee, said that Mamata Banerjee herself is responsible for the harassment of Bengali-speaking people in the country, as a large number of people left Bengal as migrant workers during her tenure as Chief Minister. "Has the Trinamool Congress government done anything to protect the sanctity of the Bengali language and Bengali-speaking people? Migrant labourers from Bengal are being targeted in Assam and other states. Who is responsible for this situation? Why can't her government provide them with jobs? She cannot make people forget her government's failure to ensure a proper livelihood to Bengali-speaking people," Mukherjee added. State Congress Spokesperson, Soumya Aich Roy, said that Mamata Banerjee should first arrest the exodus of Bengali people from West Bengal due to lack of jobs and industries, before using Bengali sentiment to mislead the people. "Mamata Banerjee is trying to tap into the Bengali sentiment by bringing reference to 'Bhasa Andolan'. Instead of doing this, she must provide jobs to the people so that this migration stops," he added.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Didi slams Himanta over mother tongue ‘persecution threat'
Kolkata: Persecution for speaking in one's mother tongue was both "discriminatory and unconstitutional", CM Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday, stressing that she stood by the "people of Assam who are fighting for dignity of their language, identity and democratic rights". Banerjee, referring to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma 's recent comment that "writing Bengali as mother tongue will help quantify foreigners", posted on X: "The second most spoken language in the country, Bangla, is also the second most spoken language of Assam. To threaten citizens who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional." This "divisive agenda of BJP in Assam has crossed all limits and people of Assam will fight back", Banerjee said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The Bengal CM's statement comes a day after PM Narendra Modi told a Durgapur rally that "for BJP, Bengali 'asmita' is at the highest pedestal". "People of Bengal get respect wherever there is BJP. We will not allow a conspiracy against Bengal's 'asmita'. It is Modi's guarantee," he said. Banerjee's strongly worded statements looked like a throwback to her 2018 comments on Assam when Hindu Bengalis were being incarcerated under NRC. Back then, Trinamool had protested strongly against it both in Bengal and in Parliament. Recalling the days of the "Bongal kheda" (throw out Bengalis) campaign in Assam in the 1960s, '70s and '80s — which led to a massive migration of Bengalis from the state to Bengal — the CM had said: "It has made a comeback. Bengalis are being driven out of Assam. It will have an impact on Bengal because our state shares a border with it. We can't be mere onlookers. I warn BJP not to play with fire. We will not spare them if people come under attack." Sarma, debunking TMC claims, argued earlier this week that the recent drives were only against "illegal Bangladeshi Muslims" which, he claimed, threatened Assam's demography. But Trinamool questioned this logic. TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya argued: "You claim your govt only targets 'illegal Bangladeshi Muslims'. But in the final NRC list, out of the 19.6 lakh people excluded, 12 lakh were Bengali Hindus. Was their faith the problem too? Or was it their language? You say your crusade isn't against Bengalis. Then how do you explain the fact that all but four of the 30 people who died in Assam's detention centres were Bengali-speaking?" TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who heads the party in Assam, said: "As always, BJP's last trick in the bag in a state where it is losing ground is division among the peace-loving people of Assam. Double-engine sarkar has given us a state neck deep in debt, corruption, failed NRC, failed CAA, no resolution to solve infiltration, no respect for laws or human rights, only oppression, fear and communalism. United, we have to reject this regressive politics. "
Malaysia Sun
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
Assam: Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi arrive in Guwahati for party's PAC meet; Gogoi says Congress will fight for justice for people
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 16 (ANI): Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday morning arrived in Guwahati ahead of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting. They were received by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi at the Guwahati airport. Both leaders will also attend the meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office bearers, MPs, and MLAs, as well as the Congress Workers' meeting. Speaking to ANI, Gogoi asserted that Congress in Assam will fight for justice for all people who were living under 'a regime of fear and terror' and were facing persecution by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government here. 'The message is very clear that the Congress party in Assam will fight for the justice of all the people of Assam who are living under a regime of fear and terror. We will fight for the dignity of all people who are currently facing persecution by this corrupt and cruel BJP government. Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will send a message that there is no need to fear,' Gogoi said. Accusing the Himanta Biswa Sarma government of 'grabbing land of the poor', the Assam Congress president claimed that the Chief Minister has donated close to 17,000 acres of land to industrialists from outside without consulting the locals. 'The CM and his colleagues are grabbing the land of the poor people. The CM of Assam is acting like a real estate broker and has donated close to 17,000 acres of land to outside industrialists without taking the local people into confidence. They are displacing the tribals, minorities, and the Congress party will fight for the self-respect, dignity and land rights of people of Assam,' Gogoi added. Earlier on Tuesday, Sarma informed that a total of 1,19,548 bighas of land have been freed from encroachers in the ongoing eviction drive in the state. The Assam CM said, 'After we formed the government, so far 84,743 bighas of land in forest and national park areas have been freed from encroachers. A total of 1,19,548 bighas of land have been freed from encroachers.' He also accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) of portraying his government's firm stance against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims as anti-Bengali. He said the alleged attempt is nothing but a desperate ploy to shield Muslim infiltrators from the neighbouring country. (ANI)
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Himanta accuses TMC of shielding Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators
1 2 Guwahati: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday accused Trinamool of portraying his govt's firm stance against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims as anti-Bengali. He claimed TMC 's alleged attempt was nothing but a desperate ploy to shield Muslim infiltrators from the neighbouring country. In a post on his X handle, Sarma said, "Assam has been waging a relentless war against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims for several decades. The recent attempt by the @AITCofficial to distort my media remarks and portray our stand as anti-Bengali is nothing but a desperate ploy to shield Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh — whose very presence threatens to alter the demographic fabric of our nation." "Let it be made absolutely clear: in Assam, every Indian citizen — including Bengali-speaking people — fully understands our position and supports our uncompromising stand against illegal Muslim immigration from Bangladesh," he added. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata TMC slammed Sarma for his remark that "writing Bengali as mother tongue in the Census documents will quantify the number of foreigners in Assam". In a post on X, the party said that Bengali was the seventh-most spoken language in the world and added, "… under BJP' rule, Bengali-speaking Indians are subjected to racial profiling, targeted harassment and systematic persecution." The party further said Sarma disgraced the CM's office by branding Bengalis as "illegal Bangladeshis". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "He must apologise immediately." In response to Sarma, TMC spokesperson, Debangshu Bhattacharya posted on X saying, " Read between the lines, people. This is @himantabiswa's last-ditch attempt to veil his XENOPHOBIA and LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM behind communal smokescreens. You claim your Govt only targets "illegal Bangladeshi Muslims". But in the final NRC list, out of the 19.6 lakh people excluded, 12 lakh were Bengali Hindus. Was their faith the problem too? Or was it their language? You say your crusade isn't against Bengalis. Then how do you explain the fact that all but four of the 30 people who died in Assam's detention centres were Bengali-speaking?Your track record shows only one unifying marker of persecution: Bengali. This isn't about illegal immigration. This is about your PATHOLOGICAL HATRED for a language, a people, and a culture." Meanwhile, Assam BJP claimed over 10 districts in the state had become Muslim-majority and the changing demography was a major cause for concern. Districts such as Dhubri have more than 90% population belonging to a particular community, the party said. "It is not only a demographic change but also a serious threat to indigenous people of the state," a party source claimed.
