Odisha detains migrant workers from Bengal, TMC cries foul
The Statesman | 11 July 2025
Trinamul Congress has been very vocal about the migrant labourers from Bengal being detained in various states, especially in Odisha. The party has highlighted the detention of 23 migrant workers from Nadia by Odisha police.
Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra wrote on her X handle: “23 workers from Nadia being held in illegal detention in Jharsuguda. I urge @SecyChief @DGPOdisha to release it immediately. Never happened in 24 years of @Naveen_Odisha & now it is daily occurrence. Do not think there is no-one to fight for these workers.”
Talking on the subject she expressed her anguish. She said: “These people had their proper voter and Aadhaar cards but stil they were detained. This is happening on a regular basis. We will fight for them under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. This is their fundamental right to work in any part of the country. Odisha earns almost 50 per cent of tourism revenue from the tourists of Bengal. Do they realise what harm it will cause if Bengali tourists stop going to Odisha” Do they think they can get away with this kind of atrocity,” said the MP from Krishnanagar.
Trinamul MP from Rajya Sabha Samirul Islam talking about such detentions of Bengali-speaking migrant labourers from Bengal, wrote on X handle: “Once again, atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers continue in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district.
The BJP-ruled Odisha government recently detained over 200 migrant workers from various districts of Bengal — including Murshidabad, Birbhum, Malda, Nadia, Purba Burdwan, and South 24-Parganas — on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.
“This is a fresh round of detentions by the BJP-ruled Odisha government, following the earlier confinement of hundreds of migrant workers from Bengal. What is their fault? That they speak Bengali?
“What grudge do @narendramodi and @AmitShah hold against these poor Bengalis? Despite our repeated appeals, the top BJP leadership seems least bothered to address the plight of these Bengali-speaking individuals.
“Will they at least consult with @Odisha_CMO to understand their situation?
“We have already moved the court. If this barbaric attitude continues, we will launch a larger movement against such practices.
“Our chief secretary has also written to Chief Secretary Odisha regarding the plight of the Bengali speaking migrant population
“Our chief minister, @MamataOfficial, has already made it clear: Bengal will not tolerate any move that causes suffering to our people working in other states.”