BJP alleges politics behind TMC protest over Bengali persecution
The Statesman | 17 July 2025
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari today said that in the name of Bengali sentiment, the ruling Trinamul Congress is trying to gain electoral profit.
He accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of taking the help from non-Bengali IAS and IPS officers to run the state administration and constantly depriving the Bengal officials to get their proper administrative positions.
The TMC has alleged that Bengali-speaking individuals have repeatedly faced discrimination in other Indian states, where they were labelled as “Bangladeshis” and subjected to humiliation. The party said it had raised the issue with the central government and respective state authorities but received no response, prompting the decision to launch a street protest.
However, LoP Adhikari accused the TMC of using the “Bengali identity” issue as a political ploy ahead of upcoming elections. “TMC has suddenly rediscovered Bengali pride only because elections are nearing,” Adhikari wrote in a detailed post on X, formerly Twitter. “This is nothing but a veiled attempt to shield illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas and Bangladeshis — under the guise of protecting Bengalis.”
Adhikari further alleged that the state government itself has sidelined senior Bengali officials from top administrative positions. “Why were senior Bengali bureaucrats like Atri Bhattacharya and Subrata Gupta ignored for the chief secretary post, and Manoj Pant, a junior, appointed instead? Why was IPS officer Sanjay Mukherjee replaced by Rajeev Kumar, an outsider, as DGP?” he asked. He also questioned the government’s silence on the plight of thousands of qualified Bengali youths who lost teaching jobs due to corruption scandals, saying Mamata Banerjee’s concern for Bengali identity seems selective.
“When thousands of genuine Bengali candidates are protesting on the streets after being denied teaching jobs due to scams, the chief minister turns a blind eye. But she rushes to defend the rights of people who may be illegal immigrants,” Adhikari wrote.
The protest comes amid growing political tension in West Bengal, with the TMC and BJP engaged in a fierce battle over issues of identity, governance, and corruption. The BJP has launched a nationwide drive to identify and deport undocumented immigrants, which TMC leaders claim is targeting Bengali-speaking populations in several states. No immediate response was available from the Union home ministry on TMC’s allegations or Adhikari’s claims.