Trinamool raises deportation of Bengali-speakers in Parliament
Times of India | 6 December 2025
Kolkata/New Delhi: Trinamool MP Satabdi Roy on Friday said in the Lok Sabha that Bengali-speaking people were being deported to Bangladesh and asserted that language could not be a consideration for authorities for taking such steps.
Addressing the House in Bengali, Roy broached the case of Sunali Khatun and said: "Residents from districts like Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Birbhum, who work as labourers in other states, are being harassed. They are being labelled as Bangladeshis just for speaking Bengali. Despite having all documents, a pregnant woman from Birbhum and her family were pushed back. This is not an isolated incident."
The comment led to a heated exchange between TMC and BJP MPs.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Roy also referred to the case of a person being deported to Bangladesh from Odisha. When Krishna Prasad Tenneti, chairing the proceedings, asked Roy to place her demand, she continued speaking. When the time allocated to Roy was over, her microphone was switched off.
As BJP's Jugal Kishore started speaking after her, Roy, along with fellow TMC MP Mahua Moitra, rushed across to his seat and started speaking into his microphone. While Tenneti urged Roy to return to her seat, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal was also seen trying to convince the agitated TMC members.
Later, when Roy was allowed to conclude her speech, she said if Bengali-speaking people could be sent to Bangladesh, "then why aren't people being sent to Pakistan for speaking Hindi or Urdu?"
This led to a fresh uproar. In Roy's support, Krishnanagar MP Moitra echoed the same question. They then protested in the well of the House, causing a commotion.
When BJP MP Sambit Patra's turn came, he countered Roy. "I want to tell the TMC MP that what she said today, that those who speak Hindi or Urdu should go to Pakistan, is very wrong and should be withdrawn. And the kind of language she used for the chief minister of Odisha, I demand protection (from the chair) on this. Yes, Bengalis are our brothers, but Bangladeshis and Rohingya have no place in Odisha," Patra said.