Three Bengali migrant workers assaulted in Maharashtra; Trinamool condemns incident
Telegraph | 4 January 2026
Three migrant workers from West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district were allegedly assaulted in Maharashtra after being suspected of being 'Bangladeshis' for speaking Bengali, prompting sharp political reactions in the state.
The workers, identified as Dilip Bagdi and Samir Barui, along with another colleague from Pandabeswar, claimed that the incident occurred while they were returning home from Maharashtra.
According to them, trouble began after some local people overheard them speaking Bengali among themselves, even though they had initially used Hindi while purchasing travel tickets.
They alleged they were confronted by locals who questioned their identity and insisted they were Bangladeshis despite repeated assertions that they were residents of West Bengal.
The workers claimed they were forcibly taken off their transport to another location where their Aadhaar cards were checked.
"Even after showing our Aadhaar cards, they refused to accept that we are Indians," Samir Barui said, recounting the incident.
The workers further alleged that they were brutally assaulted, with hot tea poured over their heads, and were kicked on the head and stomach.
They said the attack continued even after one of them pretended to fall ill to stop the violence.
The incident comes amid a series of complaints in recent months about alleged harassment and attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in other states, particularly in BJP-ruled regions such as Odisha and Rajasthan.
Pandabeswar MLA Narendranath Chakraborty met the affected workers on Sunday after their return and condemned the incident, blaming the central government for what he described as a hostile atmosphere against Bengali-speaking people.
"This is a display of extreme cruelty towards Bengalis. While West Bengal welcomes people from all parts of the country, Bengalis are being targeted elsewhere. The people will not forgive this," Chakraborty said.
Reacting to the incident, local BJP leader Dilip Chakraborty blamed the state government, alleging that lack of employment opportunities in West Bengal was forcing workers to migrate to states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
The BJP also suggested there could be a political motive behind the narration of the incident, pointing to what it described as inconsistencies in the workers' statements.