West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently took to the streets in protest, calling out what she says is a secret crackdown on Bengali-speaking migrant workers across India.
She alleges that the central government has quietly instructed BJP-ruled states to detain individuals on the slightest suspicion of being Bangladeshi immigrants.But here’s the key concern: Mamata claims that even Indian citizens, who speak Bangla, are being caught up in this dragnet.
According to the West Bengal government, nearly 1,000 complaints have come in since June.Workers have been arrested in states like Odisha, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Some of them had Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, yet were labelled “illegal”, simply for speaking Bengali, Mamata alleges.
A nationwide crackdown
This comes amid a wider nationwide crackdown on undocumented migrants. In May, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed all states and Union Territories to set up district-level Special Task Forces, to identify, verify, and deport Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants within 30 days.
States were also told to prepare dedicated holding centres for those who failed document checks. Since then, multiple BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Delhi, have reported detaining hundreds of people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
Thousands “pushed into” Bangladesh: Reports
Media reports suggest that many of those detained have already been pushed back into Bangladesh. According to a June 2 report by The Indian Express, over 2,000 alleged Bangladeshi nationals had been pushed back since the launch of Operation Sindoor.
BJP’s national security argument
The BJP defends the move as a necessary national security measure. As Mamata accuses the Centre of targeting linguistic identity, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hits back. He says the TMC is “crafting a Bengali identity narrative in the interest of illegal Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators.”
Legal battle in Calcutta High Court
Meanwhile, the matter has reached the courts. The Calcutta High Court has asked the Centre to explain the reasons for such widespread raids. This was while hearing a plea from a family in Birbhum, West Bengal, whose members were reportedly deported to Bangladesh last month.
Big issue for Bengal polls
With over 22 lakh Bengali-speaking migrant workers estimated to be living across India, this issue could shape the political tone ahead of the 2026 Bengal elections. But whether it broadens Mamata Banerjee’s support or runs into the BJP’s national security plank, may depend on what the courts decide, and how migrants themselves experience this moment.
