logo
Bengal: Mamata launches statewide "Language Movement," warns of voter rights agitation

Bengal: Mamata launches statewide "Language Movement," warns of voter rights agitation

Kolkata, July 21 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced the launch of a statewide "language movement" starting July 26, accusing the BJP-led central government and several states ruled by the saffron outfit of targeting the Bengali culture and identity.
Her announcement came during the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) annual Martyrs' Day rally, which drew a massive crowd in Kolkata and carried deep emotional and political undertones.
The 21 July Martyrs' Day rally is held annually by the TMC to commemorate 13 people killed allegedly by West Bengal Police during a 1993 protest by the Youth Congress against the erstwhile Left Front government of Bengal.
Led by Mamata Banerjee, then state Youth Congress president, the protest — called "Writers' Chalo Abhiyan" — demanded that voter ID cards be the sole proof for voting to curb purported widespread electoral fraud, referred to as "scientific rigging" by the opposition parties and a section of the media.
Addressing the gathering, Banerjee alleged that a "systematic attack" is underway on Bengali identity, with reports of Bengali-speaking individuals being harassed and even arrested in states like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan - all ruled by the BJP.
'Over a thousand people have been jailed just for speaking in Bengali,' Banerjee said, citing a controversial circular that she claims allows authorities to detain suspects for up to a month.
'They're afraid of Bengal's intellect and legacy,' she said passionately, invoking the state's cultural icons like Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. 'This is the land where the National Anthem was born. Why are you afraid of our language?'
Banerjee called for weekly street protests every Saturday and Sunday until the next assembly elections scheduled for mid next year, urging citizens to stand up against linguistic and cultural discrimination. She also vowed to escalate the movement to the national level if needed.
'I ask everyone to go home and prepare for a larger language movement,' Banerjee said. 'There should be street protests against the continuous attacks on the Bengali language.'
Intensifying her criticism of the BJP, the TMC supremo claimed Bengalis are facing cultural and linguistic discrimination in other states. 'They say you can't speak in Bengali. They want to control what people eat — fish, meat, eggs. A BJP leader even claimed that 17 lakh Rohingyas live in Bengal. In Myanmar, there are only 10 lakh Rohingyas. From where 17 lakh Rohingyas will come? ' she asked.
Responding, Banerjee accused the BJP of using such claims to delete the names of Bengali voters from electoral rolls in Maharashtra, Bihar, and "possibly Bengal next". She also alleged the Centre was withholding funds and discontinuing central welfare schemes as part of a "broader attempt to hinder" the state's development.
However, she emphasised that despite the bottlenecks, her government has continued to provide housing, improve infrastructure, and support all communities without waiting for central assistance
The Chief Minister's speech also took aim at the Election Commission of India (ECI), which she accused of acting under political pressure in allegedly deleting Bengali names from electoral rolls.
'They are deleting names in Bihar. In Gujarat, they are striking out names of Bengali-speaking people. For every Bengali name, four outsiders are being added. This is nothing short of a 'super emergency,'' she said.
Referring to the ECI's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, Banerjee warned, 'If even one voter from Bengal is removed, we will hit the streets. We will go to Delhi, and if necessary, gherao the Election Commission.'
She compared the voter deletion efforts to an NRC-like exercise, claiming that minorities and Bengali-speaking people are being selectively targeted.
These warnings follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments in Durgapur, where he accused the TMC of protecting infiltrators through a "fake documentation ecosystem."
'This isn't just a national security threat — it's a betrayal of Bengal's culture,' Modi had said, assuring that non-citizens would face legal consequences.
In response, Banerjee accused the BJP of using national security as a pretext to disenfranchise legitimate Bengali voters.
Adding a poignant layer to the rally, Banerjee paid emotional tribute to two Bengalis recently killed in terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir — Bitan Adhikari, a TCS engineer and civilian victim of the Pahalgam attack, and Havildar Jhantu Ali Sheikh of the Indian Army's elite 6 Para Special Forces, martyred in Udhampur. Their families present on stage were embraced by Banerjee, who emphasised the state's respect for their sacrifice.
The Chief Minister used the moment to underline the emotional and political stakes of her campaign. As the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections draw near, Banerjee's rallying cry signals a combative phase in state politics, with the TMC gearing up for a sustained campaign around language, identity, and democratic rights. UNI XC SSP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Election Commission begins BLO training in West Bengal amid speculation on SIR
Election Commission begins BLO training in West Bengal amid speculation on SIR

Indian Express

time12 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Election Commission begins BLO training in West Bengal amid speculation on SIR

The Election Commission of India (ECI) started training Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal on Saturday, amid concerns that a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, currently being held in neighbouring poll-bound Bihar, will be held in the state too. During the training session, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal did not deny that SIR could be held in the state too. 'It may be held in the future. SIR is a sub judice matter. Let the judgment come,' Agarwal said. 'We are also giving SIR training because we cannot call BLOs every time. They are not our permanent staff. We are ready for any type of exercise, even SIR,' he added. Agarwal said that there were 81,000 booths in West Bengal, which would be increased by 14,000. 'We will give training to every worker in each booth,' he added. On Saturday, the training of BLOs, assistant electoral registration officers and supervisors of Murshidabad, Nadia, South and North 24 Parganas districts began at Najrul Mancha stadium in Kolkata. 'This is a training for Special Summary Revision, which is held in West Bengal every year in September. This year, it will happen a month early,' Dibyendu Das, Additional CEO, West Bengal, said. Meanwhile, the ECI has revised the remuneration of BLOs and BLO supervisors in West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due early next year. The poll panel also declared that BLOs will get additional incentives for taking part in special drives. According to sources, the ECI has sent a letter to all CEOs stating, '…the Commission has directed that following minimum annual remuneration should be granted to BLOs and BLO supervisors: Booth Level Officer (BLO)-Rs 12,000, BLO Supervisor-Rs 18000, Special Incentive to BLO (for SSR/SR and any other special drive) Rs 2000.' ECI sources said that BLOs used to get Rs 6,000 earlier. The ruling Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, said that the party will not allow an SIR in Bengal. 'The Election Commission is working to help the BJP in all voting states. They will try that, but the work in Bengal will not be easy, because in every booth of the state, the TMC has an organisation. Every valid voter has contact with the TMC. This conspiracy will not work in West Bengal, because the TMC activists will stand at all booths across the state,' TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder said. Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More

Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle buzz: Final decision rests with CM Fadnavis, says Bawankule
Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle buzz: Final decision rests with CM Fadnavis, says Bawankule

Hindustan Times

time33 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle buzz: Final decision rests with CM Fadnavis, says Bawankule

The speculation about the likely cabinet reshuffle in Maharashtra strengthened on Saturday, with senior BJP leader and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stressing that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' discretion is supreme among allies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah meets Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in New Delhi on Friday.(X/@HMOIndia) The speculation about the potential swapping of portfolios of some controversial ministers or sacking them gained momentum in light of Fadnavis' recent meeting with Union ministers in Delhi. Queried about the reshuffle buzz, Bawankule said, "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) chief Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde can decide for their parties, which is their right. "Respective parties will make their decisions. However, the final decision rests with Fadnavis as he is the chief minister of the state," he added. He demanded an apology from the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, after the latter admitted that he could not protect the interests of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the past as much as he should have done. Gandhi had also acknowledged his "mistake" of not getting a caste census conducted earlier. "Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation and the OBC community, as it is obvious that the Congress used OBCs as a vote bank. The Congress had done injustice to OBCs," Bawankule said. He said the caste enumeration decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pave the way for a huge revolution in the country. The former Maharashtra BJP president took a dig at Saamana amid reports that senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar will replace Rahul Narwekar as the speaker of the Maharashtra assembly. "In order to boost the declining readership of (Sena-UBT mouthpiece) 'Saamana' and give more publicity to its owner (Uddhav Thackeray), they are writing misleading news reports," he said. Meanwhile, Bawankule said if some ineligible men had fraudulently availed of the financial benefits under the Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the money should be recovered from them and cases registered. He was answering a query on around 14,000 men availing of the monthly financial aid under the scheme reserved exclusively for women from the low-income groups who meet the eligibility criteria. "The chief minister and the government have already clarified. The government will not recover money received by some sisters fraudulently. But if men are involved, I feel the money should be recovered from them and cases registered," the minister added. Political circles are abuzz with speculation concerning the future of some ministers, mainly of the Shiv Sena headed by Eknath Shinde, amid controversies. Amid a growing chorus for the resignation of NCP leader and state agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has assured an appropriate decision after discussing with his colleague. Kokate is in the eye of a political storm after videos purportedly showing him playing a card game on his mobile phone in the state legislature went viral. The minister had denied allegations against him and threatened to sue the leaders responsible for "defaming" him. Kokate had triggered controversies in the past with his statements regarding the farming community.

Suvendu Adhikari claims 1.25 cr illegal immigrants in West Bengal's voters' list, TMC says submit names
Suvendu Adhikari claims 1.25 cr illegal immigrants in West Bengal's voters' list, TMC says submit names

Time of India

time42 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Suvendu Adhikari claims 1.25 cr illegal immigrants in West Bengal's voters' list, TMC says submit names

Suvendu Adhikari claimed that West Bengal's voter list includes 1.25 crore illegal immigrants, promising their deportation after a Special Intensive Revision. He assured Hindus facing religious persecution that they wouldn't be affected. The TMC refuted Adhikari's claims as communal rhetoric intended to polarize voters before elections, challenging the BJP to provide a list of the alleged immigrants. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday claimed that there are 1.25 crore illegal immigrants in the voters' list of West Bengal, and all of them will be sent back following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the a programme in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari maintained that Hindus who migrated due to religious persecution need not be worried about the exercise."If around 50 lakh names were excluded in Bihar, Bengal could have as many as 1.25 crore such names. All Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal will be pushed back after the SIR," he said."No one will be able to save the chief minister this time. All the looting and corruption will come to an end. The instances of false voting will reduce. Those who used to cast false votes will be weeded out," he "warned" government officers to act with integrity, and said district-level officers who fail to do so will be in ruling TMC rejected his comments as communal rhetoric, "aimed at polarising voters ahead of elections"."Can he genuinely identify such a massive number? Has Suvendu Adhikari ever seen a Rohingya or knows what language they speak?" TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya asked, challenging the BJP to submit the list of 1.25 crore illegal immigrants to the claimed the SIR was aimed at removing supporters of opposition parties from the voters' list."This impacts both Hindus and Muslims. In Bihar, many Yadavs who vote for RJD are being struck off the rolls. Now they want to try the same in Bengal, but it won't work," he said."Bengalis, both Hindu and Muslim, are united by their language and identity," he added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store