Barak leaders slam Malviya for calling Sylheti ‘B'deshi language'
The remark defending Delhi Police's controversial terminology, has sparked widespread backlash in Assam's Bengali-majority regions.
BJP RS MP from Silchar, Kanad Purkayastha, wrote to Malviya, expressing "deep disappointment" over the remark. "You must be aware that at least 50 lakh Sylheti-speaking Bengalis reside in India, with the Barak Valley alone having a majority population of Sylheti speakers," he wrote.
Purkayastha pointed out that several MPs, including himself, Sushmita Dev and Parimal Suklabaidya, speak Sylheti, as do many MLAs in Assam and Tripura.
Listing historical figures such as Bipin Chandra Pal, Nibaran Chandra Laskar, and Kamala Bhattacharya — all Sylheti speakers — the MP added, "Since this debate has hurt the sentiments of over five million people, I felt it was important to present these facts."
Former Silchar MP and BJP leader Rajdeep Roy said, "Over 70 lakh Indians across the Barak Valley, Tripura, and Meghalaya speak Sylheti."
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TMC MP Sushmita Dev said, "Such poor knowledge of our history. Shame on BJP."
Various civil society groups and student organisations in Barak Valley have also expressed outrage, terming the remark an affront to linguistic pride.
The controversy was triggered after Delhi Police issued a call for translators of the "Bangladeshi language", prompting clarification from Malviya. In his post, he claimed Sylheti is "nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis" and used by "infiltrators", drawing sharp criticism from Sylheti-speaking communities across Northeast India.
Political observers say the backlash highlights the sensitive nature of language politics in Assam, especially in Barak Valley where language movements have historically played a major role. With opposition parties seizing the opportunity, the BJP may now be forced to undertake damage control in a region considered one of its strongholds in Assam.
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