Latest news with #Bengali-speaking
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Forced evictions in Northeast India spark outcry
GOALPARA, India: In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, near the border with Bangladesh, hundreds of Muslim families now live under makeshift tarpaulin shelters after being forcibly evicted from their homes in what has become one of the largest demolition drives in the region in decades. Over the past several weeks, authorities have bulldozed the homes of thousands of residents, accusing them of occupying government land illegally. The evictions mark an escalation in a long-running campaign against Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom are being labeled as "illegal infiltrators" from Bangladesh. The latest crackdown comes ahead of the 2025 state elections, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks to retain power. The intensified drive also follows the ousting of a pro-India government in Dhaka in August 2024, raising regional political tensions and fueling anti-immigrant sentiment. "We are accused of being foreigners and encroachers," said 53-year-old Aran Ali, a native of Assam, who now lives with his family in a temporary settlement in Goalpara district. "The government repeatedly harasses us," he said, standing beside the patch of bare earth where his home once stood. Assam shares a 262-kilometer border with Bangladesh and has long been a flashpoint for immigration-related tensions. Concerns over cultural and demographic changes due to migration—both Hindu and Muslim—from across the border have shaped local politics for decades. However, recent actions have overwhelmingly targeted the Muslim population. The BJP's policies, both at the national and state levels, have increasingly focused on what it describes as a threat posed by "illegal Muslim migrants" from Bangladesh. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a prominent BJP leader known for his combative rhetoric, has positioned himself at the forefront of the campaign. "We are fearlessly resisting the ongoing, unchecked Muslim infiltration from across the border," Sarma declared on social media platform X. "In several districts, Hindus are now on the verge of becoming a minority in their own land." He has cited the 2011 census to claim that Muslims of migrant origin now make up 30 percent of Assam's 31 million residents, and warned that the minority population could reach nearly 50 percent in the coming years. Sarma has not responded to media inquiries, including a request from Reuters for comment. Since taking office in May 2021, Sarma's administration has evicted more than 50,000 people—most of them Bengali-speaking Muslims—from over 160 square kilometers of land, with additional evictions planned. Tensions flared further when a teenage protester was killed during recent demonstrations against the demolitions. Human rights groups have raised alarm over the humanitarian toll, warning that the forced displacements disproportionately target vulnerable communities and lack legal safeguards.
NDTV
5 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Trinamool vs Delhi Police Showdown: FIR, Counter FIR To Be Filed
Kolkata: Just hours after the Delhi Police issued a statement calling a video shared by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "baseless and fabricated", the Trinamool Congress brought the migrant family seen in the video to the party office in Kolkata from Delhi to counter the Delhi Police directly. Seated between Trinamool MP Mausam Noor, MP Samirul Islam, Minister Firhad Hakim and leader Kunal Ghosh, the family from Malda who have been residing in New Delhi for over 25 years now levelled allegations against the Delhi Police of harassment, threat, torture and seeking ransom. "Four people in plain clothes came to my house and asked for my Aadhaar and asked where my husband was. I was called Bangladeshi, taken to Mangalam Hospital and slapped, they asked me to say Jai Sri Ram and kicked me in my stomach. They demanded Rs 25,000 and then next day the police picked us up and tortured us and made us sign many papers," said Sajnur Parveen, the woman seen in the CCTV shared by Mamata Banerjee. On July 27, the Chief Minister of West Bengal claimed "linguistic terror" being unleashed on Bengali Migrants in Delhi. Atrocious!! Terrible!! See how Delhi police brutally beat up a kid and his mother, members of a migrant family from Malda's Chanchal. See how even a child is not spared from the cruelty of violence in the regime of linguistic terror unleashed by BJP in the country against the... — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 27, 2025 A day later, DCP East Abhishek Dhania said the police conducted an enquiry and after examining CCTV footage and interrogating the Malda family, they had told the police, that their relative with political links had asked them to record this video and share it with local media. #WATCH | Delhi: On West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's X post on a Bengali migrant family beaten by Delhi police, DCP East Delhi, Abhishek Dhania, says, "West Bengal CM posted on 'X' that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were assaulted by the Delhi Police. Right after... — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2025 "During the interrogation, she mentioned that her relative, who lives in the Malda district of West Bengal, is a political worker, and on his request, she made this baseless video and shared it with him. Later, he circulated the video in the local media... After a thorough investigation and inquiry, we have concluded that the entire video is baseless and fabricated. This video has been deliberately circulated on social media to tarnish the image of the Delhi Police," said DCP Dhania. The BJP in the meantime have filed a complaint against the West Bengal Chief Minister with Delhi Police Crime Branch for sharing a "fake and communally provocative" video seeking an FIR against her. BJP MP Soumendu Adhikari submitted his complaint on 29th July. The Trinamool Congress has said they will file a FIR against Delhi Police in Kolkata urging the Kolkata Police to investigate the allegations made by the Malda family against Delhi Police. "We will rehabilitate the family, provide fresh documents that have been seized by the police, even their mobile phones that were taken away. We will ensure they go back to Malda safely," added minister Firhad Hakim.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘It could have been done in a much better way, it was totally wrong': Haryana Congress leaders on Gurgaon police's ‘foreigners verification' drive
Senior Haryana Congress leader Aftab Ahmed said Tuesday the Gurgaon police's crackdown last week on suspected foreigners in the city reeked of 'sheer discrimination and a lack of basic thinking'. Hundreds of men were rounded up by the Gurgaon police as part of a 'routine verification' drive to identify Bangladeshis and Rohingya living illegally in the city. The move sparked panic among the Bengali-speaking migrant community, prompting many to leave the city. Speaking with the Indian Express, the Nuh MLA said, 'If someone speaks Bengali or Assamese, it doesn't mean they are a foreign national, Bangladeshi or Rohingya'. 'There are ways to verify, but not like this. Putting them in holding centres, allegedly torturing and putting them up there for days. These are poor people doing odd jobs that no one else will do. It could have been done in a much better way; it was totally wrong. They have documents. The way they have been questioning, allegedly beating, and humiliating them, saying they're with Mamata (Banerjee), is …' Ahmed said he has been raising the issue with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Shatrujeet Kapur, Director General of Police. Also Read | Domestic help, labourers: Bengali-speaking migrant workers pack up, leave Gurgaon after police verification scare 'They are poor who, for their daily bread, are willing to work in unhygienic conditions, and still you mete out such treatment by relying on some Union Home Ministry order. That is not what it said; you verify, but not like this. We will keep opposing it tooth and nail if it continues as well.' Ultimately, it was being done at the government's behest, he stressed. 'Atmosphere of fear' Haryana Congress leader Pearl Choudhary, who contested the 2024 Assembly elections from Pataudi, said the Gurgaon police's move seemed illegal and invalid, and questioned its timing. 'We have to see the timing, the Bihar elections are coming, I think it is very connected to the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) exercise,' said Choudhary. 'Bengali-speaking Muslims are being targeted in the context of the Bihar polls and even West Bengal next year. It is election-driven. It has led to an atmosphere of fear.' Choudhary said the migrant workers have all documents, and this is not the right time for the drive. When asked about the lack of visibility of Haryana Congress leaders on the ground for the issue, she said they have been acting for the workers' interests away from the media glare. Also Read | 'We are Indians, why must we prove it again?': Men quizzed by Gurgaon cops during verification drive 'We are in touch with them, and the national level leaders, even people working with me, are doing whatever we can do. Without informing the media, we are acting, and even many from the All India Professionals' Congress have been roped in for legal and other assistance. The media does not tend to give us space, but we are doing whatever we can do.' Gurgaon police on verification drive The Gurgaon police have refuted allegations of violence or torture on their part, saying due process was maintained and no particular religion was being targeted in their check for illegal foreigners. Last Saturday, the police said they would round up only 'confirmed foreign nationals' as part of their verification drive, as they shut four holding facilities that housed suspected foreigners on Friday. The four facilities were at community centres in Badshahpur, Sector 10A, Sector 40, and Sector 1 in Manesar. 'We had completed verification and checking of the suspected foreigners, hence the move. Even earlier, only those who were strong suspects based on missing or discrepancies in documents, or for example Bangladeshi numbers found on their phone or their WhatsApp being deleted, were taken to the holding centres,' a police spokesperson said. Earlier, Gurgaon MLA and BJP leader Mukesh Sharma supported the verification drive. 'The Rohingya have negatively affected the law and order situation in Gurgaon, we all know. They set up jhuggis (here) and their numbers increase… they have a system to get documents made.' Asked about domestic help who are genuine citizens belonging to West Bengal being picked up, he said, 'See, as directions have come from the (Union) government, we have to support the drive. The government and police are working based on their intel. Let the checking be thorough.'
News18
12 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
BJP MP Urges Delhi Police To Book Mamata Over Post Claiming Assault Of Bengali Woman
BJP MP urged Delhi Police to register a case against Mamata under IT Act and check the original social media post, and initiate legal action against her. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Soumendu Adhikari, brother of Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of spreading fake news on social media. He urged the police to register a case against the Bengal CM under the IT Act and save and check the original social media post, and initiate legal action against her. This comes after Mamata recently shared a video on social media, claiming that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were assaulted in the national capital for speaking their language – a charge firmly denied by the Delhi Police as 'fabricated" and 'politically motivated". She later claimed that the woman and the child were 'threatened". They were taken to various police stations just as I had predicted yesterday. They were threatened. We want them to come back, and whoever is speaking the truth and who is lying will be proved eventually," news agency PTI quoted her as saying. In his letter to the SHO of the Cyber Crime Branch of Delhi Police, the BJP MP accused the Bengal Chief Minister of spreading false information to damage the image of the city police and create public unrest. The Indian Express reported. He claimed that such a post made by an individual holding a constitutional position had widespread reach, triggering public outrage and harming the reputation of the police. Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Abhishek Dhania earlier said that the cops had taken note of the video shared by Mamata on X. 'During sustained questioning, the woman admitted that her relative, a political worker from Malda district in West Bengal, had asked her to make the video. The video was then circulated locally in Bengal and later surfaced on social media," he said. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
8.7 Quake Rattles Russia; Hawaii, Japan, Pacific Coast Brace For Massive Tsunami
'Every Time There's An Election...': TMC MP Mahua Moitra Exposes BJP's 'Hindu-Muslim Danga' Strategy Watch the full interview: where TMC MP Mohua Moitra claims BJP fans Hindu-Muslim riots every time there is an election. Refering to the recent Murshidabad violence, Moitra said it has been a 'classic' BJP tactics to polarise voters ahead of elections. In an exclusive interview with TOI Bharat, TMC MP Mohua Moitra tore apart BJP for allegedly picking up Bengali migrant workers in states illegally. In a freewheeling chat with Aditi Prasad on the recent crackdown on Bangladeshi immigrants in Gurugram, Mahua Moitra alleges that due process have not been followed while detaining Bengali-speaking migrants despite showing identity proofs. Moitra says legal migrants are being picked up on the basis of language, hinting at a sinister ploy to persecute people from Bengal. She has also issued warning that the issue will blow up in the face of BJP which aims to wrest power from Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal in the 2026 assembly elections.#mahuamoitra #mahuamoitrainterview #mahuamoitraspeech #tmc #bjp #pmmodi #narendramodi #amitshah #mamatabanerjee #bengal #bengali #gurugrambengali #gurugrambangladeshi #bengalimigrants #bengaliimmigrants #bangladeshi #bangladeshiimmigrants #illegalimmigrants #rohingyas #bsf #murshidabadviolence #bengalelections #bengalassemblypolls #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews 6.5K views | 1 day ago
