All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Samirul Islam has accused BJP-ruled states of targeting Bengali-speaking migrant workers—wrongfully branding them as Bangladeshis and subjecting them to illegal detention and harassment. He has reported instances where migrants possessing valid identification documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards were detained without proper records, held for over 24 hours without judicial oversight, and even forcibly pushed toward the Bangladesh border.

Islam termed this treatment “unprecedented brutality” driven by linguistic discrimination, asserting that their only offense was speaking in Bengali—a language celebrated through luminaries like Tagore and Vivekananda. He accused the central and state governments—specifically Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah—of failing to protect these citizens, demanding accountability and legal action .

Islam has formally written to the Home Minister, seeking nationwide directives to prevent harassment, ensure fair verification procedures, and involve West Bengal’s state government when addressing issues faced by its citizens.

He emphasized that West Bengal will fight to defend its migrant workers under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, framing the struggle as a moral imperative rather than partisan conflict.