West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit the streets of Kolkata to lead a massive protest rally against what she termed the systematic harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.
Joined by senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders including party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the protest march began from College Square around 1.45 PM and proceeded towards Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. The 3-kilometre route was heavily secured with nearly 1,500 police personnel deployed to maintain order. Vehicular traffic in the city was significantly disrupted as roads were barricaded and diverted.
The protest, organised a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the state, saw participation from thousands of party workers and supporters. Similar rallies were held across various district headquarters in West Bengal.
With assembly elections in the state less than a year away, the TMC is sharpening its campaign narrative around regional identity and what it claims are repeated attempts at profiling Bengali speakers. The party cited recent incidents — such as the detention of migrant workers in Odisha, eviction drives in Delhi, and a foreigner tribunal’s notice to a Cooch Behar farmer in Assam — as examples of the growing trend of linguistic discrimination.
TMC insiders see the rally as a preview of their campaign strategy for the upcoming polls — a mix of identity politics and grassroots mobilisation.
However, the protest drew criticism from Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who accused Banerjee of using “Bengali asmita” (pride) as a political shield for “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators and Bengali-speaking Rohingyas.” He further questioned the CM’s silence on thousands of unemployed Bengali-speaking teachers in West Bengal, alleging corruption and nepotism in the recruitment process.
Adhikari also raised questions about Banerjee’s appointment of top state officials. “Why were Bengali bureaucrats like Atri Bhattacharya and Subrata Gupta passed over for the position of chief secretary in favour of Manoj Pant, a junior officer?” he asked in a post on X (formerly Twitter), also pointing out the appointment of Rajiv Kumar over senior IPS officer Sanjay Mukhopadhyay as DGP.
In response, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim dismissed the allegations. “Adhikari is saying such things to please his bosses in Delhi. His tactic will not work here,” he said.