West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s call for a new ‘Bhasha Andolan’ to protest alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states has sparked backlash from BJP, CPI-M, and Congress. Opposition parties accuse her of appeasing infiltrators and failing to protect original Bengali communities. Political tension escalates in Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement of launching a fresh wave of protests against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states—what she described as a “Second Bhasha Andolan“—has drawn severe criticism and ridicule from all major opposition parties in the state, including BJP, CPI-M, and Congress.
Banerjee’s reference to the historic Bhasha Andolan (Language Movement) stirred a political storm. The original movement, a pivotal chapter in South Asian history, took place in erstwhile East Pakistan in the 1950s, demanding recognition of Bengali as an official language. It later became a precursor to the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
However, the Chief Minister’s attempt to invoke this legacy in today’s political context has backfired, with opposition leaders accusing her of distorting history for political gain and shielding illegal immigrants to sustain her political dominance.
Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Mamata Banerjee of using the language issue to protect and support Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal. “Not a single Rohingya or Bangladeshi Muslim should be on the voters’ list. Mamata Banerjee is depending on these illegal migrants for votes. The Election Commission should immediately cancel the registration of the Trinamool Congress,” Adhikari said.
BJP’s West Bengal President and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya echoed the sentiment, alleging that the Chief Minister is more concerned about safeguarding illegal immigrants than protecting genuine Bengali-speaking Indian Muslims. “Original Bengali-speaking Muslims in border districts are losing jobs to Bangladeshi infiltrators. Fake job cards and voter IDs are being distributed to illegals, while true Bengalis are forced to migrate in search of livelihood,” Bhattacharya stated.
Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell head and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, issued a scathing response, claiming that Mamata Banerjee’s speech is driven by fear of losing the 2026 Assembly elections. “She is lying about detention camps and manufacturing conspiracies because she knows her authoritarian rule is nearing an end,” Malviya said, asserting that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission is making her nervous.
The CPI-M also criticized Mamata Banerjee’s move, calling it a mockery of the historical language movement. Sujan Chakraborty, a senior central committee member of the party, remarked, “By comparing her political fight to the actual Bhasha Andolan, Mamata Banerjee is trivializing a monumental movement. Every political battle cannot be framed as a language struggle.”
Fellow CPI-M leader Minakshi Mukherjee held Banerjee accountable for the migration of Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal due to unemployment and economic distress. “Why did so many Bengalis have to leave the state during her tenure? Her government failed to provide jobs and opportunities, forcing people to become migrant workers. She is now blaming others for her own governance failures,” Mukherjee said.
Meanwhile, State Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy also criticized Banerjee for what he described as emotional manipulation. “Before invoking Bengali sentiments, she must address the issue of migration caused by the lack of jobs and industries in West Bengal. Using the Bhasha Andolan as a political tool is misleading,” he said.
The political row comes at a time when the Election Commission is actively reviewing voter lists in the state through its SIR programme, which has already led to the removal of thousands of fake entries. BJP leaders believe that this exercise could significantly weaken Trinamool’s voter base that allegedly includes illegal immigrants.
In response to these allegations, Trinamool Congress leaders have dismissed the opposition’s claims, stating that the protests aim to raise awareness against the targeting of Bengali-speaking individuals outside Bengal. However, no official clarification has been provided from Banerjee’s office regarding the specifics of the proposed protest programmes.
The Chief Minister’s remarks, meant to energize her party’s base, may have reignited the cultural pride of many Bengalis. But it has also exposed her government to fresh criticism over identity politics and governance failures.
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As West Bengal inches closer to another crucial election cycle, the issue of language, identity, and alleged illegal infiltration is set to become a dominant narrative, with all parties sharpening their rhetoric in a high-stakes political battle.
