The Trinamool Congress will raise the harassment of Bengali-speaking people in Odisha, Assam, and Delhi, and the ECI’s Special Intensive Review at the INDIA Bloc meeting. TMC emphasizes the need for united Opposition action against NRC-like policies and targeted discrimination under BJP-led governments.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is set to raise serious concerns about the harassment of Bengali-speaking individuals in states like Odisha, Assam, and Delhi during the INDIA Bloc meeting scheduled for this evening. These individuals have allegedly been wrongfully branded as “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators,” particularly in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states, triggering political and social alarm across the opposition.
According to senior TMC leaders, this issue has emerged as one of the most pressing human rights and political challenges in the country. The party believes that it deserves unified attention and action from all INDIA Bloc constituents. At the forefront of this campaign is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has long emphasized the need for collective resistance against what she views as discriminatory practices targeting Bengali-speaking communities.
“While the Trinamool Congress is the only party in the country which is spearheading the movement on this issue, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already stressed the importance of a united stand of all Opposition parties on this issue. Our General Secretary is expected to convey that message to the INDIA Bloc allies in the meeting this evening,” said a senior party functionary, who requested anonymity.
Initially, TMC had planned to skip the INDIA Bloc meeting due to the party’s focus on organizing its annual Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21. However, in a last-minute decision, the party leadership decided that General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee would attend the meeting virtually.
The INDIA Bloc—an alliance of opposition parties formed to present a united front against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—is meeting after a significant hiatus. The current session is expected to focus on floor coordination during the Monsoon Session of Parliament and on aligning strategies on key national issues.
Apart from the issue of harassment of Bengali-speaking individuals, the TMC is also expected to strongly voice its concerns about the Special Intensive Review (SIR) initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The SIR has already commenced in other parts of the country and is slated to begin in West Bengal next month.
TMC has repeatedly expressed its apprehensions regarding the SIR process, arguing that it could be a backdoor attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal—a move that the party staunchly opposes.
“Our Chief Minister has already made the party’s stand clear that this Special Intensive Review is a ploy to indirectly implement NRC in West Bengal. Our General Secretary is expected to elaborate the party’s stand on this issue at the INDIA Bloc meeting this evening,” the TMC leader added.
The upcoming Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21 in Kolkata remains a key political event for the TMC and is expected to serve as a platform for the party to amplify its opposition to both the NRC-like measures and the rising instances of ethnic and linguistic targeting in BJP-governed states.
The convergence of these issues—the targeting of Bengali speakers, the implications of the ECI’s SIR process, and the need for opposition unity—underscores the TMC’s broader political narrative ahead of the next electoral cycle. By bringing these issues to the INDIA Bloc table, the TMC aims to build momentum for a coordinated national response and bolster the alliance’s relevance on the ground.
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As the INDIA Bloc looks to cement its position before the 2026 Assembly and 2029 General Elections, tonight’s meeting will serve as a litmus test for the unity and urgency of the opposition parties. Whether the alliance will rally around the causes flagged by the TMC remains to be seen, but the signals from Kolkata are clear: silence and inaction will no longer be an option.
