During a media interaction, Banerjee highlighted the recent incidents where Bengali migrant workers were detained and harassed simply for speaking their native language, a situation that sparked widespread outrage. He emphasized that such discrimination was not isolated and had become a troubling trend. “Whenever we get a chance in Parliament, we will speak in Bengali. Today, during the discussion on Operation Siddur, we will speak in Bengali as well. Bengali migrant workers are being harassed in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Odisha under the BJP’s double-engine government,” he said.
The MP further criticized the Election Commission’s impartiality, alleging that it had been complicit in voter intimidation, particularly targeting the common people under the pretext of conducting the voter ID process. Banerjee remarked, “Voters are being intimidated in the name of SIR. The rights of the common man are being taken away. Meanwhile, voter ID cards are being issued in the name of dogs. All this is done to favor a particular party, and it’s shameful.”
Banerjee also referred to the disturbing incidents that occurred during the 2021 West Bengal election, when voters in Shitalkuchi were allegedly killed in broad daylight, and he expressed similar concerns over the handling of the 2024 elections. He accused the Election Commission of being subservient to political interests, leading to a compromised electoral process.
“Flattery and servitude are being practiced by the ruling party. The land that gave the world four Nobel laureates—Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa, Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, and Amartya Sen—has now been reduced to a political battleground,” Banerjee remarked. He also criticized the BJP’s national leadership, specifically targeting BJP President Amit Shah, accusing him of ignorance regarding the birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore and the party’s destructive actions, such as the alleged vandalization of Vidyasagar’s statue under Shah’s leadership.
Turning to the political landscape in Bengal, Banerjee warned that those who continued to oppress the people of Bengal would face consequences similar to those in the 2021 and 2024 elections. “The people of Bengal will not betray their own. They will give the BJP the same lesson they gave them in 2021 and 2024, come 2026,” he asserted.
In a passionate plea, Banerjee questioned why the BJP was engaging in politics of division, pointing out that if the ruling party had truly been concerned about such politics, they could have halted developmental work in the Jangalmahal region, where the BJP had performed well in the past. However, Banerjee proudly stated that the ruling party in Bengal had maintained an inclusive development agenda across the state, without discrimination.
“This is politics, and this should be the policy of the government of this country. It’s unfortunate that we have to fight against such divisions. We will speak out. If BJP believes that insulting the people of Bengal will teach them a lesson, they are gravely mistaken. They should be prepared for a much tougher lesson,” Banerjee concluded, sending a strong message of resilience and unity from Bengal.
The MP’s statement has added to the ongoing political discourse surrounding migrant workers’ rights, voter integrity, and the integrity of the electoral process, and has raised the stakes for upcoming political
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