KOLKATA/BHUBANESWAR: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee contacted Sunday her Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi, urging his intervention following reports of Bengali-speaking workers being assaulted and labelled as “Bangladeshis” by local vigilante groups in his state.
Four videos surfaced on social media over the past 24 hours, purportedly showing attacks on Bengali-speaking people in Odisha.
Attacks were reported from Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Sambalpur districts in Odisha, where locals confronted Bengali-speaking workers, demanding proof of their Indian citizenship. In one video, a hawker from Bengal’s Ranaghat was assaulted in Kendrapara for not having a physical Aadhaar card, despite showing a digital copy. An attacker is heard saying that he was a Bangladeshi.
Another clip shows a man suffer a head injury after being attacked on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi. In Sambalpur, over 30 Bengali-speaking workers were taken to Ainthapali police station but were released after their Indian citizenship was verified.
Banerjee requested Majhi to ensure the safe return of any workers wishing to leave Odisha. In response, Odisha govt instructed police to remain vigilant against attacks on Bengali-speaking people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
Odisha DGP Arun Sarangi said: “There was no major violence and police have acted promptly on isolated incidents of Bengali-speaking people being targeted. Action will be taken against the guilty as per law.”
Bengal Migrant Welfare Board has launched a helpline (18001030009) for those facing such attacks. Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who heads the board, urged affected people to seek assistance through the helpline.
The alleged attacks stemmed from fears that Bangladeshi refugees have illegally entered Odisha amidst the upheaval in the neighbouring nation that saw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s govt and the formation of an interim administration Thursday.
Four videos surfaced on social media over the past 24 hours, purportedly showing attacks on Bengali-speaking people in Odisha.
Attacks were reported from Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Sambalpur districts in Odisha, where locals confronted Bengali-speaking workers, demanding proof of their Indian citizenship. In one video, a hawker from Bengal’s Ranaghat was assaulted in Kendrapara for not having a physical Aadhaar card, despite showing a digital copy. An attacker is heard saying that he was a Bangladeshi.
Another clip shows a man suffer a head injury after being attacked on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi. In Sambalpur, over 30 Bengali-speaking workers were taken to Ainthapali police station but were released after their Indian citizenship was verified.
Banerjee requested Majhi to ensure the safe return of any workers wishing to leave Odisha. In response, Odisha govt instructed police to remain vigilant against attacks on Bengali-speaking people suspected of being illegal immigrants.
Odisha DGP Arun Sarangi said: “There was no major violence and police have acted promptly on isolated incidents of Bengali-speaking people being targeted. Action will be taken against the guilty as per law.”
Bengal Migrant Welfare Board has launched a helpline (18001030009) for those facing such attacks. Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, who heads the board, urged affected people to seek assistance through the helpline.
The alleged attacks stemmed from fears that Bangladeshi refugees have illegally entered Odisha amidst the upheaval in the neighbouring nation that saw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s govt and the formation of an interim administration Thursday.
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