'Being born Bengali has become crime in BJP states': CM Mamata Banerjee amid migrant row

Kolkata: With an eye on assembly polls next year, the TMC is gearing up to turn its annual Martyrs' Day rally into a powerful platform to sharpen its Bengali pride narrative and hit out at the BJP over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants in saffron-ruled states.

Set against the backdrop of rising tensions over the linguistic profiling and treatment of Bengali migrant workers in BJP-governed states such as Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, the July 21 rally in Kolkata's Esplanade is expected to see Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issue a clarion call to her party workers, reiterating her message that "Bengalis are not second-class citizens in their own country".

"Time and again, poor Bengali-speaking workers are being picked up, harassed, and branded as illegal infiltrators. The BJP is criminalising poverty and weaponising identity to harass the marginalised," a senior TMC leader told PTI.

In recent weeks, a political storm has been brewing in Bengal, with Banerjee alleging that Bengali-speaking migrants are being detained, targeted, and subjected to linguistic profiling in the name of national security. "Being born a Bengali has become a crime in BJP states. They think every Bengali is from Bangladesh. We won't tolerate this insult," Banerjee thundered at a recent public meeting.

The TMC has accused the BJP of resorting to "linguistic othering" and has sought to reignite the emotional chord of regional identity that helped it counter the BJP's Hindutva wave during the 2021 assembly polls.

"Dignity, identity, and survival are at stake. BJP is out to erase Bengali self-respect under the garb of nationalism. Our fight is not just electoral-it's existential," said a TMC MP.

The BJP, on the other hand, has pushed back strongly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent rally in Durgapur, accused the TMC of promoting infiltration and endangering national security for vote-bank politics.

"It is the BJP that truly protects Bengali 'ashmita'," Modi had said, as he projected the BJP as the only credible alternative in Bengal.

Responding to the TMC's allegations over migrant harassment, BJP leaders have claimed that the confusion stems from the TMC's failure to streamline citizenship and voter documentation.

"They are blaming others to hide their incompetence," said a Bengal BJP leader.

The Martyrs' Day rally, observed annually on July 21, commemorates the killing of 13 youth activists in police firing in 1993 when Mamata Banerjee, then a fiery Youth Congress leader, led a march to the state secretariat demanding that voter ID cards be made the sole document for franchise. Over the years, the rally has morphed into the biggest show of political strength by the TMC, often setting the tone for upcoming battles.

This year's rally, party insiders say, will be a launch pad for a high-voltage campaign leading up to the 2026 assembly polls, where the TMC plans to weaponise both Bengali pride and the perceived humiliation of its people across state borders.

"We gave them 'poriborton' (change) in 2011. Now we will give them 'protibad' (resistance)," said a young TMC MLA, hinting at a fiery speech by Banerjee that will blend emotional appeal with sharp political messaging.

Security has been beefed up for Monday's rally, with thousands of supporters already streaming into the city from across the state. Banerjee, known for her emotive oratory, is expected to take direct aim at the BJP's "double standards" — questioning how the same party that talks of Bengali pride in Bengal is accused of humiliating Bengalis elsewhere.

With lakhs of supporters expected to pour into Kolkata from every corner of the state—some on overcrowded local trains, others by trucks draped in TMC flags—the city is already witnessing a carnival-like build-up.

Tea stalls and dhabas in Esplanade and Sealdah are abuzz with slogans like "Khela Hobe, abar hobe" and "Banglar keu Bangladeshi noy" (No Bengali from Bengal is a Bangladeshi).

As a party strategist put it, "From 1993 to 2025, this rally is more than a tribute. It is Mamata Banerjee's declaration of battle against injustice, against humiliation, and for the soul of Bengal.

With the 2026 assembly showdown on the horizon and a resurgent BJP sharpening its knives, the July 21 rally is poised to be more than just a commemoration — it's a political bugle call.

In a state where identity runs deep and memory lingers long, the rally promises to redraw the battle lines of power, pride, and perception.

In the grand political theatre that lies ahead, July 21 could well be TMC's opening act — with Mamata Banerjee cast once again as the combative protagonist, and 'Bengali asmita' as both shield and sword.