CPI(M) holds protest rally over 'harassment' of Bengali-speaking migrant workers

Kolkata, Jul 15 (PTI) the West Bengal CPI(M) on Tuesday took out a protest rally here, alleging that Bengali-speaking migrant workers were being branding as Bangladeshis and harassed in different parts of the country.

The party claimed that Bengali-speaking workers from West Bengal were facing detention and other kinds of harassment in various places.

The protest rally, led by former CPI(M) MP Sujan Chakraborty, was taken out from Jadavpur to Ramgarh in south-east Kolkata.

He accused the BJP and the RSS of targeting the migrant workers from Bengal by branding them as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and opposition CPI(M) and the Congress have claimed that migrant workers from the state, especially Bengali-speaking individuals, are being targeted and harassed in BJP-ruled states.

There have been claims that even those with valid documents are being detained, with attempts being made to label them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has expressed concern over alleged mistreatment of Bengali migrant labourers in other states, is scheduled to lead a protest rally over the issue on Wednesday in the city.

The BJP has, however, held the TMC government responsible for allegedly creating confusion surrounding migrant workers' identities.

The BJP alleged that a large number of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh had managed to acquire fake Indian documents and were moving freely across the country. PTI AMR NN