Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Jan 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged that migrant labourers from the state were being tortured in BJP-ruled states for speaking Bengali, and accused the BJP of attempting to provoke unrest in Bengal ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Speaking before leaving for north Bengal to attend administrative programmes, Banerjee claimed the BJP was “planning to incite riots in the state” after realising it would be unable to win the next assembly polls.

Referring to protests in Murshidabad’s Beldanga over attacks on migrant workers outside the state, the chief minister said the anger among members of the minority community was “legitimate”. She stated that repeated incidents of violence against migrant workers from Bengal had triggered the agitation.

“Migrant labourers from Bengal are being tortured only in BJP-ruled states. We stand by their families,” Banerjee said.

On Friday, locals in Murshidabad blocked National Highway 12 and set tyres on fire to protest the alleged attacks on migrant workers from the district in other states, police said, leading to disruption of vehicular movement. Protesters alleged that migrants from Murshidabad were facing atrocities elsewhere for speaking Bengali. The agitation reportedly intensified after news emerged about the death of a district native who had migrated to Jharkhand for work.

The chief minister also criticised the Election Commission over changes introduced in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bengal. Banerjee claimed that anxiety linked to the voter list revision exercise had led to the deaths of “around 100 people”.

“Protect the dignity and impartiality of your chair. Only then will people respect you,” Banerjee said, addressing the chief election commissioner amid the continuing controversy over the revision process.