Why national commissions are silent on attacks on Bengalis in BJP-ruled states: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, questioned the silence of the different national commissions on the alleged atrocities and harassment of Bengali-speaking people in the BJP-ruled states.

“The national commissions become active and send delegations to West Bengal even if a lizard bites here. But when women are being sexually assaulted and even burnt alive in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, these national commissions remain silent. The members of these commissions never visit the BJP-ruled states. When the Bengali-speaking people are harassed in other states or killed, or water and electricity connections are disconnected at their homes, then these national commission members never visit those places. In such cases, the commissions become omissions. Bengalis are harassed since Bengal has the maximum talent,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an administrative meeting at Illambazar in Birbhum district on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister gave a call to the migrant workers from West Bengal, currently residing in other states for livelihood, to return to Bengal, and also assured that her government would provide matching employment to all of them after returning to their home state.

“If they want to come back, we will also provide them with free ration and free treatment. We will also arrange for the admission of their children to the schools. There is nothing to worry about. Instead of being humiliated in other states, they should come back,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister also claimed that the Bengali-speaking migrant workers are being harassed in the BJP-ruled states following direct instructions from the Union Home Ministry. “I heard that at least ten detention camps have been set up at Gurugram in Haryana. In Assam, lakhs of people had been sent to detention camps. Now, attempts are being made to slap NRC in West Bengal under the garb of the special intensive review by the Election Commission of India,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister also accused the BJP leaders “of taking sides with the British rulers when the Bengali freedom fighters were sacrificing their lives to make India free of British rule”.

“Those who sacrificed the most for the country are now becoming victims of a ‘language terror’ unleashed by them,” she said.

IANS