Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday intervened in a distressing case involving two migrant workers from West Bengal's South Dinajpur district who were arrested in Maharashtra on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and spent seven months in jail.
Meeting the Freed Workers and Allegations of Neglect
Banerjee met the workers, Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman, in Balurghat after their ordeal. He was accompanied by a local BJP leader, Pulak Chakraborty, who acknowledged the "pivotal role" played by Trinamool in securing their release. The TMC leader launched a sharp attack on local BJP MP and Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar, accusing him of keeping silent and providing no assistance.
"They were labelled as Bangladeshis for speaking Bengali and were jailed in Maharashtra. Despite the BJP govt being in office in Maharashtra, Sukantababu did nothing. We worked hard to bring them back," Banerjee stated.
A Harrowing Tale of Misidentification
The incident dates back to January last year when 54-year-old Asit Sarkar travelled to Mumbai with his son Akash in search of work. In June, police raided their workplace. During questioning, Sarkar, who struggled with Hindi, reportedly mentioned his home as "Bangla", which led the police to suspect he was from Bangladesh. He was arrested along with his colleague, Gautam Barman from Gangarampur.
Both workers were incarcerated in Thane jail until they were finally released on bail on December 27. Banerjee visited Sarkar's house in Patiram, assuring him of all possible help to earn a livelihood back home.
Political Firestorm and Counter-Allegations
Banerjee did not mince words, calling Majumdar a "fashion show master" and a "stop-gap minister". He questioned the BJP leader's responsibility towards his constituents. "Isn't politics all about standing by the people? Don't you have any responsibility towards those who elected you?" he asked.
He further accused the BJP of targeting Bengalis for political gain. "It's not right to label 10 crore people Bangladeshis for political gain... Sooner or later, their curse will have its effect," Banerjee warned.
Gautam Barman, who is an active BJP worker, corroborated Banerjee's claims, stating, "My party did nothing to get me out of jail. My family even approached minister Sukanta Majumdar, who did not pay any heed... I was released only because of Abhishek Banerjee's intervention."
In response, Sukanta Majumdar dismissed the allegations as "filthy politics." He claimed Barman's wife admitted he had spoken to authorities. "I heard they (migrant workers) have been given money and promised jobs (to make such statements)," Majumdar retorted.
Broader Attack on BJP's Electoral Roll Revision
Later, at a roadshow in Itahar, North Dinajpur, Banerjee shifted his focus to the BJP's drive for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He framed it as an attack on Bengali identity, asking rhetorically if notices were being sent to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, actor Dev, or cricketer Mohammed Shami.
"If any BJP neta asks for papers, tell him to bring his father's papers first," he said, urging supporters to intensify their fight. He set an ambitious target for Trinamool to win all 15 assembly seats across North and South Dinajpur.
Banerjee concluded with a defiant message: "Let them file FIR, SIR, BIR, CIR. No matter how much they attack, Bengal will win again." The episode has ignited a fresh political controversy in West Bengal, highlighting issues of migrant rights, identity politics, and the escalating war of words between TMC and BJP ahead of crucial elections.
