Overview
- Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on December 30 to flag attacks and harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, particularly in BJP-ruled states.
- He told the Prime Minister that officials often conflate Bengali speakers with Bangladeshi nationals and label them 'infiltrators', leading to detentions and arrests.
- Chowdhury requested that the Centre 'sensitize' all state governments to prevent discrimination and violence, and he said the Prime Minister would look into the issues.
- Data from the West Bengal Migrants Welfare Board cited in the appeal recorded 1,143 harassment complaints over 10 months.
- Recent cases highlighted include a migrant worker killed in Sambalpur, Odisha, and arrests in Mumbai on suspicion of illegal immigration, as BJP leaders step up organisational activity in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.