West Bengal CM says she’ll speak more Bangla, dares Centre to detain her as identity politics takes centrestage ahead of 2026 polls.
In a fiery speech that reignited her party’s Bengali identity plank, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of targeting Bengali-speaking individuals across India through harassment, wrongful detention, and attempts to brand them as foreigners.
Addressing a rain-soaked protest rally in central Kolkata, Banerjee said she was deeply disturbed by what she described as a systematic attempt to intimidate and criminalise Bengalis living outside the state, particularly in BJP-ruled regions.
“I have decided to speak more Bangla from now on. If they want to detain me, let them try. Before they throw other Bengalis in jail, they’ll have to put me in first,” Banerjee declared at the culmination of a nearly three-kilometre march that concluded at Dorina Crossing. The protest, she said, was in response to mounting cases of discrimination against migrant workers from Bengal.
According to the Trinamool Congress chief, nearly 22 lakh workers from West Bengal are employed in other states and possess valid identity documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards. Yet, she claimed, many are being arrested, detained, and even deported on the pretext of being illegal immigrants or Rohingya Muslims.
Mamata said nearly 22 lakh workers from West Bengal are employed in other states and possess valid identity documents. Yet, she claimed, many are being arrested, detained, and even deported on the pretext of being illegal immigrants or Rohingya Muslims.
“We already have a list of nearly 1,000 Bengali-speaking migrant workers who’ve been thrown into jails or detention centres for simply speaking their language,” Banerjee alleged, adding that her government was still identifying how many have been “forcibly pushed back to Bangladesh.”
She claimed a central government notification issued in February had allowed individuals to be held for up to a month without trial on mere suspicion. “This is more than an Emergency,” she said, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy for commemorating anti-Emergency Day while “unleashing worse repression.”
Describing the situation as a turning point, Banerjee warned that the BJP would face a “political detention camp” at the hands of the electorate in the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. She also revived her party’s now-famous battle cry Khela Hobey (the game is on), suggesting a fresh confrontation looms.
Political observers see Banerjee’s hard-hitting speech as a strategic move to consolidate the Bengali identity vote — a theme that worked in her favour during the 2021 elections. By positioning herself as the defender of the Bengali language and people, she is drawing a sharp line between her government and the BJP, which has been making concerted efforts to gain ground in the state.
Speaking to reporters later, a senior TMC leader said the chief minister was “giving voice to the pain of countless Bengalis who are being systematically marginalised in BJP-ruled states.”
Banerjee also directed sharp criticism at the Election Commission, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar was a deliberate strategy to delete names and tilt electoral outcomes in BJP’s favour. “I have heard 30.5 lakh names have been deleted in Bihar alone. This is how they manipulated the results in Delhi and Maharashtra,” she claimed, urging the EC not to become “an extension of the BJP.”
She said the same tactics were now being prepared for Bengal and warned that the state would “fight inch by inch” to preserve democratic rights.
Referring to the large number of migrants from other states living in West Bengal, Banerjee said the state had always welcomed workers from across India with respect. “Over 1.5 crore people from outside Bengal live and work here. We have never asked them what they eat, wear, or speak. Who is the BJP to decide what language we should speak or what culture we should follow?” she asked.
Concluding her address, Banerjee issued a stern warning to the BJP: “Do not underestimate us. We will not respond with violence, but every act of oppression will be met with equal political resistance. If you try to silence Bengal, Bengal will raise its voice louder.”
As the 2026 elections draw nearer, Banerjee appears determined to frame the political contest not only as a fight for power, but also as a fight for identity — and she has made it clear that she intends to lead that charge from the front.
