TMC MP claims tribal worker from Malda beaten in Odisha over speaking Bengali

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam on Tuesday alleged that a tribal labourer from West Bengal’s Malda district was beaten up in Odisha for speaking Bengali.

Islam, who is also chairman of the West Bengal government’s Migrant Workers’ Welfare Board, claimed that the youth, identified as Binoy Besra from Gajol, was first detained by villagers and later assaulted in the BJP-ruled Odisha.

“He was first detained by the villagers for speaking Bengali, and then the police arrived. Listen to his words — how he was mercilessly beaten until he somehow managed to escape the anti-Bengali vigilantes,” the TMC MP said with a video clip of the migrant uploaded on X.

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Besra had gone to Odisha to work as a migrant labourer 15 days ago, Islam said.

He accused the BJP of indulging in “anti-Bengali atrocities”, claiming that such forces “will not spare anyone, be it a Matua, Rajbanshi, or member of an indigenous community”.

Islam had on Monday claimed that three migrant workers from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, who were allegedly detained by the Assam Police on suspicion of being Bangladeshis, were released after the intervention of the Mamata Banerjee government.

He added that the chief minister has called for an all-out movement against “anti-Bengali forces”.

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