Kolkata, Dec 27: Following the alleged killing of a 30-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal in Sambalpur district of Odisha, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Saturday that a “zero FIR” had been filed, and a police team was dispatched to investigate the matter. She condemned the “brutal oppression, harassment, and violence” faced by Bengali-speaking individuals in BJP-ruled states.
The incident occurred after an altercation regarding a bidi on December 24, leading to the death of Jewel Rana. In connection with this case, West Bengal Police registered a zero FIR at the Suti police station and apprehended six suspects, according to Banerjee.
“A police team from West Bengal is now in Odisha to conduct the investigation,” she stated. In a post on social media platform X, Banerjee expressed her strong condemnation of the oppression faced by Bengali-speaking communities, affirming support for affected migrant families who have suffered intimidation and violence.
She highlighted that workers from the Jangipur region in Murshidabad have allegedly experienced significant violence in BJP-ruled Odisha. “It is deeply unfortunate that yet another young migrant worker from the Suti area of Jangipur was beaten to death in Sambalpur,” she remarked. Banerjee mentioned that migrant workers from the Muslim-majority Murshidabad region are now returning home out of fear.
“We are committed to providing all forms of assistance to the victims and are extending financial support to the family of the deceased,” she added. She emphasized that speaking the Bengali language should never be considered a crime.
In response to Banerjee’s statements, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya challenged her to clarify why skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bengal must seek livelihoods elsewhere. He contended that Banerjee’s comments expose how migrants, including those from minority communities, have been misled about job opportunities in Bengal. He argued that if there were sufficient employment and economic growth in Bengal, youth would not need to migrate to states like Odisha, Gujarat, and Haryana.
Bhattacharya further remarked that the TMC’s narrative of “outsiders” has fostered hostility towards Bengali-speaking migrants. He claimed that the presence of Bangladeshis illegally acquiring documents with TMC’s help has also complicated the issue, resulting in occasional targeting of migrants from Bengal.
“We commend the swift actions taken by Odisha police against the perpetrators and trust in the police forces of other states, which are perceived as less biased compared to those in TMC-ruled Bengal,” he concluded.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/12/28/police-team-sent-to-odisha-over-death-of-migrant-worker-mamata/
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Publish Date: 2025-12-28 03:28:00
