Former Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise concerns about alleged discrimination and violence against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in several parts of India. The Congress leader urged the Prime Minister to direct all state governments to take preventive measures and ensure the safety of migrant workers.

Chowdhury highlighted incidents where workers from West Bengal were allegedly targeted due to their language being mistaken for Bangladeshi nationality. He cited a recent case in Odisha’s Sambalpur on December 24, where three migrant workers from Murshidabad district were attacked. Two managed to escape, while one, identified as Juyel Rana, was beaten to death after being suspected as a Bangladeshi because he spoke Bengali.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Chowdhury wrote, “A harrowing incident took place in Odisha’s Sambalpur where a youth, Juyel Sk, of my district Murshidabad was bludgeoned to death on allegations of being a Bangladeshi infiltrator.” He emphasized that most of these violent incidents occur in BJP-ruled states.

Chowdhury further alleged that Bengali-speaking migrant workers are subjected to abuse, harassment, and in extreme cases, fatal attacks simply because of their language. He said administrative lapses exacerbate the problem, with law enforcement failing to distinguish between Indian Bengali speakers (‘Banglabhasi’) and actual Bangladeshi nationals, leading to wrongful detention and harassment.

“Their only offence is that they speak in Bengali, which is often misunderstood by the concerned administration as persons belonging to neighbouring Bangladesh,” he wrote, underscoring the systemic nature of the issue.

The Congress leader stressed that migrant workers have constitutional rights to live, work, and travel anywhere in the country. He called on the Centre to ensure that these rights are protected and that steps are taken to prevent discrimination and violence against migrant workers from West Bengal.

Chowdhury’s meeting with the Prime Minister comes amid growing concerns over the treatment of migrant communities, highlighting the need for sensitivity and administrative accountability to safeguard citizens’ rights across India.