Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, accusing it of advancing a divisive political agenda targeting linguistic minorities, particularly Bengali-speaking communities.
In a statement shared on social media, Banerjee said, “Bangla, the second most spoken language in India, is also the second most spoken language in Assam. To threaten citizens who wish to live peacefully, embracing all languages and religions, with persecution for expressing pride in their mother tongue is both discriminatory and unconstitutional.”
Her remarks come amid escalating political tensions between the West Bengal Chief Minister and her Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma. Earlier, Sarma had accused Banerjee of favoring Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and warned that if she visited the state “for their sake,” she would face backlash from both the Assamese population and Hindu Bengalis.
Responding to Sarma’s comments, Banerjee condemned what she described as “language-based persecution” and urged the people of Assam to resist divisive politics. “I stand with every fearless citizen defending their language, identity, and democratic rights,” she added, underscoring her support for linguistic harmony and constitutional values.
Political observers view Banerjee’s statement as a direct response to recent BJP rhetoric in Assam, which critics say has increasingly centered on linguistic and religious identity in the run-up to key electoral contests.
Meanwhile, opposition parties in both Assam and West Bengal have urged political leaders to practice restraint and prioritize inclusive governance. Several civil society groups have also expressed concern over inflammatory language used by political leaders, warning that such rhetoric could undermine communal harmony and social cohesion in the region.