Kolkata, July 16 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday said that the Trinamool Congress’ protests against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking individuals in different states across the country, will now reach beyond the borders of Bengal.

“In future, whenever we receive any information of Bengali-speaking people being harassed selectively anywhere and in any other state, we will be organising protests there as well. We have been harmed. But still, we are organised.

“We are ready to give a fitting reply to such selective harassment of Bengali-speaking people in other states,” Chief Minister Banerjee said while addressing a gathering at Central Kolkata at the end of a protest march in the city, which she led, braving the rains.

Chief Minister Banerjee was accompanied by the party General Secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee and other senior Trinamool Congress leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Banerjee specifically named the Assam and Odisha governments, accused them of selectively harassing Bengali-speaking people, and cautioned them to be ready to face the consequences of unnecessarily harassing them.

“The Assam government drove away 12 lakh people just because they could not speak Assamese. In Odisha, the same thing happened with Bengali-speaking migrant workers from West Bengal. I tell you, we will not do the same thing with you. We do not speak in the tone and language that you speak. However, if you do not stop, we will do the needful to stop you,” Chief Minister Banerjee said.

Speaking on the occasion, she also issued an appeal to the migrant workers from West Bengal currently in other states to immediately return to Bengal.

“I request the migrant workers to come back. Do not stay back there facing humiliation. We have everything here for you. Do not trust the BJP in other states. If I have just a piece of bread, I will share half of it with you,” Chief Minister Banerjee said.

She once again targeted the Election Commission of India over the proposed Special Intensive Revision of the voters’ list.

“They have started it with Bihar, which is going for elections this year. Next, they will start the same in West Bengal, which is going for elections next year. They used the same trick to win elections in Delhi and Maharashtra. Now they are trying to adopt the same trick for Bihar and West Bengal,” Mamata Banerjee said.

She also reminded that the current Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar previously worked as a senior bureaucrat with a ministry whose in-charge was the Union Home Minister.

“I respect the chair of the Chief Election Commissioner. But I just remembered the fact,” the Chief Minister said.

–IANS

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