You Will Pay For Your Actions! Mahua Moitra Warns Odisha For ‘Throwing Out’ Bengali Workers

Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday issued a warning to Odisha DGP and Nayagarh SP while drawing their attention to alleged forcible removal of four Bengali-speaking Muslim traders from Odagaon.

“You will pay for your actions. Watch out,” the Trinamool leader said in a video message.

According to Mahua, four Bengali migrant workers from Sagarpara gram panchayat in Jalangi block of Domkal subdivision in Murshidabad, who had been living and earning a livelihood in Nayagarh for the past 18 years, were “illegally rounded up” on November 27. “Some of their fathers had also worked in Nayagarh before them. They are poor people who earn their livelihood by selling woollen garments and quilts,” she added.

The Krishnanagar MP alleged that they were levelled as  “Rohingya” and “illegal Bangladeshis”, simply because they spoke Bengali and were taking them to the station despite having valid documents, including Aadhaar and voter cards. “When the family contacted the Murshidabad SP, we called Odagaon police and told them that they are verified workers, so please let them go. They then released them but said that they have to leave the district within 72 hours,” she claimed

She further alleged that the police threatened and pressured the landlord, who then forced the ‘poor workers’ out of their accommodation. “These people had about Rs 2 lakh in inventory of the woollen garments. However, overnight they had to leave Odisha and are now on a train and will be reaching Bengal today,” she said.

“We are taking this to court. You have absolutely no right to throw out Bengalis who are legally earning their livelihood in your state. This is against the fundamental principles of the Constitution. Please understand, there are Odia cooks, gardeners, plumbers, and other workers in Bengal. If the Bengal govt starts doing what you are doing, imagine where we will land up,” she warned.

In the post, with the video message, Mahua added that the lakhs of workers from Odisha are treated with respect and dignity in Bengal.

The MP had raised the same issue in a post on X on Tuesday, drawing the attention of Nayagarh SP S Susree to the matter. “Hello @spnayagarh S Susree IPS – Odagaon PS Odisha instructed 4 Bengali migrants, all bona fide Indian citizens with full paperwork to leave the district. Pressurised Landlord to throw them out, and threatened arrest. Inspite of @SPMurshidabad verifying workers. This is illegal & in violation of our constitution. Am taking you to court so get ready,” she had tweeted.

Reactions

In a strong rebuttal, BJP MLA Santosh Khatua said that such remarks are unbecoming of a Member of Parliament. He also hit back by questioning West Bengal government’s alleged complicity in permitting illegal settlement of Bangladeshi nationals in the state.

Congress MLA Ashok Kumar Das advised the government to practice caution in such matters. “We still see this happening. Many people travel from Odisha to West Bengal for work, while many from West Bengal come to Odisha for employment. Before taking any decisions, the government should collect accurate data. Expelling people who have settled in Odisha, along with their families, is illegal and would seriously affect their livelihoods. People from Odisha living in West Bengal have been there for a long time…,” he told the media.

Political Flashpoint

The Trinamool Congress had previously accused the Odisha Police of arbitrarily detaining and harassing Bengali-speaking migrant workers, after 448 suspected Bangladeshis and Rohingyas were detained in Jharsuguda and Jagatsinghpur as part of a massive statewide crackdown against illegal immigrants in July.

Such detentions have been a political flashpoint between the two neighbouring states with SPs of various districts of Odisha having been asked to intensify the drive against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar in coordination with central agencies like the Intelligence Bureau.

A total of 49 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants have been deported from Odisha since May, with cases registered against two of them for forging passports, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majh told the Assembly on Monday. He added that a special task force has been constituted by the state government to take action against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. Two detention centres have been constructed at the state level and 18 more holding centres at the district level. While suspected cases are detained at the holding centres till completion of verification, the state-level detention centres are used to house identified Bangladeshi infiltrators until their deportation.