Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Yusuf Pathan has sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘immediate’ intervention over alleged assault on Bengali migrant workers in BJP-governed states, particularly Odisha.
He alleged that the migrant workers, particularly from his Baharampur constituency, have been robbed, manhandled and forcibly evicted from their accommodations in the neighbouring state. “I write to you with grave concern regarding the alarming rise in incidents of violence against migrant workers from Bengal, particularly those hailing from my constituency Berhampore, Murshidabad, and surrounding districts, who recently returned from Odisha after being subjected to targeted attacks,” Pathan wrote in his letter, dated April 27.
Yusuf was referring to 40 migrant workers from Malda, who returned home from Odisha’s Sambalpur last week.They alleged that they were attacked because “they were from Bengal” in a complaint filed with Chanchal police in Malda, while stressing that they were not asked about their religion.
“The systematic targeting of workers from West Bengal, especially those from the Muslim community, based on their regional identity is deeply troubling. Such acts violate the fundamental principles of unity, integrity, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution. Beyond the disruption to livelihoods, these attacks threaten the very lives and basic human rights of innocent citizens,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.
He asserted that around 20,000 workers have fled Odisha in recent days fearing for their lives and numerous videos, documenting these alleged attacks, are doing the rounds on social media.
Yusuf outlined a four-point plan to protect labourers from Bengal. “I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to, one, direct the Odisha state administration to take prompt and stringent action against the perpetrators; two, ensure the safety and security of all migrant workers across the affected districts; three, constitute a central fact-finding team to investigate the root causes and scale of the violence; and four, provide necessary relief and rehabilitation support to the workers returning to West Bengal,” he added.
The MP further emphasised that the situation transcends ordinary law and order issues, describing it as “a matter of human dignity” and the “constitutional right to work” and reside in any part of the country.
