Mamata launches 'bhasha andolan' to protest 'linguistic terror', vows no NRC in Bengal

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a bhasha andolan (language movement) from Bolpur in Birbhum district, declaring that she would "give up her life, but not allow anyone to snatch her language".

She accused the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of attempting to "implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) through the backdoor" in the state by targeting Bengali-speaking migrants and making attempts to omit genuine voters from the electoral rolls.

In a fiery speech after leading a rally of Trinamool Congress supporters, Banerjee accused the BJP-led Central government of perpetrating "linguistic terror" and vowed not to allow the construction of detention camps in Bengal.

"We will stop this conspiracy to jeopardise our existence in the name of linguistic terror and attempt to implement NRC through the backdoor," Banerjee said. "I won't allow the implementation of NRC or the building of detention camps in Bengal."

Alleging that the ECI was "working on behalf of the Centre", Banerjee dared the poll panel to strike off genuine voters from the rolls under the garb of the ongoing special intensive revision in Bihar.

"I would dare them to omit genuine voters from the voter list in the name of revision of electoral rolls," she said.

The chief minister also appealed to the alleged tortured Bengali-speaking migrants to return home, assuring them of complete support from the state police and administration.

Highlighting the alleged injustice, Banerjee questioned the Centre's selective outreach. "When you (the prime minister) travel to Arab nations and hug the sheikhs, do you ask whether they are Hindus or Muslims?" she asked.

"Did you ask the Maldives President his religion when you hugged him and donated Rs 5,000 crore, while depriving Bengal of its dues?" Banerjee said, sharpening her attack.

Emphasising unity and constitutional pluralism, the TMC supremo said, "Unity is our strength. We don't want division on the basis of language; we want unity. You can forget everything, but you should not forget your asmita (pride), mother tongue and motherland," she added.

Banerjee further questioned why states, where Bengali-speaking migrants are facing harassment, cannot accommodate them. "If we can accept and shelter 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal, why can't you accept 22 lakh Bengali migrants working in your states?" she asked.