TMC wants Parl to discuss Bengali migrants’ discrimination, SIR
The Statesman | 24 July 2025
Trinamul Congress MPs Wednesday submitted notices in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, seeking discussions on two key issues including the alleged discrimination against Bengali-speaking migrants in various states and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
According to TMC sources, the MPs want a short duration discussion on the challenges being faced by Bengali-speaking migrants across different states.
The TMC leadership has been raising concerns about alleged discrimination being faced by Bengali-speaking migrants in states outside West Bengal, particularly in BJP-ruled states.
The TMC, led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has been alleging discrimination against the Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states. She has raised the issue multiple times, pointing to difficulties faced by Bengali-speaking people in states like Assam and Tripura.
Miss Banerjee has spoken about challenges in accessing welfare schemes and citizenship rights for Bengali migrants. In a statement, Miss Banerjee had said: “Bengalis are being marginalized and targeted in BJP-ruled states. We will fight for their rights.”
The TMC MPs have also given notices to discuss the special intensive revision (SIR) process currently underway in Bihar, with plans to extend to other states.
There are apprehensions in the TMC circles about potential misuse of the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls. TMC leaders fear the SIR could target marginalised communities, including Bengali-speaking migrants, and the minorities, affecting their voting rights. They apprehend that the next target after Bihar would be West Bengal.
At the press conference in Delhi, TMC MPs had expressed concerns that the SIR in Bihar and potentially other states might exclude eligible voters, particularly from minority and migrant communities. Mamata Banerjee had also warned: “The EC’s drive should not become a tool to disenfranchise vulnerable sections of society.”
Bengali-speaking populations are concentrated significantly in several states, particularly Assam, Tripura, and parts of Northeast.